Is it bad to run the garbage disposal without the water running?

Answer by  Anonymous

Newer Garbage disposals all have permenantly lubricated bearings so I don't see why running them without water would hurt them. Also theoretically there should be more load on the motor with running water than with nothing in the disposal.

Answer by  catman529 (809)

Unless the motor is prone to overheating (it's probably not), then there shouldn't be anything wrong with running it without any water. However, running it continuously for a while could heat the motor and put unnecessary wear-and-tear on the motor.

Answer by  Sagebrush (170)

It is not harmful to operate an empty garbage disposal for short periods of time. In theory, if you left it on for hours, the motor could overheat and be damaged or ruined. The water does have a slight cooling effect as well as acting to flush out food particles.

Answer by  tnjaynes (18)

I have heard that it is bad to run the garbage disposal without the water running because it is functioned by a motor which needs to be cooled off in the process of working hard.

Answer by  Meg (224)

Even if you have no food in your disposal, there could be residual pieces of food left in there or on the blades that could cause damage to the blades or clog the drain. It is best to run cold water through your disposal when turned on.

Answer by  Smitty (17)

It is fine to run the garbage disposal without the water running. The older models required the water to be on to help lubricate the grinding mechanism in the garbage disposal and clear away the debris. Newer models are designed to be more efficient and do not need the water at all.