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Regular maintenance, such as not disposing of grease or coffee grounds down the sink and routine use of strainers, can prevent clogs.

Your garbage disposal will only affect the health of your septic tank if you’re using it too frequently, or filling it with organic waste that doesn’t fully break down. If the tank fills up with too many solids, the bacteria won’t have enough time to consume it before more is added, which can lead to an overflow in the drain field. Your tank will need to be pumped more frequently with excessive or improper garbage disposal use.

Garbage disposals last an average of seven years but can function well past 10 years. However, as time goes on and more food is ground, the grinding plates will slowly lose their edge and need replacing. A motor likely won’t last 10 or more years, but you should be able to get a minimum of five years at least, even under heavy usage. 

The most common garbage disposal size in the U.S. is 1/2 horsepower. This size is ideal for households with three or fewer people or those that don't produce much food waste. Although 1/2 horsepower can't handle the typical food waste load for a household of four (which is about 250 pounds of food waste annually) as effectively as 3/4 horsepower, it remains the most common size of garbage disposal on the market.