Garbage disposal units need no introduction. These little helpers of our kitchen promise an easier and more hygienic way of cleaning, keeping your kitchen in spick and span order and reducing food waste at the same time.
If you have ever wondered how it works, its benefits, or any maintenance tips regarding it, you are at the right place. Come along into the world of these appliances and learn why they are a must-have in every home.
Definition of a Garbage Disposal
A garbage disposal is a motorized appliance, mostly small in size, installed beneath your kitchen sink. It is used to shred food waste into tiny pieces so they can be safely washed down within the plumbing.
That means you don’t have to discard them in the trash and bear the consequence of smelly trash.
This appliance uses spinning blades, or impellers, to grind food in order to break it down into smaller particles.
Once the particles are small enough, they get washed down through the drain with the flow of water.
The garbage disposal can handle almost every food scrap, right from peels to small bones. This helps to make the task of kitchen-cleaning a lot easier and convenient.
Purposes of These Units
There are several reasons to look for one for your home. They affect your daily life and contribute toward environmental friendliness. Some popular ones include:
Convenience: It definitely makes kitchen chores a lot simpler. You can dispose of the food waste in your sink and be done with the rest.
Odor control: When you grind and flush down food scraps, there is less possibility of the food rotting in your trash and producing a stench.
Less waste: When you use garbage disposal, you reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in waste dumps, adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Hygienic kitchen: Without food scraps being dumped in your trash can, your kitchen will remain clean and free of bugs.
Protection of kitchen appliances: Modern-day units are built to prevent any clogging and keep your plumbing safe from any large particles of food in the drain.
Ordering the Right Garbage Disposal
In case you’re planning to buy one, you need to consider several factors like the following:
Motor power: They are available in a range of powers, with power typically falling between ⅓ -1 horsepower. Higher power allows for grinding tough food scraps, but it will cost a little more.
Size and capacity: You can decide based on how much space there is under your sink and the number of people in your home. Big households may opt for capacities higher than those of small households.
Noise level: Some are noisier than others, but many models have built-in sound insulation to make them as quiet as possible.
Durability: Stainless steel is lightweight, durable, and less likely to rust than the other models.
Ease of Installation: Garbage disposals are easier to install and most homeowners can do it themselves, but it may be better to hire a plumber to help. Click here for more information on how to pick the right appliance.
Proper Maintenance
Take care of your garbage disposal and it should last for years. Tips for maintaining yours include the following:
Use Water with Operation: To facilitate the flow of solid food through the appliance, add cold water while running it. The water disposes of residual food and its cold temperature will help keep the disposal from overheating.
Don’t Put Everything in It: Fibrous food materials like celery and corn husks that can wrap around blade axles, obstruct function, harm the motor, and cause clogs don’t belong in the disposal. Avoid placing bones, coffee grounds, and grease in your garbage disposal too.
Clean Regularly: To eliminate odors, rub your disposal with ice cubes and orange/lemon peels. This process will polish it and remove stubborn accumulation. Other handy cleaning resources are vinegar and baking soda.
Don’t Overload: Please be careful when processing large quantities of food in your disposal or overloading it.
Test Periodically: Every once in a while, press the button to check for any leaks from the garbage disposal, as well as odd noises or other failures.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Although garbage disposals are typically safe appliances, here are some common issues:
Clogged Disposal: First, power it off before attempting to clear a disposal jam. Then, unplug the kitchen sink and use a plunger in a careful manner to clean it out. If that doesn’t work, call for professional help.
Stuck Blades: If garbage disposal will not turn, it’s possible the blades have become stuck. Find the Allen wrench and use it beneath the motor to manually move the blades.
Rotten Smell: To flush out the debris causing an odor, run lemon peels and ice cubes through your garbage disposal.
Lack of Power: If it has shut down and you don’t know what’s wrong, it should be possible to reset it. Look at the lower part of the unit to hit an automatic shut-off button.
Garbage Disposal and Sustainability
There are environmental benefits in food waste disposal. Many water treatment plants and septic tanks can capture the energy from the food waste that is otherwise transported to the landfill, using the biodegradable materials to generate fertilizer and produce biogas instead.
Disposals send food waste down the drain and feed it into the wastewater stream, reducing the volume of solid waste that would enter landfill.
Modern units are far bigger and heavier, but technological advances mean they are way more efficient than smaller ones.
There are no more black bags full of drenched disposables to hide in the base of the bin and units are now far more environmentally friendly.
This is the most beneficial of all, which is why most people will upgrade theirs for a new, shiny option. For more insight into these units, check out this resource.
Final Words
Garbage disposals make cleanup a breeze and breathe new life into the dull life of food wastes that would otherwise take up residence in the kitchen. Properly connected to a power source, it will make you forget about food scraps and mess in a jiffy.
Why don’t you go ahead and update your kitchen and learn more about these devices to find the best one that fits your needs? That way, you can get your kitchen looking cleaner and greener.
