You’re stuffed to the point of bursting. Maybe too much ham or fish at the Christmas table. Or latkes and applesauce while you were celebrating Hanukkah. Perhaps too much jerk chicken or sweet potato soufflé for Kwanzaa.
You may be stuffed. Did you also overload your garbage disposer to the point of bursting too? If so, and you need to replace it, here are some thoughts.
Price
This may be the first thing you think of, and you can get units for as little as $100. But going cheap is frequently not the best move. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”
Power
Power is related to price. There are 1/3 horsepower units available for a low cost, but again, they may not provide the oomph you need. Consider a more powerful unit of ½ horsepower to 1 horsepower, especially if you grinding bones (yes you can grind bones) and hard food scraps. Some higher power models can even handle traditionally taboo items, such as celery, corn cobs and coffee grounds. Additionally, more powerful units will last longer. Finally, while it is counterintuitive, more powerful units may be quieter.
Size
Obviously the garbage disposer has to fit under your sink. Determine how much space you can allocate for your disposer, and then go from there.
Type of disposer
There are two types of disposers. Continuous-feed disposers are the more typical kind. You turn them on with a switch as you run water and feed waste as long as it is running. Batch-feed disposers automatically turn on when you insert and twist their stopper into the drain. These are a little less convenient but easier to install and safer because they cannot be operated unless the stopper is in place.
Warranties
Check the warranty. Warranties range from one year to 12 years.
