Dear Jim: I want to install a garbage disposer in my kitchen, but I am not sure if I need a full-featured one with the most powerful motor? Also, is a garbage disposer harmful or beneficial for the environment? – Kandi M.

Dear Kandi: Installing a garbage disposer is certainly a convenience, but how it affects the environment is somewhat dependent on the area in which you live. In areas where landfill space is at a premium and water is plentiful, it may be beneficial to run garbage down the drain instead of disposing of it in landfills.

In water-restricted areas, it may make sense to put the garbage in your trash. This will save water and reduce the amount of sewage treatment required by the local sanitation system. Running a lot of garbage into a septic tank may cause problems for some older systems. In major cities, the grease from garbage disposers also may cause sewer problems.

Check with your local water-sewage department for its advice on the use of a garbage disposer. If you decide to get one, more power is definitely an advantage. The motors range from about 1/2 to one horsepower for residential units. Since you run one for such a short time each day, the difference in electricity usage is minimal.

The most powerful one-horsepower models will cost about $200 or more. Some smaller 1/2-horsepower models cost less than $100. If you are careful to keep small bones and other tougher garbage out of the garbage disposer, a 1/2-horsepower model should be adequate. A one-horsepower model can chew up most bones that would typically get in it.

For safety and convenience, select a garbage disposer with auto-reverse to automatically clear out items that get jammed in it. This is safer than sticking your hand down in there to clear it out. Ones made with stainless steel are corrosion-resistant and stronger and some, such as In-Sink-Erator, have up to a seven-year, in-home warranty. A good-quality model will usually last about 10 to 12 years.

If your children sometimes clean the dishes and use the garbage disposer, choose a batch-feed model. This will operate only when the cover is placed over the drain so little hands cannot get in there and no small bones can fly out. For more convenience and speedy operation, a continuous-feed model operates from a wall switch.

When a kitchen also has a dishwasher, select a garbage disposer with an inlet for it. Dishwashers usually drain to the garbage disposer. If you install it yourself, make sure to remove the cover over the inlet before attaching the drain hose. I forgot once. When I ran the dishwasher the first time and it started the drain cycle, it shot a stream of hot, soapy, dirty water out the top of the sink like a geyser.

The following companies offer garbage disposers: General Electric, (800) 626-2000, www.geappliances.com; In-Sink-Erator, (800) 558-5700, www.insinkerator.com; Kitchenaid, (800) 422-1230, www.kitchenaid.com; Waste King (800) 854-3229, www.wasteking.com; and Whirlpool, (800) 253-1301, www.whirlpool.com.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.