A garbage disposal, waste disposal unit, or garburator/garbarator (Canada) is a device, usually electrically-powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap which shreds food waste into pieces small enough to pass through plumbing. Garbage disposal units are widely used in North America. The European Union does not authorize food waste disposals per EN 12056-1, § 4.6, but countries or counties may do so, which they rarely do.^[1] There are regulations on their installation and use in many countries. Some say that sewage treatment plants cannot cope with the extra load of kitchen waste disposal units. However the scientific literature does not give any proof about this. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Waste For the company, see Waste Management, Inc. ... Look up everything but the kitchen sink in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up drain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Water seal under a sink. ... CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, was founded in 1961 by the national standard bodies in the European Economic Community and EFTA countries. ... Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. ...

Many standard disposal units allow a dishwasher to be connected, and some dishwashers are equipped with a small built-in garbage disposal unit, making it unnecessary to scrape plates before washing them. A Dishwasher A two drawer DishDrawer dishwasher. ...

History

An installed garbage disposal with air switch.

The garbage disposal was invented in 1927 by John W. Hammes. He was an architect working in Racine, Wisconsin. After eleven years of development, his InSinkErator company put his disposer on the market in 1938. Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Racine is the name of several communities in the United States of America: Racine, Wisconsin, the largest Racine Racine, Minnesota Racine, Missouri Racine, Ohio Racine, West Virginia Racine County, Wisconsin Jean Racine was a 17th century French dramatist. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In many cities in the United States the municipal sewage system had regulations prohibiting running food waste (garbage) into the system. InSinkErator spent considerable effort, and was highly successful in convincing many localities to rescind these prohibitions.^[2] Many localities mandated the use of disposers.^[3] For many years, garbage disposals were illegal in New York City because of a perceived threat of damage to the city's sewer system. The ban was rescinded on September 11, 1997 by local law 1997/071 which amended section 24-518.1, NYC Administrative code.^[4] In 2008 the city of Raleigh in North Carolina implemented a ban on the replacement and installation of garbage disposals to the city's sanitary sewer system. This ban also impacts towns that merged systems with Raleigh, including Garner, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon. Violations of this ban can include a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day and interruption of water and sewer services.^[5] Food waste, kitchen waste, or garbage (North American English) is any form of waste derived from food materials. ... For other uses, see Waste (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

Garbage disposal units became popular in American kitchens of the better-off in the 1970s and 1980s. The EU prohibited the use generally with the option for member countries to make exceptions, but there are only few countries allowing its use, and local authorities generally emphasize the prohibition: the reason is supposedly the additional load on sewage treatment plants which would make sewage treatment more expensive than the composting of kitchen waste.^[6] Forty-seven percent of U.S. homes, but 6% in the United Kingdom, had disposal units as of 2007.^[7] A kitchen is a room used for food preparation and sometimes entertainment. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: European Union The European Union On-Line Official EU website, europa. ... Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. ... Composting is the aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, producing compost. ...

Operation

The parts of a garbage disposal.

A high-torque, insulated electric motor, usually rated at 200–750 watts (¼ to 1 horsepower) for a domestic unit, spins a circular turntable mounted horizontally above it. Induction motors rotate at 1,400–1,800 rpm and have low starting torque; commutator motors rotate at higher speeds (about 2,800 rpm), have high starting torque, and are usually lighter.^[8] However commutator motors are noisier than induction motors, partially due to the higher speeds and partially because the commutator brushes rub on the slotted armature.^[9] The higher starting torque of those appliances with a permanent magnet motor secures in most cases that there will be no blockage. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other senses of this word, see torque (disambiguation). ... For other kinds of motors, see motor. ... This article is about a unit of measurement. ... Conventional continuous current flows from the battery. ...

The added weight and size of induction motors might be of concern. Many models have some degree of sound insulation.

The turntable is surrounded by a shredder ring, which has sharp slots. The food waste sits on the turntable and through centrifugal force is forced to its perimeter and through the shredder ring. The turntable has a number of swiveling lugs—similar to little hammers attached to its topside—which assist in forcing the waste through the shredder. Except for special models, most of the food waste disposers do not have any sharp blades or scissors. Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum centre and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ...

A garbage disposal from above; the grinding chamber can be seen when it is removed from the sink.

Waste is fed into a chamber above the turntable and drops on the turntable. The chamber may have a rubber partial closure through which waste can be pushed without letting cutlery and other objects fall in, but essentially the chamber is open at the top, and there is access to the turntable. This is useful in the case of a jam: The turntable can be forced round by pushing with a wooden spoon handle or similar object until the jam clears. Waste that cannot be ground successfully can be removed manually. Used cutlery: a plate, a fork and knife, and a drinking glass. ...

Most units are of the continuous-feed type, allowing waste to be added as the unit runs. Batch-feed models are also available with a lid that must be locked before operation, making it impossible to run the machine when a user is trying to clear a jam by hand and preventing cutlery, etc. from falling in.

Some commercial and high-end domestic disposals also have an undercutter blade that revolves below the turntable and chops the ground waste, including fibrous material which could cause a drain clog, finer. These disposals can handle fibrous waste such as artichoke leaves that cannot be successfully ground in a standard disposal. This article is about the globe artichoke. ...

Waste disposal units may jam but can usually be cleared either by forcing the turntable round from above or by turning the motor using a hex-key wrench inserted into the motor shaft from below. Very hard objects accidentally or deliberately introduced, such as metal cutlery, can damage the waste disposal unit and become damaged themselves. More problematic are drain blockages caused by shredded waste that is fibrous (artichoke leaves) or starchy (potato peelings). Hex keys of various sizes. ... For other uses, see Potato (disambiguation). ...

Some higher-end units have automatic reversing. By using a slightly more-complicated centrifugal starting switch, the split-phase motor rotates in the opposite direction from the previous run each time it is started. This can clear minor jams but is claimed to be unnecessary by some manufacturers: Since the late 1970s most disposal units have swivel impellers which make reversing unnecessary.^[10] A centrifugal switch is an electric switch that operates using the centrifugal force created from a rotating shaft, most commonly that of an electric motor or gasoline engine. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

Another kind of garbage disposal unit is powered by water pressure rather than electricity and does not pose an electrical hazard.^[11] Instead of the turntable and grind ring described above, an alternative machine has a water-powered unit with an oscillating piston with blades attached to chop the waste into fine pieces.^[12] Because of this cutting action, they can handle fibrous waste. Water-powered units take longer than electric ones for a given amount of waste and need fairly high water pressure to function properly.

Cold water should always be kept running when the disposal is switched on to prevent damage to the blades and wash away the chopped waste without allowing it to build up and clog the drains. Hot water tends to dissolve easily-flushed solid shredded pieces of fat, which can then solidify and block the drain. Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ...

Provision must be made to supply and switch power to the waste disposal unit. A conventional electric switch can be used, which requires wiring to be installed and poses a potential electric shock hazard if used with wet hands. An air switch which delivers a puff of air to operate an electric switch remote from the operator is safer. Alternatively, a wireless remote control switch can be used. This article is about electrical switches. ... Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a humans body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or hair. ... An electric switch which is controlled by a radio or other signal and does not require an operator to touch the switch is known as a wireless remote control switch. ...

Selection

Selection of a garbage disposal unit should be based on quality and performance. Motors are relatively trouble-free, and unlikely to fail during a reasonable life-span. Metal parts in contact with waste and water (turntable, lugs, chamber, shredding ring) are very prone to corrosion, and should be made of stainless steel or similar corrosion-resistant material rather than non-stainless steel, even if galvanized. The length of manufacturers' warranties gives some indication of quality, but most units should last much longer than their warranty period. For the hazard, see corrosive. ... The 630 foot (192 m) high, stainless-clad (type 304) Gateway Arch defines St. ... Galvanization, named after the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani, was originally the administration of electric shocks (in the 19th century also termed Faradism, after Michael Faraday). ...

The size of the chamber and power of the motor (in horsepower or watts) determine the amount of waste processed per unit time. Soundproofing to reduce the noise of operation adds cost. This article is about a unit of measurement. ... For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ... Soundproofing is any means of to reducing the intensity of sound with respect to a specified source and receptor. ... This article is about noise as in sound. ...

Induction and commutator motors each have advantages and disadvantages. Feed can be continuous or batched.

Some manufacturers use standard mountings for all their models, making it very easy to replace a unit by any model of the same brand.

Environmental impact

Use of garbage disposal units diverts the impact of garbage from methods such as landfill or incinerators to effluent disposal systems. The advantages and disadvantages need to be weighed for each area. Look up landfill in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The word sewerage means the provision of pipes etc to collect and dispose of sewage. ...

It is often said that the vast majority of organic waste would be better used for composting, an option not open to many city-dwellers without an effective collection system. Composting is the aerobic decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, producing compost. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ...

Energy usage is not high; typically 500 to 1500 watts of power are used, but only for a short time. For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ...

Daily water usage varies, but is typically comparable to flushing a toilet a couple of times[1]. Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... For other uses, see Toilet (disambiguation). ...

Cultural references

• A garbage disposal features prominently in an opening scene of Robert Redford's 1980 movie Ordinary People.
• A garbage disposal is featured in 1981's The Incredible Shrinking Woman when Lily Tomlin's character "Pat Kramer" falls down the drain and is almost chopped to bits by her Spanish housekeeper.
• The character of Claire Bennet on the TV series Heroes severely (and intentionally) mangled her hand in an active garbage disposal unit in the series pilot. This led to a lawsuit by the makers of the particular brand.

Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. ... This article is about the film. ... The Incredible Shrinking Woman is a 1981 science fiction/comedy film, starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, John Glover and Elizabeth Wilson, and directed by Joel Schumacher. ... Lily Tomlin (born Mary Jean Tomlin on September 1, 1939), is an Academy Award-nominated American actress and comedian. ... Claire Bennet, portrayed by Hayden Panettiere, is a fictional character on the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes. ... Heroes is an American science fiction serial drama television series created by Tim Kring. ... Heroes is an American science fiction serial drama television series created by Tim Kring. ...

External links

• Page with garbage disposal research
• WikiHow: How to maintain a Garbage Disposal

References