Many homes have kitchen sink waste disposal units. Organic material, potato peels and the like, can be put into the device where they are ground down and flushed away. These units are grinders rather than macerators or blenders – there are no whirring blades.  There is a turning floor with chocks (impellers) that hold debris and spins it against a fix grinding surface. The wall/base have drainage points that allow waste particles when small enough to be flush out of the chamber and into the plumbing waste line.

Most people are familiar with these handy kitchen aids (often referring to them by the popular brand name insinkerator). The unit has an electric motor that is activated by a bench-top switch. Water must be run when you operate the device and should be left on to flush ground matter down the line.  They are not suited for all waste – coffee grinds, lose tea, fine powders (flour), and large amounts of rice and noodles are best disposed of elsewhere. Meat debris is also not recommended although most disposal units will cope with the odd chicken bone. Hot oil is not a good idea. Check the user manual for what is okay.

The life you can expect from the unit will depend on its workload. As a general rule the more powerful the motor the better the unit will perform and last, but, this must be weighed against the available under bench space. If you rely 100% on the waste disposal unit to deal with your organic waste then it will wear out faster than if you composted some of this material. The units typically come with warranties of 2 to 4 years.

Houses on septic tanks should not install waste disposal units as they will overload their limited septic system (see Auckland Council recommendation). If you already have a sink waste disposal unit and a septic tank – use the waste disposer sparingly.

Most problems we get called to fix relate to people trying to feed the wrong type of material down the unit and/or running insufficient water to flush particles well down the line. Sticking to the user manual guidelines is the best policy.

 If you have already attempted to clear a blockage yourself, let your plumber know. Particularly if you have used a drain unblocking product – these contain caustic compounds and can pose a health hazard to the tradesmen doing follow up work.

If you feel your unit could just use a breath freshener try grinding some citrus - an orange or lemon could make your waste disposal unit much more pleasant to be around.

Should your kitchen sink waste disposal unit become worn call SEAL plumbing and Gas Services. Parts can be obtained but often it is cheaper just to replace with new. These are household appliances and are available from appliance stores. Often customers prefer to supply the units and have us install them. This allows customers to hunt for specials across town – something that we just don’t have the time to do. But if fighting traffic and shopping queues isn’t your thing, we can supply suitable units from our merchants.

If you have a problem with your kitchen sink waste disposal unit or you would like to install a new disposal unit call the expert team at Seal Plumbing for help and advice.