Garbage disposal

A garbage disposal (in Canadian English, garburator) is an electrically-powered device installed under a kitchen sink between the drain and the U-bend. It chops food waste into very small pieces so that they can be passed through the plumbing wthout clogging. Also called a food waste disposal, they are sold in North America under brand names like In-Sink-Erator (the largest manufacturer of garbage disposals) and "Waste King."

Related Topics:
Kitchen sink - Drain - U-bend - In-Sink-Erator

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The device first became widely popular in upscale kitchens of the 1970s and 1980s. Concerns over environmental impact weakened its popularity, but kitchen designers and plumbers confirm the renewed appeal of the food-waste-grinding and -liquefying creature that lives under the sink. 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 The ban was rescinded on October 11, 1997.

Related Topics:
Kitchen - 1970s - 1980s - New York City - Sewer - October 11 - 1997

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There are two varieties of garbage disposals. The most common is the continuous-feed version; once the unit is turned on -- usually by a switch on the wall resembling a light switch -- it continues to run and grind food until switched off. (Water should always be kept running through the drain when the disposal is switched on.) Less common is the batch-feed variety, which will not run until its lid has been put in place and locked; this prevents accidents whereby a child or inattentive adult tries to fish something out of the drain and the unit is accidentally switched on.

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