So how many horsepower does you need?
Or what is the size of the garbage disposal should you get or buy?
The answer lies in the number of people and the amount of waste food in your household.
You have to ask questions like:
“How often do I cook?”
Or
“How much leftover waste I need to get rid of daily?”
If your table scraps include tough items, you need a more powerful HP model.
Get to know the various motor sizes and what they're for.
Then decide what's best and buy it for your household.
The four main types of motors available in the market are as follows:
- 1/3 horsepower
- 1/2 horsepower
- 3/4 horsepower
- 1 horsepower
1/3 HP Disposal
This is the one with the lowest horsepower. It's suitable for you if you've one or two persons staying in your house. Due to its low power, you can only grind soft food such as vegetables. You also tend to get jam easily when using it.Most components in a 1/3 HP disposer are not made of stainless steel. So they are prone to rust in the future. A motor with a 1/3 horsepower is also not robust or strong. Hence, it's not reliable and could clog your sewage system with waste food.
A 1/3 HP garbage disposal is suitable only for limited usage. You can use this if you only grind light food such as fruits and vegetables.
Want to know our recommendation for Best 1/3 HP garbage disposal? => Click Here1/2 HP Food Waste Disposer
This is ideal if you have a household with 1 to 2 people or the usage is low in your kitchen. It is used for your general food items. We recommend at least a 1/2 HP disposal for your standard home usage.With a price range under 100 dollars, it's affordable to most users. The unit is usually small. So it's not a problem when installing in space constraint areas under your sink.
If you need a 1/2 HP garbage disposal, get one that has stainless steel grind components. This is to make sure that your unit can last longer.
To checkout our recommendation for Best 1/2 HP garbage disposal => Click Here3/4 HP Disposer
A 3/4 HP garbage disposer has more power and is suitable if you have a family of four. This is a common size for most households.This range of disposals usually comes with more sound protection features. So the noise level generated is much lower when compared with a 1/2 HP unit.
It does not get jammed easily. And is bigger than a 1/2 HP model. Are you concerned about the noise level? If so, go for this horsepower or higher. Make sure to look for those with stainless steel grind components to have a longer lifespan.
To look at our recommendation for Best 3/4 HP garbage disposal => Click Here1 HP Garbage Disposal
This powerful garbage disposal is for you if you have a large family and has heavy usage in your kitchen. It has the capacity to grind your difficult stuff such as chicken bones or coffee grounds.It also let you grind more food and does not get jammed easily. The unit is quite huge; so you will need to have a bigger space beneath your sink.
1 HP garbage disposal is for you if you often cook or tend to have a large group of friends come over for lunch regularly.
To see our recommendation for Best 1 HP garbage disposal => Click HereSummary
Here is a size comparison table we have made for your easy reference:| HP | Usage | Person | Suitable For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | Very limited or temporary | 1 or 2 | Soft food |
| 1/2 | Low | 1 or 2 |
General food items
|
| 3/4 | Normal | 2 to 4 |
Hard food scraps
|
| 1 | Heavy | > 4 |
Hard food scraps
|
If you've already made up your mind to go for the lower range, it's advisable to use 1/2 instead of 1/3 horsepower. A 1/2 horsepower garbage disposal is suitable for most household kitchens.
A more powerful motor can grind the same amount of food waste faster when compared to a lower end disposal. So they tend to have lesser wear and a longer functional lifespan. This is ideal for you if you've large family members and it's often used in your household.
If you choose to get a higher end disposal, it's a good idea to select 1 horsepower over 3/4 horsepower. You might need to pay more, but it's definitely worth it.
Take a look below for the following benefits:
- Gives you less frustration by eliminating jamming during operation
- Gives you the ability to deal with a larger bulk of waste food
- Offers you a smooth and efficient grinding operation
- Helps you to cut down clean up time
- Offers you a lesser chance of clogging the sewage line or system
Once you've chosen the horsepower for your household, read below articles for further information:
- If you need help to select a garbage disposal, then read this article => Buying guide
- If you prefer to go straight to our reviewed models => Click here
- If you would like to take a look at our recommendation listing => Click here
