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发表于 2009-10-23 20:36
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Garbage disposers: Trimming your waste
Last reviewed: August 2009
Garbage disposers link the often disparate demands of convenience and conservation by grinding up kitchen scraps and sending them down the drain to a sewage-treatment plant or septic system for decomposition.
Besides eliminating messes and discouraging bugs and other pests, a disposer shifts food waste from landfills to a waste-water treatment system. That scenario has prompted some cities, such as Denver and Indianapolis, to require disposers in new homes. Add in the many towns that charge by volume for waste removal, and it's easy to see why nearly half of American homes have a garbage disposer.
Manufacturers are promoting their appeal as they try to distinguish these basically similar machines. Indeed, just a handful of companies make all garbage disposers under different brand names, with InSinkErator accounting for the lion's share.
Several models now include an auto-reverse mode that helps their spinning blades clear jammed waste, the bane of many disposers. Another model adds a blade-oscillating "Jaminator" feature for clearing.
Our Ratings (available to subscribers) show that till other differentiating features you will see at the store may not deliver the durability they imply. For example, the stainless-steel grinding chambers on one 1-horsepower models was dented during our tests by beef bones, an especially tough item disposers should be able to swallow, instructions say. We also found that some models with fewer features and a shorter warranty cost more than relatively similar competitors.
Garbage disposers also have an ecological downside. Depending on where you live, a disposer's additional water use and its extra burden on sewer and septic systems may outweigh the landfill space it conserves (see Consider all costs, which is available to subscribers).
How to choose
Some are decidedly better than others at resisting jams and chewing up tougher stuff. Nearly all are noisy.
Consider all costs (available to subscribers) will help you determine whether a garbage disposer is right for your kitchen. If you decide that it is, here’s how to make choosing one easier:
Balance convenience with safety
Disposers fall into two basic groups. Continuous-feed models are easiest to use, since you can push new waste in as the old waste is ground up and washed down the drain. But their open filler necks pose a greater risk to small hands and can allow bone shards and other scraps to fly out. For those reasons, you'll need to mount the power switch in a safe place and hold the supplied stopper at an angle over the drain as a shield.
Batch-feed models cost more and can take more time to use, since you must load them with waste before turning down the stopper to activate the blades. But because the stopper keeps food in and hands out, batch-feed models are safer, especially for families with kids.
Weigh warranty against price
Home garbage disposers typically last about 10 to 12 years, according to In-Sink-Erator, though not all last that long. A longer warranty adds peace of mind. But it does not guarantee longer life and can make some models cost more than otherwise-similar machines.
Consider your food waste
Even models with the least powerful, ½-hp motor can handle bones and softer waste such as carrots and corn kernels. But if your kitchen waste typically includes tougher stuff, look for a more powerful, ¾-hp or 1-hp model. Those we tested ground bones fastest and finest, reducing the chance of clogged plumbing traps.
Get help putting it in
Most garbage disposers have a quick-mount neck that encourages do-it-yourself installation. But because most of the best-performing, ¾- and 1-hp models weigh from 16 to 30 pounds or so, putting one beneath your sink may be a two-person job.
While all of the Waste King and one InSinkErator model we tested include electrical cords, others must connect to your home's wiring. You'll also need an electrician to add a switch for continuous-feed models. If you own a dishwasher, you'll probably want to connect it to the disposer so that the dirty dishwater passes through it.
[ 本帖最后由 AMG 于 2009-10-23 22:40 编辑 ] |
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