In order to select the best garbage disposal for your household, there are a few factors you need to consider. The chosen one has to at least provide the basic functions and meet your household requirements.
Here's a list of 5 easy tips for choosing the best garbage disposal.
1. How Many Horsepower Do You Need?
Garbage disposal motor comes in a range of different power levels. The standard horsepower for the motor is 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 and 1.
The selection of the appropriate horsepower depends on two factors. The two factors are the number of family members and the amount of daily usage. Based on that information, you can decide which motor size is applicable for your household.
A smaller power unit is fine for a single or couple living in an apartment. But the motor is not so strong or reliable and even more likely to allow waste to clog the pipes.
However, if you are going for the lower range, select 1/2 hp instead of 1/3 hp. You should have at least a 1/2 horsepower motor which is sufficient for most household jobs.
The higher end motor can handle larger volumes of food waste and tends to be more expensive. They are more reliable and can perform tough jobs on a regular basis, like grinding up bones and hard food scraps.
In addition, they generally have a longer functional life, as the more powerful motor will has less wear from the same amount of usage as compared to a lower powered unit.
This type is for a larger home with a big family or for those households where the garbage disposal is frequently used. If you are going for a higher range unit, go for a 1 hp motor which will give you less jams and a smoother operation.
2. Look for Stainless Steel Blades
You should get a unit that comes with stainless steel blades. Stainless steel blades are strong, hard and more durable.
In fact, it does provide a few advantages in the grinding process. The waste food grind into fine particles will reduce jamming and which in turn make the task completed at a faster rate.
Hence, you are not likely to have waste clog in the pipes. The cheaper versions tend to use far less stainless steel which is prone to wear out easily. Do take note of this when selecting your garbage disposal.
3. Type of Garbage Disposal
There are two types which is either continuous-feed or batch-feed.
Continuous-feed:
This type of feed has a switch to turn on the unit.
What you do is let water run through the sink for a while before turning on the switch. After that, you can throw in the food waste in a continuously manner.
The advantages of this type are that it is very convenient and handy. In addition, with the water flowing down the drain at the same time, it helps to reduce the chances of jamming.
Continuous-feed garbage disposal is more popular and used in most household.
Batch-feed:
This kind of feed requires you to insert and turn a special plug in the drain to activate the unit.
Firstly, you load the food waste into the unit chamber. Next, you insert and turn a special plug to run the disposal.
Using this type involves more steps and is a bit more troublesome. Batch-feed garbage disposal is more suitable for family with small children around.
It serves as a safety features and keep children from placing their fingers into the drain.
4. Get One with Anti-Jamming Capabilities
The lower end range of disposals tend to jam quite often in the grinding process. As a result, you might need to spend some time fixing it and also feeling frustrated at the same time.
You would definitely agree with me that you do not want waste food clogged in the drain in every usage and leave you searching for the jam wrench. Therefore, it's a good choice to get one that comes with an anti-jamming capability.
5. Manufacturer Warranty
Most garbage disposals have a warranty period that range from two years to a limited lifetime. Generally, lower powered disposals have a one or two year warranty while those more powerful units will have five years or more.
Depending on the brand and model, warranty cover include material defect, mechanical defect or even against corrosion. Look for in-home service warranty whereby the manufacturer will replaced or repaired the faulty item in your home free of charge within the warranty period.
