I hate to use the disposal in the summer, during the winter the garbage will keep outside with out stinking.
In the summer I bag the garbage and refrigate it till, I dispose of it a day before garbage pickup.
I have a 10 yr old house, with PVC pipe thru out.
My wife usually plugs up the disposal by tring to put too much in at a time, the last time I had to take the pipes under the sink apart, to clear the clog.
What the best rule of thumb to use when useing the disposal.
Thanks.
Tom
Hi, Always run cold water. Hot water is No, No. Never had plugged up problem. Tony
Been there, done that. I sometimes freeze chicken bones or other meat remnants until I'm ready to dump them.
Personally, the only thing that goes down mine is coffee grounds and whatever falls down into it by accident. I flush it with plenty of cold water while it's running; mostly for cooling purposes. I like to flush my drain pipes with a lot of hot water to try to break up any congealed grease that may have collected, but I never run hot water with the disposal on.
You probably have a poor quality disposal. Check Consumer Reports at the library. There are excellent reasonably priced ones on the market.
You either have a poor disposal or are not flushing properly, or have a drain problem.
Run lots of cold water I like to run the dishwasher last as the extra water and detergent helps keep the drain clear.
Avoid grinding huge chunks of fat, husks. banana peels, onion skins, similar materials.
The drain design is a question though. In my last house I'd have to clean the drain twice a year. In this house, not a clog in 22 years. If you have a long run that has little pitch, you will be buildup. Ed snipped-for-privacy@snet.net
I would not be at all happy if I had that situation. I use mine all the time with few if any problems. I suggest that the most likely problem is a poor quality, builder's special disposal that should be replaced with a good one that cost only a little more.
I would hate to have to deal with garbage that way.
The disposal is a In sink erator, not sure on the hp probably 1/2-5/8 I thought that was a decent unit.
What are the best disposals out there, I am go> > I hate to use the disposal in the summer, during the winter the
I just checked one outlet that is known for having not always the best products. Disposals were priced from $62.99 to 295.99. The cheapest was an In-Sink-Erator the most expensive was not. Price does not always mean quality, but generally the cheapest is not the best.
Sorry I don't have much to offer about current makes or models. I would suggest checking Consumer Reports magazine as one source. They rate them fairly often and most libraries carry the back issues.
February 2004 Ratings Garbage disposers
CR Quick Recommendations See a summary of test findings and Quick Picks--the choices that merit first consideration, including any CR Best Buys.
Based on our tests, most disposers should be able to cope with bones and other tough grinding chores. Top-scoring models can grind waste faster and more finely, and often include a clearing device as well as a longer warranty.
Those attributes explain why the best performers, notably the Viking (1), tend to cost the most. The fine-grinding Viking also proved far less noisy than the other disposers we tested, thanks in part to its cast-iron grinding chamber.
But you?ll find several lower-priced exceptions to that hierarchy. An example is the Kenmore (3), which costs less than the relatively similar In-Sink-Erator (2) and KitchenAid (4), despite its clearing device and longer warranty--a probable result of the retailing clout Sears wields for its Kenmore brand.
The Ratings rank garbage disposers by overall performance. See Consider all costs to decide whether a disposer is appropriate for your needs and community. Then check our Quick Picks for tested models that offer especially good value for meeting a variety of needs. QUICK PICKS Best for most; convenient, competent:3 Kenmore $1355 Waste King $1658 Kenmore $70, CR Best BuyA clearing device makes the Kenmore (3) best for large households or frequent entertaining, while a long warranty distinguishes the Waste King (5). Consider the Kenmore (8) if a low price means more than a long warranty. Also consider the GE (9) if you?re willing to trade some speed for an even lower price. If noise and clogs are a concern:1 Viking $420While expensive, the Viking was the least-noisy of these machines by far. Extremely fine grinding also makes this disposer the best choice for homes where clogged traps and other plumbing hassles are an occasional problem. For families with young children: 19 Waste King $230Of the two batch-feed models we tested, the Waste King (19) has a higher power claim and a longer warranty for less.
x Close
Availability: Most models at stores through December 2004. Key numbers with a indicate Quick Picks.
Clickfor more information. Within types, in performance order. Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent Brand & model Price Motor (hp) Warranty (years) Overall score Test results Features
CONTINUOUS-FEED MODELS These let you feed in more waste as they work.
1 Viking Professional VCFW1020 $420 1 7 ? 2 In-Sink-Erator 555ss 160 3/4 5 3 Kenmore 60554 135 3/4 7 ? 4 KitchenAid Imperial KCD1250 170 3/4 5 ? 5 Waste King Gourmet SS3300 GE GFC720F 165 3/4 10 6 In-Sink-Erator 777ss 205 1 7 ? 7 Kenmore 60556 220 1 9 ? 8 Kenmore 6011 CR Best Buy 70 1/2 1 9 GE Disposall GFC320F Waste King WK111 60 1/3 1 10 GE Disposall GFC530F Waste King SS2600 90 1/2 1 11 Waste King Gourmet SS3100 125 1/2 8 12 KitchenAid KaDette KCDB250 70 1/2 1 13 Whirlpool GC2000XE 80 1/2 1 14 GE Disposall GFC1020F Waste King SS8000 170 1 1 15 In-Sink-Erator Badger 1 55 1/3 1 16 In-Sink-Erator Badger 5 65 1/2 2 17 Maytag DFC1500AAX 120 1/2 3 18 SinkGuard Whiterock SD280 Monarch 880XL 70 1/2 3* BATCH-FEED MODELS Safest for families with young kids, since these work only when covered. 19 Waste King Gourmet SS8000TC $230 1 10 20 In-Sink-Erator 17 250 3/4 5 *Warranty does not include in-home labor.I use the disposal every time I have something to put down it, usually several times a day, and I've never had a clog. I've lived in this house 30 years and am on my second disposal, the first one having lasted about 20 years. Pat
Why is hot water so harmful to a disposal?
Tip from two successive repairers: the average garbage disposal is not really made to handle serious garbage. Two prime offenders here in New Orleans: shrimp/crawfish shells, artichoke leaves. zemedelec
It isn't to the disposal. Cold water will coagulate any grease so it goes down better. You should try to avoid dumping grease anyway, but it will be on some stuff. Ed
I see
I would have always assumed the hot water was better so as to thin out the grease and make it go down better
This doesn't really answer your question about the disposal unit, but if you have a garden or back yard, have you considered composting? I started a compost heap a few years ago and throw every kitchen scrap EXCEPT meat on it ... vegetable trimmings, coffee filters, tea bags etc. and also stuff from the garden, like leaves, spent flowers and the like (no weeds!). I was concerned that it would smell, but it doesn't. It seems to work even in the winter, as I just dug 3 or 4 bucketfuls of beautiful black soil out of the bottom of it, and there's more where that came from. I use the composted soil in outdoor pots and to improve the dirt in the garden beds. Just a thought for your kitchen waste ...
Sara
Sara......Ive thought abt composting but don't know much abt it. I live in a small duplex in town that does not have a garbage disposal. I also live alone
Would composting work in town? Or would it smell and create an animal problem?
Maybe there exists some composting "bins" that one could buy to keep animals and such out of it?
Advice?
I found a relatively cheap composter that might suit your needs. Go to
A friend of mine had excellent results using an old galvanized garbage can set up in a corner of her back yard. I don't think she buried it but the worms got in there somehow. I suppose there were a few holes in the bottom ;-)
There are lots of different bins and whatever that you can buy, mostly a lot more expensive than a garbage can.
There's a ton of information on the net about composting. Just google "compost".
Hope this helps, Sara
Thanks so much Sara!
That should work ok!
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