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The two main negatives of garbage disposals are they are a safety hazard in homes with children, and they frequently encounter blockage issues. While they might be annoying to fix and monitor, garbage disposals can significantly lower your trash use and are a great way to dispose of organic waste. While there are negatives, the vast majority of homeowners acknowledge the positives are enough to install a disposal in their home. 

Garbage disposals can last between 10 and 12 years, so if your unit is pushing its lifespan, it may be a good idea to replace it. If your unit isn’t approaching the 10-year mark, try investigating other parts of the disposal to see if there's an affordable repair on the horizon. For example, rubber has a shorter lifespan than 10 years, connections and hoses loosen over time, and sink flanges can cause leaks that have nothing to do with disposals.

Many homeowners wonder if a garbage disposal is necessary with a dishwasher. After all, many dishwashers are powerful enough to handle bits of food with no issues.  

Still, your dishwasher should not act as a replacement for a disposal. Subjecting your dishwasher to continuous leftovers could lead to major clogs. If you don’t want a garbage disposal in your kitchen, simply scrape away any extra food into your trash can or compost pile.

While the part of the garbage disposal that attaches to the sink is universal, not every single disposal will work in every sink cabinet. A larger disposal may be too big to fit in a compact space, for example. If the pipes under your sink are arranged in an unusual way, it may be difficult to put in a bigger disposal, even if there technically is enough space.