The kitchen in most homes is the heart of the home. Meals are prepared, and sometimes eaten here. It therefore plays an important role in the day-to-day activities of the family.
Given the importance of this space, especially with regard to food preparation and handling, it’s only sensible that proper attention be given to its cleanliness and hygiene. Failure to do this, the entire home could be put at risk of food poisoning among other things.
To this end, we will be looking at one efficient way through which kitchen wastes (one of the most common sources of contamination in the kitchen) can be managed. We are referring to the use of the sink waste disposal unit, also known as a sink garbage crusher. What exactly are these and how are they useful to us?
Let’s find out.
What is a Sink Waste Disposal Unit?
The sink waste disposal, garbage disposal or garbage crusher unit is an electric device that is installed under the kitchen sink. It is connected to the outlet of the sink or one of the sinks, if you are using dual sinks. This unit receives kitchen wastes and breaks them down into much smaller sizes that can easily flow down the drain.
How Does it Work?
The unit features a container within which is an electric motor that drives a spinning disc and a grind ring. Kitchen waste is pushed down the sink’s outlet into the connected unit below it and the unit is turned on. Once turned on, the spinning disc pushes the waste against the stationary grind ring beginning the grinding process.
The materials are ground to much smaller sizes and then water from the faucet runs down, flushing the now ground waste into the drain where it flows smoothly out. This is a simple process that brings a lot of efficiency into your kitchen.
Benefits of Installing a Sink Waste Disposal Unit
Now that we have a basic idea of what this device does, let’s take a closer look at the benefits it offers.
Clog-Free Drain
This is one pretty obvious benefit that this appliance offers. With the waste broken into smaller sizes, the risk of your drain getting clogged is highly reduced. This also means that you won’t be needing to get a plumber to unclog your drain any time soon.
Reduced Waste
Kitchen wastes that will usually be dumped in the waste bin where it will accumulate, decompose, and eventually get picked up for disposal, will now be broken down and flushed down the drain. This means less waste left for regular disposal.
Eco-Friendly
When the content of your garbage bin is picked up for disposal, they are mostly dumped at landfill sites. The flow from the drain, on the other hand, is channelled to the wastewater treatment plants, which are safer for the environment.
If you wish to understand exactly what happens to your garbage after it is picked up, you can visit this side: https://wise-answer.com/.
Improved Hygiene
Getting rid of waste immediately reduces chances of contamination. Even with the waste dumped into garbage bins, they sit there for a bit, decompose, attract bacteria, pests and of course, they can also begin to smell.
Being able to quickly get rid of these left overs and scraps, reduces the risk of decomposition, smell, pest infestation and more. It just generally makes your kitchen cleaner and more hygienic.
Increased Efficiency
This modern tool removes the need to gather up left overs and other waste material for disposal. You simply toss them into the crusher, they get broken down and then flushed down the drain. This is done without taking too much of your time.
How to Choose the Right Waste Disposal Unit
There are a few things that you should consider when you want to get one of these units installed in your kitchen. To help you make the right choice, we’ll look at some of the important consideration factors.
Power Rating
The power rating of the unit determines what type of waste it can grind and how well it can do it. The options available usually range from 1/3 HP to 1HP (Horse Power).
If you need something that you can use for light tasks or if your household is small and won’t generate much by way of scraps and left overs, then you can go for the 1/3 to ½ horse power.
For heavier use, and for larger households, the more powerful ¾ HP or 1 HP may be the better option to go for. Do not go for more or less power than you need. Go for more than you need, and you waste energy costs and if you go for less than you need, you won’t get the job done.
Chamber Size
Similar the power rating discussed above, the size of the chamber you choose should be determined by the amount of waste you will be generating. Just go a chamber capacity with just enough space.
Chamber Material
There are different materials that are used in the construction of these chambers. One material that is durable while also being corrosion resistant is stainless steel. You can however choose any other option that you prefer.
Noise Level
As you can imagine, the grinder will generate some noise as it works. If you don’t mind the noise, then do not bother checking if the one you want to get has insulation to reduce the noise. If however, the noise is an issue, then you should consider how much insulation the unit that you want to go for offers.
Extra Features
Aside from the main features, there are some other features that you may find. Some examples include:
- Multi-stage grinding which comes in handy when you’re dealing with tougher waste.
- Auto-reverse, a useful feature when things get stuck.
- Septic-safe feature, designed for use with septic systems. So, you should look for this feature if you have a septic system. You can learn more about septic systems in this video.
Conclusion
The kitchen in any home is like its heart, where a lot of activities take place. Memories are made and bonding takes place here. Such a space should be kept clean and efficiently run which is why we discussed this important device that can help with both the hygiene and efficiency.
Take some time to go through the information shared here so you can make an informed decision.
