Kitchen sink waste disposal

hexosan

What are people's opinion on these, are they worth it and is there any cons to installing them. ???

db

I used to have one and I considered it a complete waste of money. You should be able to put any food waste down it, including, as the salesman told me, cooked chicken bones. There were limits to what could be put in it and even then my drains would block up every few months. Rice and egg shells were the worst for this I remember. I was never too happy with putting food waste into the sewers also even though it is meant to be ok. I have a septic tank now and didn't even consider getting a waste disposal unit.

Put any raw organic waste in your composter and don't cook more than you will eat. That should take care of most of what you would put in the waste disposal.

hexosan

db wrote: »

I used to have one and I considered it a complete waste of money. You should be able to put any food waste down it, including, as the salesman told me, cooked chicken bones. There were limits to what could be put in it and even then my drains would block up every few months. Rice and egg shells were the worst for this I remember. I was never too happy with putting food waste into the sewers also even though it is meant to be ok. I have a septic tank now and didn't even consider getting a waste disposal unit.

Put any raw organic waste in your composter and don't cook more than you will eat. That should take care of most of what you would put in the waste disposal.

Seem to be hearing a lot of similar stories. Thanks

aujopimur

Their use has been outlawed by the EU.

DOCARCH

db wrote: »

....even though it is meant to be ok.

If you live in Dublin City Council jurisdiction, and you get planning permission, they are specifically mentioned in the planning conditions as not being permitted.

As db says, anybody I have come across who has installed and uses one, has mentioned having to clear their drains every month or so.

Compost bin the way to go!

Highways

Just picked up on this old thread - how wrong you are! Food Waste Disposers (FWD's)were invented over 80 years ago and the companies manufacturing and selling them would all be out of business if the comments above were the consensus.
Ok, I'm biased because I sell them but anyone I talk to who's had one wouldn't be without one!
Tips for avoiding blockages: Fit separate waste pipes for your main sink and 1/2 bowl, ensure the waste pipe for the FWD goes into a shore and not blocked by a grate(cut a hole in a plastic grate with waste pipe finishing below the grate but above the water line) , don't pour fat down the waste and you'll be fine.
As for their eco credentials, FWD's are now viewed in many countries, who have actually looked into it, as part of the solution not the problem. There are library-fulls of independent peer reviewed studies endorsing the use of FWD's as part of an environmentally responsible food waste strategy. You'll find just some here; http://www.amdea.org.uk/industry-information/our-products/food-waste-disposal/
http://www.insinkerator.com/en-us/Household-Products/Garbage-Disposers/Environmental-Benefits/Pages/Default.aspx
https://www.aham.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/id/51828
The EPA here commissioned a desktop study and the authors added 2+2 and got -1 so that the commercial variety are banned from hotels, restaurants etc. The main problem here is the irresponsible dumping of fat, oil and grease down the sink/shore in some hotels/restaurants, blocking the sewers locally and the commercial FWD incorrectly getting the blame. You don't need a FWD to pour fat down the sink just a very low IQ or no morals, either way it has nothing to do with the FWD.
Anyway the domestic variety are alive and well and free to buy from your local plumbers merchant or kitchen studio, helping to keep kitchens clean and landfills free of CO2 & Methane. If you have a compost heap or a dog that likes scraps, well and good. For everyone else, a FWD is your only man!

kkelliher

No reason to drag up a post that is over a year old. Thread Closed