Repair or service can solve many garbage disposal problems. However, a time will come when you have to replace your garbage disposal. That might be the case, for example, if the garbage disposal is old and has suffered catastrophic damage. Below are some tips to help you choose your next garbage disposal if that time comes.
Type of Feed
Garbage disposals feature two forms of feed.
1. Continuous Feed
The continuous feed type allows you to add food wastes to the disposal while it is already running. This type of feed is common, relatively inexpensive, and available in different brands. Continuous feed disposal requires either a powered wall switch or an air switch; the former requires professional installation.
Since the disposal can run with its drain open, small objects (such as a spoon) can fall into it and cause damage. Bits of wastes can also fly out of the disposal if you run it with the drain open.
2. Batch Feed
You cannot add wastes into batch-feed disposal while it is running. Rather, you must follow these steps to add wastes to the disposal:
- Stop the disposal
- Open the drain
- Add the wastes
- Close the drain opening
- Turn on the disposal
That means you cannot accidentally drop something into the disposal while it is running. However, the disposal requires a more significant investment than the continuous feed variety.
Motor Size
The motor’s size determines how powerful the disposal is. A powerful motor can grind more waste than a less powerful motor within a given time. A powerful motor can also handle tougher wastes than a less powerful one. The garbage disposal motor rating is in terms of horsepower (HP). You can get anything from 1/3 HP to 1 HP motor for your garbage disposal.
Get a powerful motor if:
- You have a big household
- You cook daily
- You cook food with tough wastes, such as chicken bones
Note that big motors also tend to be more durable than smaller ones.
Chamber Size
The garbage disposal chamber holds the waste during grinding. The larger the chamber size is, the more wastes you can grind at once. Thus, a big chamber size saves you time since you can feed all your wastes and grind them at once. Disposals with big motors typically come with big chambers.
Grind Stages
A garbage disposal grinds wastes into tiny sizes for easy drainage. The grinding can take place in a single or multiple stages. You can buy a system with:
- Single-stage grind that grinds the food once before draining it away
- Two-stage grinding that grinds the wastes twice; the first stage leaves the waste in fine particles while the second stage liquefies the waste.
- Three-stage grinding that grinds the waste thrice; the third and final stage handles waste particles that might have passed through the first two stages.
Multi-stage grinding reduces the risks of clogging. Clogging typically occurs if relatively big waste particles remain after grinding. Thus, you should also get a disposal with multi-stage grinding if you regularly handle tough wastes.
Extra Features
Like other plumbing appliances, garbage disposals come with different extra features. Some of the extra features may include:
- An anti-jamming design that automatically reverses the grind table to loosen jammed waste
- Stainless steel chambers that are durable and don’t corrode
- Moving parts, including motors, that produce minimal noise
- Cartridges that inject microorganisms into the disposal to help waste decomposition in the septic tank
Evaluate these features and choose those that you want and your budget can accommodate.
First Class Plumbing, LLC, has extensive experience with garbage disposal installation and repair. We handle both residential and commercial systems. Contact us for a quote on garbage disposal service or any other plumbing service you need.