Bagging and carrying the food waste, which adds to labor costs. There are two basic types of disposal units. The rotor-style type with fixed teeth is by far the most common. Fresh water is injected into the unit at a rate sufficient to keep the drain from clogging. The obvious solution is to make sure no foreign objects are put through the units.
Many units have an automatic post-grinding feature which times water flushes up to several minutes.
Rotor-style disposers often feature an automatic reversing control which helps alleviate jams by starting the rotor in the opposite direction. Preventive maintenance, such as periodic drain cleaning during downtime, can reduce or eliminate emergencies during peak business periods. Jams tend to be less frequent in institutional operations, where staff training and low turnover help ensure that the equipment is respected and properly used. At chain restaurant operations, where employee turnover is greater, training and supervision are more critical. When buying a disposal unit, it is important to determine the size best suited to an operation.