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Never put glass in the garbage disposal. It can damage your disposal or eject shards of glass out of the disposal and cause injury. If you get broken glass in your garbage disposal, turn it off and cut the power from the breaker, use a tool like pliers or tongs to remove the glass, and use a wet-dry vacuum to remove the remaining glass pieces. If you can’t access the disposal safely, call a garbage disposal repair pro.

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.

In some cases, it’s more cost-effective in the long run to replace a garbage disposal, but it depends on the specific issue you’re having and the age of your disposal. You should ask a garbage disposal repair tech for a quote to repair your appliance and then see if it would be more worthwhile to replace it. Additionally, garbage disposals last for around 15 years, so if you know your appliance is reaching that age, it’s likely better to pay for a new garbage disposal rather than sink money into repairs.

The main issue with garbage disposals is clogging. This can mean a clogging of the pipes that expel the food along with water, or a clogging of the mechanical parts themselves. The problem lies in the solution because you can’t easily see clogs if they’re inside the system, and reaching in to dislodge stuck items is a risky proposal. Call a pro and ask what they would do, but if you can’t see the clog easily, and running the unit won’t free it, you need to let a professional handle the fix.