Choosing a Garbage Disposal

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A garbage disposal can be a handy item to have in the kitchen.  Garbage disposals grind up kitchen scraps and flush them down the drain.  While this results in reduced amounts of garbage, garbage disposals impose and extra burden on sewer and septic systems.  If you are on a septic system, be sure to have your system evaluated by a sewer-septic professional to be sure your system can handle the increased volume of waste and water generated by a garbage disposal.

When choosing a garbage disposal, your first consideration is how much power you need.  The smallest disposals are 1/2 horsepower and are fine for light duty and small households.  If you anticipate heavier usage, consider a 3/4 hp or 1 hp model.  These heavier duty units can handle large amounts of kitchen waste and will jam less frequently.

Garbage disposals are made in two basic types:  continuous feed and batch feed.  Continuous feed disposals are easier to use because you can keep feeding new waste into the unit as it grids up the old waste.  However, continuous units have open drains and are more hazardous because a hand or finger can get into the unit while it is running.

Batch feed units take longer because they have to be loaded and fresh waste cannot be fed into the unit until the previous load has been ground and flushed.  However, they will not run without the stopper in place so they are safer than continuous feed units.

Installation of garbage disposals requires some knowledge of plumbing and electrical work.  If you are not comfortable installing the garbage disposal, you should leave the job to a reputable local plumber with experience in kitchen repairs and garbage disposal installation.

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