Garbage Disposal Units (apartment, living, beach)

[HOltmans]

Originally Posted by Desdemona123

Okay...how do you think they are dangerous? What do yo think your kids are going to do?

At most, you can always unplug it (some have plugs under the sink....others you have to have disconnected).

^I agree....don't see how it could be anymore dangerous than using a hairdryer in a bathroom. I mean, be careful, and...don't turn it on while your hand is stuck down there......other than that I don't see much risk!

[wanderintonc]

I worry that a fork or something will get stuck and someone will try to dislodge it-or someone might bump the switch when someone else is using the sink.

Those things just make me nervous. Rapidly spinning razor sharp blades right near our hands. I already told dh, if our new home has one, he has to remove it.

[southward bound]

Originally Posted by tsmithgolf2000

You can have one on a septic, I have one and there is a cartridge you install on it that pumps an enzyme down to the septic which helps break down the food. Now I am still carefull about what I put down there but I do use it. You do have to replace the cartridge about every 4 months.

We had one in our house in NH for 30 years, on septic, and never had a problem. (We did end up installing a new septic before we put the house on the market, but a septic system doesn't last much beyond 25 years or so anyway). I didn't know about the cartridge with the enzyme pump. We're on septic now, and I do miss the disposal. I'd love to have one again.

Does the trash smell? You bet. No matter how well you wrap it. We even got maggots in it one time last year in the heat, what with flies being attracted to it and all. There's really no way to prevent the flies from getting into the trash bin, either.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by wanderintonc

I worry that a fork or something will get stuck and someone will try to dislodge it-or someone might bump the switch when someone else is using the sink.

Those things just make me nervous. Rapidly spinning razor sharp blades right near our hands. I already told dh, if our new home has one, he has to remove it.

If the switch gets bumped, though in decades I've never had it happen, it's not impossible I guess.....really....how often do you have your hand down the drain.....quite a ways down the drain.

Do youself a favor if you might ever resell....unhook it if you dont' want it....don't take it out.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by HOltmans

^I agree....don't see how it could be anymore dangerous than using a hairdryer in a bathroom. I mean, be careful, and...don't turn it on while your hand is stuck down there......other than that I don't see much risk!

This is a a new one on me. I actually went to my kitchen to see if I could up with a way to do what some of these folks fear.....I can't get my hand down the sink.....while I can reach the switch....any small child not old enough to know better couldn't.

[Jdatlas]

I worry that they'll stick their hand down there. Or put something down there that breaks the unit. I have no experience whatsoever with them so I'm only going by what I've heard about them.

[MaimounaKande]

OH OH OH!! Pick me for this!! I had this "issue" too, and there is another disposal option (which we've had installed)! The switch disposal is NOT the only one. You can get a disposal whichworks like this:

you have to put the drain plug into the hole there, and in order for the disposal to work, you have to turn it (there is no switch involved. You block the hole with this heavy piece that goes right into that hole, and twist it til it "catches", whcih is what turns it on). SO...it cannot be turned on until/unless the sink hole is totally covered. No possibility of any appendage being down there when it turns on. As an added bonus, nothing squirts up out of the disposal when you turn it on b/c again, it is totally blocked. It is a bit more expensive than the switch kind, but not too bad, and the safety issue was worth it for us.

I have no idea why more people don't use this kind. Actually the contractor who did our kitchen told us there was no such thing. We'd had one in antoher house, so we knew there was, and found it ourselves. He loved it and has since had one put in his own house

[MaimounaKande]

btw, though unlikely, it IS possible with the switch kind to have an accident. My husband's mother was getting something out of the disposal when we were there and said "don't turn it on my hand's down here." Her mother, who is hard of hearing, only heard "turn it on" and did. Luckily she pulled her hand out and only had a couple of small cuts, but it was pretty scary! (I realize this isn't a likely scenario,but I just didn't like the possibility of a child's hand getting caught there somehow)

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by Jdatlas

I worry that they'll stick their hand down there. Or put something down there that breaks the unit. I have no experience whatsoever with them so I'm only going by what I've heard about them.

What have you heard? I must be missing some great stories. lol!

I tried to look up garbage disposal injuries...couldn't find any that weren't part of sit-coms or tv commercials.

I am sure that there are some that do happen...but you've got a bigger risk getting out of bed in the morning.

You do know that they come with rubber 'flanges' that keep most things from falling in...as well as a stopper if you a really are worried about it right? It's not an open hole with knives ready to reach out and pull you in.

[Desdemona123]

Originally Posted by MaimounaKande

btw, though unlikely, it IS possible with the switch kind to have an accident. My husband's mother was getting something out of the disposal when we were there and said "don't turn it on my hand's down here." Her mother, who is hard of hearing, only heard "turn it on" and did. Luckily she pulled her hand out and only had a couple of small cuts, but it was pretty scary! (I realize this isn't a likely scenario,but I just didn't like the possibility of a child's hand getting caught there somehow)

LOL...that isn't an acciedent...lol.....that is someone misunderstanding a request!! Edited to say that I am glad that your MIL was okay!