How Long Does a Garbage Disposal Last?

by Paul

InSinkErator Evolution Essential Review

A garbage disposal is no more a luxury purchase for the consumers nowadays. It is as essential as all the other kitchen appliances that help you to maintain a healthy and good life.

People buy a disposal to clean all the food waste without any hassle easily. We also expect a long time use while buying any of the appliances. But actually, how long does a garbage disposal last?

Garbage disposal lifespan depends on many things. Most of the people say they are using their disposal for quite a few years. I have seen many people complain that their comparatively new disposal is burnt and had to be thrown. So, what causes this difference?

How Long Does a Garbage Disposal Last?

The average lifespan of garbage disposal varies from 10 to 15 years. If your last disposal’s lifespan was near 10 years that means you have used it for a good amount of time but could have used it better.

This is even less than how long should a garbage disposal last. Because in particular cases I have seen people using a garbage disposal for more than 18 to 20 years.


How to Increase the Lifespan of Garbage Disposal

Your garbage disposal lifespan depends on these factors:

  • What size of garbage disposal are you using?
  • What to throw in a garbage disposal?
  • Maintenance of the disposal is very important. We have a guide on how to maintain it here.
  • Call plumbing service once every two years

What Size Garbage Disposal are You Using?

Many factors can cause the difference between the lifespan of garbage disposals. The first one starts even before you buy it. That is what size of disposal are you using?

If you have a big family, or simply you love to eat a lot (not judging) and use the disposal heavily, then you should go with a high-end disposal. You need heavy function from your disposal unit, but you bought a small sized disposal with a minimum level of power that suits for lighter use is a bad decision.

How long will a garbage disposal last if you buy the wrong size disposal for you? It will not survive its own best lifespan. Ultimately the disposal will not be able to process the waste very efficiently and will last a short time. That will cost you more than a one-time investment of buying a powerful disposal in the first place.

Read more about "What size garbage disposal do you need"?

What to Throw in a Garbage Disposal?

If you have bought a garbage disposal or intending to buy it, you should know that a disposal is only meant to dispose of the biodegradable food. Never throw any other kind of substances like tissue, paper, plastic bags or any small metals.

If accidentally any cutlery, glass or jewelry gets inside your disposal unit, immediately stop the unit and take it out. Any kind of metal substances will completely ruin the grinding blades if it is turned on. That will simply stop the lifespan of garbage disposal. 

Read more about "What not to put in a garbage disposal"?

Maintenance of the Disposal is Very Important

To last any appliance at its best lifespan maintenance plays a major part. If you maintain your garbage disposal properly, then it will easily last longer than the one being not cared. With full maintenance and proper use, how long should a garbage disposal last? I’d say more than 15 year.

If you are not familiar on how to proceed on maintaining your garbage disposal, read our "How To Maintain A Garbage Disposal" guide.

If your disposal gets jammed or gets stuck, clean is properly. Hot water pouring helps any type of drainage to clean easily. Clean your disposal with hot water to remove any stuck oil, grease, and fat in the disposal unit.

Clean the pipes of your drainage with chemicals that are allowed to go with garbage disposals. Otherwise, you can use natural ways to clean your garbage disposal. For a more detailed instructions, "How To Clean Your Garbage Disposal" is a good source of information for you.

Call a Plumbing Service Once Every Two Years

Often drainage issues can occur and everything gets messy. Before anything gets ruined, you can have a whole check-up examine with a professional plumber so that any type of unnoticed problem can be solved. Run this check-up for your convenience, but once in every two years is a good amount of time.

So how long does a garbage disposal last? It ultimately depends on these factors. But just by practicing some necessary routines, you can increase the garbage disposal’s lifespan by many years. Although, no one can guarantee that your disposal will last exactly to an amount of time but buying a good unit, using it correctly and maintaining it can increase the garbage disposal lifespan. It can save you lots of money and hassle.

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