Peninsula Blog

Many of us have a garbage disposer under the kitchen sink. Instead of ending up in your local landfill, a garbage disposer routes it through the sewer system where it’s handled by a sewerage-treatment plant. Garbage disposals chew up food scraps into sizes small enough not to lodge in the drainpipe. By using the garbage disposal unit, food is removed quickly and efficiently.

If you plan to install a disposal, think about the many options available before you make your purchase. Look for one with adequate motor horsepower and grind chamber capacity to grind quickly and efficiently. A kitchen sink disposal unit is fairly easy to wire, but you will also need to install a switch to operate the appliance. The switch is usually located above the kitchen countertop near the kitchen sink. If the sink has never had a disposer, a new electrical circuit will be needed.

To test a garbage disposal, fill the sink bowl with the water and then pull the plug and see if you find any leaks. If your garbage disposal poops out, try the reset button located on the bottom of the unit under the kitchen sink.