Horsepower. A garbage disposal’s job is to grind meals waste into items sufficiently small to move by your plumbing. The most vital alternative you’ll make is the motor’s horsepower (hp). Horsepower equals grinding energy and ranges from ⅓ to one hp. Take under consideration your loved ones’s measurement, how usually you prepare dinner, how a lot meals waste you generate and the way usually you’ll use the disposal. Though economical, a ⅓-hp unit will in all probability fail shortly, says Bob Harrah, common supervisor at SAK Electric Plumbing in Arizona. Most households are nicely served by a ½- or ¾-hp motor. Large households and residential cooks might want to take into account a one-hp unit.
Size. The increased the horsepower, the bigger the grinding chamber, each in depth and diameter. You need to buy a disposal that matches into the cupboard house underneath your kitchen sink. If you’re changing a disposal, measure the size of the present one or measure from the cupboard backside to the sink, says Aaron Mulder, a journeyman plumber and co-owner of Mr. Rooter Plumbing in San Antonio. If house is a matter, take into account compact fashions which have simply as a lot horsepower.
Noise. Garbage disposals are usually not quiet home equipment. The stronger the unit, the louder will probably be. Manufacturers at the moment are producing fashions with sound insulation jackets, claiming to minimize noise by up to 60 p.c over normal disposers, however serenity comes at a worth. A one-hp unit with sound-reduction expertise could value twice as a lot as its uninsulated counterpart. “It’s personal preference. Some people don’t care about noise, and others are really bothered by it,” Mulder says.
Cost. A primary ⅓-hp mannequin can value lower than $100, whereas a one-hp unit with sound-seal expertise could possibly be as a lot as $750. On common, a high quality disposal will value between $150 and $250. Experts advise sticking to tried-and-true manufacturers akin to InSinkErator or Moen. A normal set up usually runs from $125 to $325. Many dwelling enchancment shops supply skilled set up providers, and a few plumbers provides you with a deal on set up if you buy the disposal from them.
Installation. Doug Greene of Signature Properties in Philadelphia makes a speciality of flipping homes and outfits every kitchen sink with a new garbage disposal. “I’m a strong proponent of DIY, but if you do the work yourself, you are on the hook if anything goes wrong,” he says. “Take inventory of your skill set. Have you ever done a plumbing project, worked with PVC pipe and understand how to seal pipes and other joints, so there are no leaks? If not, you may want to find a professional plumber.”
Mulder agrees: Although putting in a disposal is just not a onerous job, he says, “you do have to line things up, especially if the new unit is not the same make and model as the older one.” Note that if you’re putting in a disposal underneath a kitchen sink that doesn’t have one, you might also want to put money into piping or electrical work. (A disposal wants a energy supply.) And though a professional will value you, with a plumber, you’ll get an set up guarantee and the producer’s guarantee.
Jams. Some fashions tout anti-jamming options akin to “reverse grind.” Experts say you don’t want them. Standard fashions usually include an Allen wrench and/or a reset button. If your disposal stops operating, be certain that it’s not jammed earlier than assuming it have to be changed. Unplug it, insert the wrench into a gap on the underside of the disposal and manually flip the disposal blades to free the jam. Or you’ll be able to unplug the unit, stick your hand into the disposal to clear the jam, plug it in, then push the reset button.
Maintenance. With correct care, a garbage disposal can final some 30 years or extra, Mulder says. Still, there are some methods to avoiding jams, clogged pipes and gross smells brought on by micro organism and meals buildup. Greene tosses ice cubes and baking soda into his disposal each week or so to deodorize it. Although in principle tossing an orange or lemon into your disposal makes it odor nice, the stable peels are the bane of plumbers, as a result of they will get caught within the unit. Harrah says you must also keep away from eggshells, stringy meals (potato peelings, celery or carrot shavings, for instance) and grease. (It can get caught in pipes and finally trigger clogs.) Drain merchandise are one other no-no, as a result of the caustic chemical compounds can harm plastic pipes. Mulder says a green-certified, all-natural enzymatic remedy can be utilized to dissolve natural materials in drain pipes.
Denver-based author Laura Daily makes a speciality of shopper advocacy and journey methods. Find her at dailywriter.net.