How Long Do Garbage Disposals Last?
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Don’t know how long garbage disposals last? Usually, garbage disposal lasts between eight to 12 years, depending on the built-in quality of the unit and how you maintain the disposal.
Factors that influence the lifespan of a garbage disposal are
- Product Quality
- Frequency of use
- What you put into the disposal
- Maintenance
- Improper installation
Luckily, I will break down everything you need to know about the expected lifespan of the disposal. I will leave some insights that will help you prolong the life of a garbage disposal.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
How Long Do Garbage Disposals Last?
According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), the estimated lifespan of a garbage disposal (food waste) is 12 years if it’s properly maintained.
However, a garbage disposal won’t serve you more than eight (8) years if you don’t maintain it or get a low-quality disposal. Putting zero effort into cleaning the unit or disposing of harmful food waste like coffee grounds can break the unit sooner.
On the other hand, you can use garbage disposal for more than a decade if you invest in proper care and high-end garbage disposal systems.
For example, some models of InSinkErator garbage disposal come with ten (10) years of warranty, which indicates a high-quality unit with a longer lifespan.
They come with high-end materials like blades, gears, and motors. As a result, they are less prone to failure or accumulation of food waste, which could cause operational problems.
What Influences The Lifespan of A Garbage Disposal?
Factors that influence how long garbage disposals last are product quality, types of waste you put into, and frequency of use.
Product Quality
You get what you pay for! If you invest in high-end disposal units, they will last longer than the budget ones.
The high-quality units come with heavy-duty materials like motors, gears, and blades. Because those components are sturdy, they are reliable and less prone to failure or accumulation of food waste.
In short, the built-in quality of garbage disposal plays a significant role in determining the unit’s lifespan.
What You Put In The Garbage Disposal
Types of food waste you put in your garbage disposal can impact the lifespan of the food waste.
Hard or fibrous materials like chicken bones, eggshells, potato peels, or asparagus can dull the blades, affecting the average lifespan of the garbage disposal.
For example, hard materials like bones can dull the disposal’s blade. As a result, it reduces the efficiency of the component. Because of this, the unit runs longer than normal and puts strains on the motor.
Similarly, fibrous materials like potato peels get tangled in the gears and damage the unit.
Discover: What Not To Put In A Garbage Disposal?
Frequency of Use
How often you use the garbage disposal will also impact the unit’s lifespan.
Excessive or more frequent usage of your garbage disposal puts an extra burden on its motor and other components. As a result, the food waste machine wears out faster and causes premature failure.
Note: There’s no strict rule for how often you can use a garbage disposal for food waste. Be mindful about what you put in it, and don’t overload it. You can use your garbage disposal multiple times a day if you follow these tips.
Maintenance
Regular maintenance can prolong the lifespan of your disposal. This includes:
- Cleaning the disposal regularly
- Pouring boiling water through it once a month
- Ensuring that every component is working like a champ
Avoiding routine maintenance can lead to clogs, malfunctions, or other issues that can reduce the lifespan of the unit.
Chronic Neglect or Ill-advised Use
Chronic neglect means failure to address an issue or ignoring warning signs of that issue. If you can’t detect a garbage disposal problem and act accordingly, it will damage or shorten the unit’s longevity.
Additionally, ill-advised use like pouring oil or coffee grounds down to the disposal or overloading the system can decrease the lifespan of the unit.
Improper Installation
Installation of the garbage disposal is a simple DIY task. You don’t need specialized skills or tools to install the garbage disposal.
But a simple mistake in installation can cost you a lot.
For example, if you fail to seal the pipes properly, leaking from the pipe rusts the unit. Similarly, improper attachment to the drain sink or overloading the unit can damage the motor and lessen the disposal’s lifespan.
For learning proper installation of garbage disposal, check out this article: How To Install A Garbage Disposal?
What Are Signs That Indicate I Should Replace My Garbage Disposal?
Signs that indicate it’s time to replace your garbage disposal are:
- Persistent Clogs: If you maintain your disposal regularly but encounter frequent clogs, I bet it’s time to replace the food waste machine.
- Strange Noises: Unusual noises like humming or grinding from disposal indicate that the unit is on its last leg. The metallic noise is a result of worn-out internal components.
- Reset Button Keeps Tripping: Garbage disposals have a reset button. The reset button keeps popping out and shuts off the electric supply if the motor gets overheated or encounters a jam. If you need to press the reset button repeatedly, understand the disposal is on its last leg.
- Leaks: If you observe persistent leaks around the garbage disposal, understand the unit is in its last stage of life. A leaking garbage can also damage the cabinets and lead to mold growth.
- Foul Odors: A properly functioning garbage disposal will help prevent food odors from persisting in your kitchen. If you wash your disposal after every use but the odor persists, I bet there is a buildup in the disposal or internal failure that’s complex to fix.
- Fail To Grind Food Efficiently: Garbage disposals can easily grind food into pieces. If your disposal fails to scrape food efficiently, it’s time to replace the garbage disposal.
- Age: You know a garbage disposal typically lasts 10-15 years. If your disposal reaches its expected lifespan, I suggest you replace the unit instead of repairing it.
How Do You Prolong the Life of A Garbage Disposal?
Here are some garbage disposal maintenance tips you should follow to extend the lifespan of the unit:
- Run cold water before, during, and after every time you operate the garbage disposal.
- Clean the garbage disposal every time you use it to scrape food items. Run cold water after you use it. You can also put ice cubes or lemon pieces in the disposal. To kill odor, you can also grind citrus fruit peelings.
- Operate the disposal frequently even when you have nothing to grind. It will help prevent the disposal from freezing, rusting, or corroding.
- Don’t overload the disposal with a large amount of food waste. Instead, grind small amounts of food waste.
- Never put hard items like bones, fruit pits, or large chunks of food waste in the disposal.
- Don’t put fibrous food like celery, onion peels, or corn husks in the disposal. Otherwise, they can wrap around the blades and cause a jam.
- Perform regular maintenance according to the manual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Do If My Garbage Disposal Is Clogged?
To fix a clogged garbage disposal, try these steps:
- Cut the electric power supply to your garbage disposal at the circuit breaker or unplug the unit from the outlet.
- Inspect the garbage disposal manual to see what restricts the unit.
- Insert an Allen wrench into the central hole at the bottom of your garbage disposal.
- Work the Allen wrench back and forth until the blockage breaks free.
- Use long-handled pliers to remove the obstructions from the grinding chamber.
- Run cold water for several seconds to flush the loose particles through the plumbing system.
- Restore power to the unit and turn on the garbage disposal to test the disposal.
Is It Safe To Use Chemical Drain Cleaners With A Garbage Disposal?
No, cleaning garbage disposal with chemical drain cleaners like bleach is not secure. The harsh chemicals can corrode metal parts like the impellers or the grinding ring and shorten the average life expectancy of waste disposal.
Can a garbage disposal be repaired instead of replaced?
Sometimes, you can repair your garbage disposal, especially if you encounter problems like clogging, jamming, and humming with your disposal unit. However, if any of the disposal parts get broken, you can’t repair the disposal. In this case, you need to replace the garbage disposal with a new one.
How often should I clean my garbage disposal?
Clean the garbage disposal once or twice a week to prevent debris buildup from forming in the grinding chamber. To clean the garbage disposal, fill the sink halfway with water and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Then, run the cold water and the disposal unit simultaneously to remove the food buildup.
What are some common mistakes that can shorten the life of a garbage disposal?
Putting unprohibited items like fibrous or non-food items, overloading the unit with food waste, running hot water, and avoiding regular maintenance are some mistakes that can reduce the life of a waste disposal.
Conclusion
The range of average garbage disposal lifespan is 8-15 years.
However, you can expect the disposal unit to serve you for up to 12 years if you maintain the garbage disposal properly.
To extend the lifespan of your food waste disposal, ensure:
- Run the garbage disposal regularly, two to three times a week.
- Run cold water before starting the garbage disposal.
- Cut the food waste into pieces if they are large before feeding.
- Don’t overload the garbage disposal with stuff
- Never feed fibrous, grease, oil, and non-food items into the garbage disposal.
- Clean the garbage disposal every week.
- Grind citrus peels like lemon or orange to freshen up the disposal.
Explore the DIY Repair & Troubleshooting category if you encounter problems like jamming, clogging, and humming with garbage disposal.
Leave a comment below if you have any questions about garbage disposal. I feel happy to hear from you.
Sohel Rana is the founder of FixTheDisposal.Com. He is a plumbing expert with 7+ years of hands-on repairing garbage disposals, water heaters, space heaters, and other appliances used in a home. Before the launch of Fix The Disposal, he wrote and provided advice on water heaters, sump pumps, and space heater repairing & troubleshooting tips for LilDutchUncle.Com.
