Humans go through a lot of waste, most of it packaging. But about 20% comes from food scraps. Throwing those green parts of radishes, carrots and leftovers in the trash invites some very unpleasant odors into the kitchen. There is a device that answers the question of what to do with all food matter we don’t want. Let’s look at the garbage disposal and see how it would contribute positively to our lifestyle. First if you have property and a garden you may want to add those vegetable scraps to your compost bin. Animal byproducts though do not fare well in compost, except manure. But those who are city bound and do not garden, the garbage disposal is an invaluable device to getting rid of food related trash.
Pros of Garbage Disposals
• Waste is ground up into tiny bits and pieces. This waste can be turned into renewable energy or fertilizer.
• Food waste that travels through the disposal is less waste in landfills. Food waste in landfills can be a health hazard and causes pollution.
• Recycling; look at it this way, about 70% of the food that goes through the disposal and down the drain is water. This is then treated at the sewage treatment plant and then released. The recycled the water and is clean and usable down the line.
• Clean-up; cleaning up is much easier with a garbage disposal after a meal. No scraping food into the trash can, just rinse off in the sink, flip the disposal and all your troubles go down the drain.
• Less trips to the curb or dumpster with food scrape filled trash cans. Without a disposal your trash cans are mostly filled with food scrapes. Some families are good at eating leftovers, some not so good. If it goes down the drain, the less you need to carry to the curb.
• Sinks trap everything; meaning without a disposal you have pick the food out of the sink and clean the strainer. With a disposal just flip the switch and turn on you water for a short period.
• Expense; when you by it and install a disposal are your biggest expense. These machines will run from 5 to 10 years with needing any or little attention. Power is about 50 cents a year.
• Clogs are prevented because the disposal grinds the food down to fairly small particles and travel the course through your sink traps and rarely collect. If you do get a clog turning on the water and the disposal will usually flush it out without any undue problems.
Can Garbage Disposals Be Used with Septic Tank Systems
However, with a lot of our conveniences there a few caveats. If you have a septic tank you may want to exercise some constraint on what goes down the disposal. Stick to messy food scraps and cleanup scraps, most everything should be carried out to the dump. A disposal can fill the septic tank with solids making it fill faster, eventually you will need to have it pumped. The only other disclaimer is they are mechanical, can be locked up if it tries to digest a fork or spoon, and being mechanical they will eventually fail and need replacement. But a good unit will usually last 5-10 years and with the newer models designed for 8-15 years. Spreading the cost of acquisition and installation over that long with about seven bucks worth of power, a disposal makes a pretty good investment.
Plumbing Repair, Replacement Services & More in Santa Fe, Tomball, Sugar Land, Galveston & Greater Houston, Texas
Absolute Plumbing & Mechanical recommend you get at least a ¾ horsepower unit minimum or better yet a one horse. Call Absolute Plumbing & Mechanical for all your HVAC and plumbing needs.
