David Is an expert Home inspector in Los Angeles California. Today he shares with us the in's and out's of the common garbage disposal.
The Garbage disposal is a high-torque, insulated electric motor, usually rated at 200–750 watts (¼ to 1horsepower) 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. 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. The higher starting torque of those appliances with a permanent magnet motor secures in most cases that there will be no blockage.
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.
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.
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 under-cutter 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 and corn husks that cannot be successfully ground in a standard disposal.
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).
Some higher-end units have automatic reversing. By using a slightly more-complicated centrifugal stating 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.
Another kind of garbage disposal unit is powered by water pressure rather than electricity and does not pose an electrical hazard. 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. 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 melt easily-flushed solid shredded pieces of fat, which can then solidify and block the drain. Under no circumstances should oil or grease be disposed in a sink drain – with or without a disposer in use.
David Home Inspection Services
626-629-8499
We Proudly Serve The Areas Of
West Covina, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside County California
Our Main Goal As Home Inspectors Is To Make The Buyer An Informed Buyer. We Hope Our Findings Help You Understand The Value And Importance Of A Professional Home Inspection.
David Home Inspection Services
626-629-8499
We Proudly Serve The Areas Of
San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside County California
David Salvato is the owner of David Home Inspection Services.
We are your local home inspector serving the I-10 and I-210 Corridor from San Bernardino To Los angeles and all points in between.
Providing Rancho Cucamonga home inspections, Upland home inspections, Corona home inspections, West Covina home inspections, Colton home inspections, La Verne home inspections, Claremont home inspections, San Dimas home inspections, Glendora home inspections, Azusa home inspections, Diamond Bar home inspections, Los Angeles home inspections, Fullerton home inspections, PlacentiaFontana home inspections, Rialto home inspections , Colton home inspections, Beaumont home inspections and surrounding areas. home inspections,
