Summer is the season for cooking fun new recipes. If you're a homeowner, you're probably used to hosting cookouts, barbecues, and other family parties during the summer months. Whether you're grilling up hamburgers and hotdogs, serving some fruit, or trying out a new dish, there's bound to be a lot of traffic in your kitchen this season.

In addition to extra food, there will inevitably be an extra amount of disposal of food in your home. When you dispose of food, some of it might go in the sink instead of the trash can. If you have a garbage disposal, it's natural to flush away some of your food remnants in the sink. While a garbage disposal is a great way to break down food and get rid of it in an environmentally friendly way, it can't handle all food.

Some foods can cause garbage disposals to clog or malfunction. When garbage disposals don't work properly, you may need to call a plumbing company in Montgomery County to repair the damage or replace the unit in your home.

To keep your garbage disposal in tip-top shape, it's important to know which foods don't belong in there. Next time you cook a big meal in your home, keep a look-out for these foods to avoid putting down your garbage disposal:

Pasta
If you're making a pasta dish for the family or pasta salad for a cookout, make sure all remnants go in the trash can. The starch can clog up drains and cause build-up.

Potato Peels
There are so many cookout dishes that can be made from potatoes. Whether you're making french fries or mashed potatoes, be sure not to dispose of the peels in the garbage disposal. They can turn into a goo substance and clog up the drain.

Oil
Many meals require the use of oil for preparation. Make sure that you don't flush oil down the garbage disposal to avoid blockage in your drain.

Coffee Grounds
Now, you may not have coffee at a family party, but you might need it to wake you up the next morning. If you're making coffee, don't let the grounds get down into your garbage disposal. They won't break down and will cause build-up.

Egg Shells
Whether you're making deviled eggs, egg salad, or another egg dish for your barbecue, try to throw your egg shells out in the trash. Like coffee grounds, egg shells don't break down in the drain.

Celery
Celery is a cool vegetable that is perfect for the summer time. However, it can get stringy when it's disposed of. If it gets down the garbage disposal, it can wrap around it and cause malfunctions.

This summer, be sure to keep an eye on the foods that you let go down the disposal. Family parties and barbecues won't be nearly as fun with a malfunctioning garbage disposal in the mix. For garbage disposal repairs and installations, contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Levittown, the leading plumbers in Montgomery County, PA.