Elara Engineering Associate Principal Adam Sanders recently authored the above titled article that was placed in the Spring 2024 issue of Chicagoland Buildings & Environments.
A topic of discussion in recent years during plumbing replacement projects has been the effect of food waste disposers (garbage disposals) on kitchen waste piping. For large multi-family buildings with cast iron piping in the City of Chicago, the potential for costly projects to replace or repair kitchen waste piping should be considered when discussing the installation and use of garbage disposals.
In Adam’s article, he walks the reader through two approaches for the assessment of garbage disposals that should be considered: the impact of recent City of Chicago building code changes and Elara’s practical experience regarding garbage disposal usage, ongoing pipe maintenance needs, and options for piping replacement/repair when needed. A reprint of Adam’s article can be found here.
