How do garbage disposals work

Let's first answer a fundamental question:. A garbage disposal is an appliance found under the kitchen sink , connected to the drain. It cuts food waste into bits and pieces smaller than 2 mm so that they can safely and effectively pass through the plumbing system. One environmental benefit is that reducing the size of the pieces of food waste allows for quicker biodegradation. Also, many city water systems have established wastewater treatment plants that reuse wasted food by turning it into fertilizer or using it as an energy source.

The inventor of the garbage disposal was a man by the name of John W. Hammes, in He was able to patent his InSinkErator a brand that still dominates the market by and went to market in General Electric has attempted to dispute his claim and insists their business invented it in Hammes still holds the first patent.

This decreases the useful lifespan of your garbage disposal and leaves it more susceptible to clogging. Newer garbage disposal models last longer than older models. When you make the choice to purchase a newer heavy duty garbage disposal instead of a cheaper option, your investment will pay off in the long-run. Garbage disposals don't have blades. Instead, disposals use a system of small shredding impellers or teeth that spin at high speeds to grind up food waste.

Plus, placing shells down the disposal actually damages your garbage disposal. Egg shell membranes become entangled in the impellers and the ground up particles can easily create clogs in your pipes. Hot water causes oils and fats to remain in liquid form, which allows them to flow easily down your drain. Once they cool down deeper in the pipes, the gunk from the fats and oils can create clogs.

Although you shouldn't be putting any fats or oils down the drain, if you run the disposal with cold water, it keeps them in solid form that can be ground up into tiny particles. Running lemons and limes through your garbage disposal can make your sink smell better, but it doesn't make your garbage disposal any cleaner.

Even worse, the pleasant citrus scent can mask the foul odors that often warn you about a more serious problem with your plumbing. The citric acid in the fruits can't clean or disinfect your disposal, but it can cause the metal inside the disposal to corrode over time.

Garbage disposals can handle a lot of waste, but they do have limitations. Hard, solid waste such as egg shells, chicken bones, or fruit pits will break your disposal or wear down it down rapidly. Stringy, fibrous foods like corn husks, celery, and banana peels can become entangled in the impellers and plug up the drain.

Starchy materials like potato peels are often quite difficult for disposals to handle. Get A Free Quote! Phone Number. Zip Code. Did you purchase the home in the last 30 days?

No Yes. Subscribe to our Resources Newsletter Don't miss out on our monthly newsletter! Get a Free Home Warranty Quote! Is this a real estate transaction? When you turn on the disposal, a spinning disc, or impeller plate, turns rapidly, forcing the food waste against the outer wall of the grinding chamber. This pulverizes the food into tiny bits, which then get washed by water through holes in the chamber wall.

While disposals do have two blunt metal "teeth," called impellers, on the impeller plate, they do not have sharp blades, as is commonly believed. Your garbage disposal is different from your actual garbage can.

Not all food scraps and liquids are meant to be poured into your disposal. To prevent clogs and disposal jams, it's important to learn what foods are best left for the trash and what the garbage disposal is meant to be used for. In general, you should not put in tough or fibrous food scraps, potato peels, grease and oil, and pits and other hard objects. A little troubleshooting of common garbage disposal problems can save you hundreds of dollars in service calls or an unnecessary purchase of a new unit.

Most disposal problems are related to jams. A jammed disposal is easy to fix, but ignoring a jam and repeatedly restarting the unit can burn out the motor. Clogs are most often caused by improper foods, such as grease, potato peels, or hard-to-grind foods going down the disposal. Clogs can occur in the disposal itself, but usually, they appear in the drainpipe downstream of the disposal. The best way to prevent clogs is to keep problem scraps out of the disposal and put them in the trash instead.

Also, remember to keep it clean. Choosing a new garbage disposal can be as simple or as detailed as you'd like to make it.