Is Your Garbage Disposal Powerful Enough?

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Emily Fazio | Last updated Dec 14, 2024 2:15 PM ET

Sink garbage disposals are a kitchen convenience that many homeowners take for granted—until it seems like they're struggling with whatever food debris you put into the drain hole. If your current disposal is falling short (or you’re planning a kitchen upgrade), consider whether or not your household needs a more powerful model. Choosing the right type of disposal can reduce the changes of clogged drains, and help you better manage your household's waste volume.

Signs Your Current Garbage Disposal Isn’t Cutting It

A disposal makes cleaning up common kitchen waste easy and prevents plumbing issues. You should always run your disposal with cold water (never hot water). If you do and still have issues that you think are related to the strength of your unit, you might notice these issues:

Frequent clogs: If your disposal or drain clogs often, it may not be powerful enough to handle the volume or type of waste you're feeding it.
Noisy operation: While disposals are inherently noisy, excess vibration or an unusually loud grinding mechanism can indicate wear and tear or insufficient power.
Limited waste capability: Struggling to dispose of tougher scraps like meat, fibrous vegetables, or small bones is a clear indicator of a weaker disposal unit.
Foul odors: A disposal that's not effectively grinding food waste may leave a residue or film that causes bad odors.

If it needs to be stated, garbage disposal drains aren't for all garbage. Most biodegradable food waste can be managed through your sink's garbage disposal, but keep things like wrappers, disposable cutlery, and paper towels away from the drain.

Do I need a more powerful garbage disposal?

"The main difference between a ½ horsepower and 1 horsepower garbage disposal lies in their power and the types of food scraps they can handle," shared Jeremy Gattozzi, category manager, disposals at Moen. "1 horsepower disposals have more powerful machines capable of grinding tough foods like raw and cooked meat, asparagus, and even chicken bones. Whereas ½ horsepower disposals are better suited for soft food scraps such as celery, potato peels, and seeds. While both options can help keep your kitchen clean and fresh, choosing the right horsepower depends on your household's specific needs and the types of food you typically dispose of."

What Should You Consider When Choosing a New Disposal?

Think about the types of food scraps you dispose of. If you’re dealing with a lot of dense or fibrous waste, like meat or vegetable peelings, a higher horsepower model might make kitchen clean-up easier. Other factors to consider include:

Household size: Larger households may benefit from a more powerful motor size in a continuous feed disposal.
Noise levels: More powerful disposers often feature advanced soundproofing to minimize noise during operation.
Durability: A more robust garbage disposal unit typically has better components that resist corrosion and wear.

Things That Should Go In the Trash, Not the Disposal

Even the most powerful garbage disposals have their limits. Here’s a quick list of things you should always toss in the trash instead of sending down the kitchen drain to avoid costly repairs:

Grease and oil.
Coffee grounds: They're very sludgy and can lead to potential clogs.
Fibrous foods: Stringy foods like celery, corn husks, and artichoke leaves can tangle the blades and cause jams.
Pasta and rice: These expand when exposed to water, leading to sticky clogs in your pipes.
Large bones: Most kitchen disposals can handle small chicken bones (in fact, as they rattle around it helps clean bits of food on the inside and around the blades). That said, large or hard beef bones can damage the electric motor.
Seafood shells: These are usually very hard and can dull or damage your blades, not to mention clog and stink up the drain.
Non-food items: Never try to grind paper towels, napkins, wooden or plastic cutlery, or metal objects.

What size garbage disposal is best for a family of four?

For our family of four, a 3/4 horsepower disposal is an ideal size. It provides enough power to handle daily use, which tends mostly to be food particles and the occasional tougher scraps. We do compost a great deal of our uneaten food (like banana peels, fruit pits, and citrus peels), but the 3/4 hp model has been a good choice for our kitchen sink.

Can I install a 1 horsepower disposal myself?

Yes, it's pretty easy to install a new average garbage disposal, but upgrading to a 1 horsepower model may require adjustments to your plumbing or electrical wiring. If you’re unsure, it’s best to consult a professional plumber who can check your circuit breaker, discharge pipe, and power source to avoid potential issues.

Can I use my garbage disposal with a septic system?

No! If you have a septic system, avoid using a garbage disposal altogether; remove all food waste from the trap so it doesn't run down the sink drain pipe. You can still reduce trash waste by using a compost bin or dehydrating food scraps using a "countertop composter" like FoodCycler or Mill.

This article first appeared on Men's Journal and was syndicated with permission.

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