Those with a dishwater will probably notice that the drain could be connected to the garbage disposal, but is this a wise choice? More importantly, should it be implemented?
Dishwasher drain into garbage disposal is a recommended way to get rid of the dirty water and food particles safely.
However, there are a few things you should keep in mind, as well as ensuring that there’s air to prevent the water and waste from backing up to your dishwasher.
Should Dishwasher Drain into Garbage Disposal?
Most dishwashers will have fittings and drain pipes that allow it to be connected to a home’s garbage disposal.
Having the residue from the wash go directly to disposal sounds like a good idea, and it usually is. Larger food particles that fit into the drain goes straight to the disposal system, where they’re chopped into tinier pieces. This prevents excessive build-up and blockage, and makes an emergency plumbing service less likely.
Dishwashers are very convenient appliances as they handle the manual work of having to wash your plates, glasses and eating utensils. However, they do come with several problems of their own, including the ones where food particle buildup in the drain causes the appliance to stop working.
When this happens, you will have to manually clear the drain or call a licensed professional technician to do so.
A dishwasher-into-disposal system is the ideal solution, and a way to extend the lifespan of your dishwasher. It’s not a necessity, though- homeowners can still opt to connect their dishwasher drain to their systems and deal with the eventual blockage at a later time.
Ideally, an air gap should be installed into a dishwasher before connecting the drain to a garbage disposal chute to prevent the gray water from going back into the system.
Benefits of Dishwasher into Garbage Disposal
Large Food Particles Get Broken Down
One advantage homeowners can look forward to is with a dishwasher-disposal setup is that they won’t have to deal with big food particles clogging up their dishwasher drains.
Most dishwashers today aren’t equipped with technology to allow bigger food particles to pass through.
When the drain gets blocked, a backup naturally occurs and all the dishwasher’s work would have been for nothing.
Ensuring that these particles are broken down into tinier and more manageable pieces ensures optimal flow and keeps your appliance working for longer.
Save Time and Money
We’ve already mentioned that a garbage disposal connected to a dishwasher breaks down food particles into digestible’ chunks. This by itself can save you from a lot of headaches down the road when you have to deal with the blockage.
The dishwasher drain getting blocked is not a matter of how but when. Food will eventually get left in the plates, and when they’re put in the dishwasher then they’ll have to pass through the drain pipe.
Over time and through accumulation the food forms an impassable gunk, which leads to blockage and backing up of gray water to the dishwasher.
To get this fixed you’ll either have to spend time unplugging the drain and manually removing it, or calling a professional technician to take care of it. Either way, you’ll be spending more time or money.
Lower Installation Costs
Most new dishwasher owners tend to think they could just connect the appliance and be done with it, but this isn’t always the case.
You can put separate drains- one for the garbage disposal and the other for your dishwasher, but this will end up costing you more. Alternatively, it’s easier to connect your dishwasher into the garbage disposal system and save on material costs.
The process of doing this is relatively simple and straightforward. Most homes will have a single drain pipe coming out their sink, which means it’s more convenient for you to connect the dishwasher outlet to the built-in garbage disposal. This will complete the loop and give you the benefits as outlined above.
As a side note, the dishwasher will start to have issues if there’s a problem with the garbage disposal. Broken disposal parts, leaks and rust tend to not affect the dishwasher- it’s only clogs and drain issues that put a serious damper in the dishwashing process.
