Food waste shredder: expert opinions (20 photos)

Clogs in sewer pipes are most often caused by accumulations of food debris trapped in the drain of the kitchen sink. The search and elimination of such blockages can require a lot of time and effort, sometimes it becomes a real problem. The food waste shredder for the sink avoids these difficulties, making the process of disposing of garbage much easier.

History

Like most modern household appliances, the history of the chopper began with the need to improve the quality of life. It happened at the beginning of the 20th century in the USA. Some American John James noticed that his wife regularly throws food waste into a garbage container, which is why the food leftovers start to rot and produce an unpleasant smell after a while, but this was not the worst. Worse, mice, rats, and insects ran to the smell of waste. And in 1927, James found a solution to this problem: he invented a food waste shredder (disposer).

The unusual device did not immediately become popular; at first it was sharply criticized by the American government. Disposer was considered a malicious device that would clog sewer pipes and disrupt the environment. However, the creator of the chopper firmly believed in his innocence and persuaded the US Department of Health to conduct the necessary research. As a result, it turned out that the new product will be extremely effective in combating pollution. Moreover, the Ministry soon recommended the installation of a disposer in each house.

Since 1940, there has been a significant increase in grinder sales. This is due to the fact that more and more women were getting jobs, and they needed a device that made work easier and kept clean in the house. In addition, the US government actively supported the idea of ​​preserving the environment. John James became the founder of InSinkErator, the largest company producing dispensers. About 75% of all devices in the world are the products of this company.

Operating principle

The chopper is installed under the kitchen sink, its inlet is connected to the sink, and the outlet is connected to the sewer. That is, the dispozer, in fact, is a kind of advanced siphon. Also, a water supply tube is connected to the grinder, and a pneumatic button is displayed on the countertop to start the device. If an electric dispenser is used, an additional connection to the mains is required.

Food waste placed in the sink passes through its drain hole and enters the grinder chamber. At its bottom is a disc with cams, the rotation speed of which is 2000 rpm. The remains of food under the influence of centrifugal force recline on the walls of the chamber, covered with a self-sharpening grater. Cams on the disk crush large pieces, and the crushed waste is rubbed against the walls into powder, which is mixed with water supplied to the chamber. The result is a liquid mass that drains through the outlet into the sewer.

The processing speed depends on the power of the device and the type of garbage, and the noise of the grinder upon receipt of solid waste can resemble the noise of a coffee grinder.

The device of the disposer does not allow you to penetrate the camera with your hand and touch the moving elements, so the processing process is absolutely safe for humans.The pneumatic button transfers the force to the switch by means of air pressure in the tube, it can be safely touched with wet hands, without fear of electric shock.

Types of choppers

Disposers are primarily divided by energy source.

Mechanical

Blades are installed in their body, which begin to rotate when water is supplied to the chopper mechanism. These are very powerful devices that can grind even cartilage. They work quite quietly and they do not need electricity, which increases the safety of operation. Accordingly, they are the most expensive. However, before choosing a mechanical dispenser, you need to make sure that the water pressure is sufficiently high and there are no failures in its supply. Compared to electric, this option has a lower speed.

Electric

Unlike the previous ones, these devices need an electric current for functioning. The rotating disk with cams easily crushes soft food waste, turning it into a liquid mass, which can be safely drained into the sewer. Depending on the power, they can cope with tasks of varying complexity, which proportionally increases energy consumption.

Electric, in turn, are divided into two more types of disposers, differing in the type of waste loading. The first - with continuous supply: the leftover food is placed in the switched-on device and, mixed with water, grind. After that, the dispozer switches off and under the remaining stream of water the processed residues go to the drain. The second - with batch feeding: here everything happens the other way around, first the waste is loaded into the chamber, and then the kitchen grinder is turned on. After emptying the camera, it is turned off. The latter option is safer, preferred for those who have small children.

Pros and cons

Of the undoubted advantages of using a household dispenser, the following can be listed:

• eliminating the possibility of clogging due to food debris in sewer pipes;
• the waste no longer remains in the trash, does not rot, does not emit unpleasant odors and does not provoke the appearance of insects or rodents;
• simplification of the dishwashing process: the remains do not need to be thrown into the bin, you can throw them into the sink and recycle;
• shredded garbage passing through the pipes helps to clean them and prevents the formation of growths;
• the amount of garbage going to the landfill is reduced, which has a positive effect on the environment.

Despite all of the above, shredders have some disadvantages:

• when installing the disposer, corrugated sewer pipes cannot be used, in which blockages can occur due to the processed organic matter - only smooth-walled;
• since the kitchen chopper works with the supply of water, the consumption of the latter increases markedly, by about 3 l / day;
• an electric disposer increases energy costs by an average of 0.4-0.6 kW / h;
• not all models of grinders can handle solid waste (bones, cartilage), synthetic materials, slippery food residues, pouring hot greasy broths and so on (garbage sorting is not necessary) should not be sent;
• the cost of the kitchen grinder is relatively high, especially when it comes to the mechanical version.

Choosing a Disposer

Choosing a food waste grinder should always start with determining the amount of work that he will have to do. For example, a 400-watt device would be sufficient for a family of four. That is, when calculating, you need to focus on the value of 100 watts per family member. When buying a very powerful and resourceful disposer, you need to be prepared for the fact that it will create a lot of noise. If we consider quiet models, then you need to immediately pay attention to the mechanical ones: they are very productive, do not make noise and do not need electricity.

Before choosing a food waste grinder for a sink, you need to immediately determine whether there is enough space under this sink and what types of connections will be required. If it is possible to install a separate outlet, then you can consider the electric disposers, if not, then only the mechanical ones remain.

A pneumatic button can also be a problem, because most often, to install it, you need to cut through the countertop, and this must be immediately provided (especially if the countertop is made of stone).

Also, when choosing, you need to see what material the instrument housing is made of. It is best if it is stainless steel - it will last longer and can withstand various loads. In addition, given the different quality of the water, the stainless steel will perfectly resist corrosion wear. In advance, you need to worry about cleaning methods, some manufacturers immediately offer certain means to care for the equipment.

Another important characteristic of the disposer is its safety. Firstly, protection against penetration into the device by hand should be installed. Secondly, you need to pay attention to whether there is a self-shutdown function when hitting hard objects: forks, knives, spoons. Thirdly, there should be good electrical protection. And the last point is the ease of disassembly and repair. It is advisable that a minimum number of parts go under the replacement, and possible blockages of the dispenser should be easily eliminated. All these nuances must be taken into account before choosing a specific grinder model.