Adding A Garbage Disposal

A garbage disposal can be a great tool in the kitchen. They can help to keep your pipes free from clogs and are a great way to reduce your waste. There are a few requirements to know about before owning one, so let’s take a look at why a garbage disposal might be right for your kitchen.

What Is A Garbage Disposal?

A garbage disposal is a unit that is installed under your sink. The unit sits between the drain of your sink and the u-shaped bend, otherwise known as the trap. It contains blades that chop up any food debris into tiny pieces so that the food waste can go down the plumbing and pipes without causing a clog. In Canada, garbage disposals are known as garburators.

What Should Go In Your Disposal?

Garbage disposals are meant to grind up biodegradable food and waste. Here is a list of some items that are ok to go down your garbage disposal.

• Coffee grounds
• Egg shells
• Citrus peels
• Cooked meat scraps (but avoid large chunks)
• Vegetable scraps
• Fruit scraps
• Liquid foods like yogurt

What Should Not Go In Your Disposal?

Basically anything that can interfere with the blades or is not biodegradable should not go down your garbage disposal. Anything hard can damage the blades, and anything with lots of fibers can get stuck in the gears of your disposal, causing it to back up. Here is a list of some things to avoid.

• Metal
• Glass
• Paper
• Bones
• Fruit pits
• Cigarette butts
• Grease
• Potato peels
• Pasta
• Rice
• Nuts

Garbage Disposal Safety

The number one rule to owning a garbage disposal is do not stick you hand in the disposal. If something gets stuck in the disposal that shouldn’t be in there, either unplug the unit or shut off the proper circuit breaker before trying to remove the object. You never know if someone will bump the switch by accident. It is best to be as safe as possible. You can also use tongs, chopsticks, or another tool to help you fish out any objects that may have accidentally fallen in the disposal. Also, be sure that your unit was properly installed. Water and electricity don’t mix well, so it is important that your until was put in by a professional who knows what they are doing.

Adding a garbage disposal to your kitchen remodel can be a great plan. Just be sure you maintain it and keep the safety rules in mind when using it and you will make kitchen cleanup a breeze. Cardigan Kitchens and Baths is happy to help you with all your kitchen remodeling needs. Give us a call today so we can set up your free estimate.