A garbage disposal is one of the most beneficial and useful additions you can add to your kitchen. Not only are these devices fairly inexpensive, they can be installed with minimal disruption to your home and help you avoid number of other problems that may emerge when you don’t have one. However, while most people are happy to have a disposal, most are unaware of what they are and are not capable of, leading to mistakes that could cause them to wear out or break down faster. Here are five garbage disposal facts you need to know as a homeowner.
Garbage Disposals Reduce Food Waste
Did you know that food waste is the single largest contributor to landfills? Anywhere between 30 and 40 percent of all trash thrown into landfills each year is wasted food. However, a garbage disposal can help you do away with spoiled, unconsumed, or otherwise wasted food safely and conveniently and without it ever finding its way into your landfill.
Garbage Disposals Prevent Rodent Infestations
Urban and even some densely-populated suburban areas all constantly face issues with rodent infestations. This is particularly true with their trash, as most people are forced to throw their food waste into garbage bins and wait for the trash pickup service to take it away, thus leaving it ripe for the picking by mice, rats, possums, and raccoons. A garbage disposal gets rid of most food waste safely and in a way rats and mice can’t access, thus preventing them from invading your trash or living space.
Garbage Disposals Help the Environment
Spoiled food gives off methane gasses, which are harmful to the environment, so the less spoiled food you have sitting around, the more you’re helping to slow the process of climate change. Garbage disposals prevent spoiled food from sitting and giving off these gasses in a landfill, instead disposing of them safely and conveniently in a way that prevents the methane gas from reaching the atmosphere.
Garbage Disposals Can’t Handle Everything
While a garbage disposal can handle most of your food removal needs, they aren’t equipped or capable of handling everything you throw at them. Solid things like ice or egg shells can actually damage the teeth in your grinder, grease (like fats and oils) can all lead to clogs in your plumbing, and stringy or fibrous foods like some vegetables can actually jam the motor (as well as clog your plumbing)
The Holidays are the Peaks Season for Disposal Repairs
The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers when it comes to service calls for garbage disposal breakdowns, but the whole holiday season is also busy. If you plan on hosting a family gathering, holiday party, or other event this holiday season, be sure you’re careful what you put down the drain so you don’t risk clogging your plumbing or breaking your garage disposal system.
Need a repair or drain de-clogging? Call a Bartlett plumber from Smith’s Plumbing Services today at (901) 290-1110!