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Garbage Disposals
Putting a garbage disposal in your kitchen
can help solve the problem of what to do
with the waste that is left when preparing
food and cleaning up afterward. For example,
a disposal makes cleaning up carrot and potato
peelings a breeze because the peels can be
washed down the drain without fear of clogging
it up. Since the garbage goes down the drain,
a garbage disposal also eliminates the hassle
of storing messy, smelly garbage in the house,
and it reduces the possibility of attracting
unwanted animals and insects when the garbage
is placed outside for removal. Using a garbage
disposal is also an environmentally wise
choice, as garbage is not dumped in land
fills where it can seep into the ground and
contaminate the water supply.
Disposals are installed under the sink and
attached directly to the sink drain. Food
scraps are washed down the drain into the
disposal, where it is ground up into fine
particles and flushed into the sewer system.Most
garbage disposals made for residential use
have 1/2 to 1 horsepower electric motors;
the more powerful the motor, the bigger and
tougher the disposal’s capability. They come
in a variety of price ranges, and they are
easy to install.
If you are thinking of buying
a garbage disposal,
consider the following:
- Check your plumbing system to see what kind
of model is compatible with your sewer and
other plumbing hookups. Look for disposals
that have a dishwasher drain connection,
so that the food waste from the dishwasher
can also be ground up and flushed out through
the disposal system. The water pumped out
by the dishwasher will also help to keep
your disposal clean.
- A good quality disposal will be made with
stainless steel grinding components.
These
will last longer than less
durable materials.
- Disposals can be noisy when they are operating.
If you are concerned about noise, look for
models that have sound baffles and units
that are encased in an outer, sound deadening
shell.
- Desirable features include overload manual
resets, corrosion protection
shields, and
anti-splash baffles. A handy
addition is
a wrench that can be used to
fix the disposal
if it jams.
Be sure to check local codes before installing
a garbage disposal. Some areas do not allow
them. If you have a septic tank, you may
not be able to use a disposal at all, although
there are garbage disposal that are made
especially for septic systems. |
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