| Kitchen garburators. Kitchen garbage disposer. Kitchen food disposer |
HORSEPOWER
Food waste disposer come with a motor rated anywhere from 1/3 - 1.00 HP. The more powerful disposers may have neat features such as a three-stage grinding system (for handling larger items) or an automatic reverse grind system or a jam-sensor circuit. Not all warranties are the same. Some manufacturers offer a seven year warranty. |
one stage waste disposer |
SUMMARY
If you want to be 'green' and do your part by keeping kitchen waste out of landfills you definitely should install a kitchen food disposer.
If you just want to save time and and are looking for a quick and easy way to dispose of all your kitchen waste, the answer is no. It takes time to sort and dispose of waste. |
WARNING
ABOUT DRAIN CLEANERS
and WASTE DISPOSERS
Caustic liquid drain openers (like Drano or Liquid Plumber) should never be used on drains that are completely clogged or on drains that have a food waste disposer. Trapped caustic ingredients can cause severe damage to drains and disposers. |
|
| Kitchen Food Disposers or Garburators |
|
|
Kitchen garburators. Kitchen garbage disposer. Kitchen food disposer
Not all food disposers are the same. Read up on the ones you are interested in by following the links on this page. Usually the more expensive models of the same brand tend to have higher hardness capacities. The instruction manual usually specifies a list of objects to avoid.
A food waste disposer is in essence a small garbage disposal system for use in the kitchen. The unit shreds food waste into small pieces so that it can pass through the plumbing waste lines. The electrically powered device is mounted underneath the kitchen countertop between the sink's drain and P-trap. It seems that food disposers are widely used in North America. According to a 2009 survey, 50% of all US homes had a garburator installed, compared with only 6% in the UK. A garbage disposal is a great way to keep the smells of garbage out of your kitchen or garbage cans.
PREPARE FOR DISPOSAL
Try to avoid processing large items. It is better to cut items such as skins of melons and corn cobs into smaller pieces and dispose of them one at a time. This could take some time and it may be more practical to place them in the compost, green bin or regular trash.
PREVENTING DRAIN BLOCKAGE
Poor drainage or complete drain blockages can be avoided by not shredding waste that is fibrous or starchy.
1- Fibers in artichoke leaves, celery, asparagus or anything else stringy or fibrous will get tangled around the blades.
2- Starch in potato peelings and other starchy food waste will thicken.
3- Tea bags. The strings on the tea bags have a tendency to wrap around parts of the unit and may trap food.
4- Do not use hot water when operating the disposer, see below.
DO NOT shred noodles, rice, banana skins, potato skins, avocado skins, fruit pits, bones, onion skins (unless you're especially careful to completely remove the thin membrane), egg shells, (egg shells should not be put in the garburator as they turn into a sand-like substance that can clog the drain pipes).
IT IS OK to shred boneless meat, pit less fruit, bits of prepared food.
PROPER WAY OF OPERATING
Run cold water while the garburator is on and let it run for 30 to 60 seconds after everything has passed the P-trap and down the drain.
Warnings:
1- Never operate the food disposer without water. If you do, the motor will overheat and burn out.
2- Never operate the disposer with hot water because it can melt fat which will solidify further down the drain. Solidified fat will slow down the disposal of waste or even cause a complete blockage which will be costly to remove. |
|
|
I AM ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM. CAN I RUN A CARBURATOR?
Yes you can. Many sources claim that you should not use a garburator if you are on a septic system. However, keep in mind that solids of any kind contribute to the build up of sludge in the tank. Adding kitchen waste to the system means that the breakdown of solids will be slower and the tank has to be pumped more often.
ARE FOOD DISPOSERS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?
That depends on what is most important to you. You be the judge. If you believe in conserving water then the answer is no. If you think that it is important to keep kitchen waste out of landfills, the answer is yes. Many municipalities, including the city that I live in, operate a green bin program where kitchen waste is collected separately from the regular trash.
MAINTENANCE
Just like any other kitchen appliance that processes food, a kitchen waste disposer has to be cleaned regularly and according to manufacturer's instructions that came with the unit when you purchased it.
TIP. Once in a while throw some ice into the disposer. While ice will not sharpen the shredders (as is commonly believed) but it will knock off any debris buildup on the sharp edges of the grinding blades. Don't forget to turn on the cold water tap while grinding the ice cubes!
TROUBLESHOOTING
Q: "My garburator is not working and is starting to smell. Is there anything I can do myself before calling a repair person?"
A: There are a few things you can do. * Check if there is something stuck in the food disposer. If there is, unplug it before sticking your fingers in there!!
* When there is no sound at all when you flip on the power switch push the reset button on the disposer. This red button is located underneath the food disposer and will restore power. If it doesn't restart after you pushed the button you may have to make a call for service (if it is still under warrantee) or buy a new food disposer (if it is an old or older unit).
* When there is just a humming sound when you flip on the switch there is something stuck in the disposer or you have a burned out motor. In many cases it is cheaper to buy a new kitchen garburator than to fix a broken one.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL RETRIEVER
If you don't like the idea of sticking your fingers in the food disposer to retrieve stuck items, I have good news for you. You don't have to. For around $10.00 you can buy a plastic garbage disposal retriever. Spend a bit more (around $20.00) and the retriever comes with a LED light on the tip to see better what you are after. The spring loaded 'jaws' are activated by pulling the trigger.
|
|
|
|
|
Back to Top |
|