Continuous Feed Garbage Disposals

• Continuous garbage disposals are the the cheapest type of garbage disposals, due to their popularity and ease of use. Simply add food, turn it on, and it starts grinding waste immediately.

• Another great feature is that you can add more food waste while it’s running, allowing you to dispose of everything efficiently while multitasking, making it the best garbage disposer for quicker cleanup.

• Despite its positive features, it’s important to note that the continuous feed disposal’s open entrance makes it unsafe to insert fingers while operating. Moreover, not all the disposal units come with a power cord, so you will need to purchase one separately or hire a plumber to wire the unit.

So let’s sum up:

Pros	Cons
Cheaper than the batch feed garbage disposal	Not safe because when not paying attention you could put your fingers while it’s grinding up food waste
Having the ability to add other food waste while it’s running	Need more water to operate, so you might notice a spike in the bill at the end of the month
Easy to clean and maintain

Batch Feed Garbage Disposal

• Batch feed garbage disposals may be underrated, but they are still powerful
  
• The main difference is how they start. A continuous feed starts with a switch, while a batch feed needs a stopper.
• Batch feed disposals are less convenient because you must remove and replace the stopper each time you add waste.

• The stopper not only prevents food waste from falling into the unit, but it also prevents children from putting their fingers and hands on it. As a result, it is safer for a household with curious kids.

• Both continuous feed and batch feed garbage disposals do well when it comes to grinding up the food waste. Unlike continuous feed, batch feed units are easy to install, plus they always come with a power cord so you don’t need a professional plumber to install it for you.

So let’s summarize once again:

Pros	Cons
Batch feed models are super safe, so you might look at these ones when having kids at home	Expensive than continuous garbage disposers
They are easy to install. Installing a garbage disposal might be a headache for some homeowners and it is a feature especially if you don’t want to pay for extra services	They take longer to get rid of small amount of food waste
They are the best type if you only have small amounts of food waste to get rid of

If you want to read more about the batch feed garbage disposals, please refer to our previous article where we explain them in much more details.

Verdict

In brief, it all depends upon your needs and requirements, so for example if you have a small family with kids, it’s preferable to go with the batch feed models for safety. Otherwise, if you have a large amount of waste to get rid of, then the best option is to choose the continuous feed models.

For more information, I would recommend reading the trusted advice from ‘A-team plumbing and drain’.