How to Pick a Garbage Disposal

Check to see if garbage disposals are permitted in the city where you live. Green Building Elements discusses Raleigh, North Carolina’s ban on garbage disposals. Two of the City Council’s concerns were the extra water wasted running food down the disposal and the extra strain on the waste treatment system.

Learn the differences between continuous-feed and batch-feed garbage disposals. Continuous-feed disposals are open while the food goes down, allowing you to keep putting more food in, running more water to clear the disposal, and adding the danger of exposed blades. Batch-feed disposals are made so that food will only go down when the lid is in place. They are safer, but the lid may be hard to keep track of, and the safety function can fail to work, says Consumer Search. Look for a special disposal made for a septic system is you have one.

Consider your disposal needs. Choose a higher horsepower garbage disposal, such as a 3/4 or 1 horsepower, if you plan to grind bones in it, according to Consumer Search. Get a 1/2 horsepower if you only plan to grind up soft foods.

Look on the garbage disposal, or in the specifications, to see if there is a dishwasher drain connection. Get a disposal with this connection so that food from your dishwasher can be carried through your garbage disposal, advises Home Doctor.

Measure the space under your sink so you can choose a disposal that will fit there. Check out the electrical connections you have for a garbage disposal. Allow space for an electrical outlet where your disposal can be hooked up.

Look for features that point to durability. One is stainless steel blades. Another is the length of the warranty. A warranty is not solid proof that a garbage disposer will last for a certain time, but comparisons of warranties show a difference in the confidence levels of the manufacturers.

Read reviews online and in home improvement magazines. Look for reviews by independent parties who are not affiliated with a certain brand of garbage disposal. Also consider the opinions of people who have owned different disposers.