Garbage disposal

[otis24]

I need to replace my garbage disposal. The last time I replacrd it, about five years ago, I didn't realize that the housing was plastic. It didn't last very long, having developed cracks in the housing. Does anyone make a garbage disposal unit with a metal housing anymore?

 

[bigwheelzip]

Don't remember the material that the body was made from, but we replaced my in-law's disposal with a 1.25HP American Standard unit purchased on sale for 79 dollars from Costco. It was more powerful and less expensive than units sold at Home Depot and Lowes.

Edit: s&wchad's post reminded me that the American Standard unit came with a magnet strap that wraps the throat and grabs ferrous metal objects.

 

[s&wchad]

The Insinkerator 1 HP Evolution has a stainless chamber and 6 year warranty, but it’s $300+.

I’m on my 3rd Insinkerator Badger? in 26 years and the latest one is probably 8-9 years old. It was about $100 back then and didn’t require re-plumbing. I basically don’t put anything solid down it and metal objects that gets dropped in it (bottle caps, hardware, etc...) get fished out with large hemostats immediately. I’ll pour old broths down the drain and rinse out the coffee basket, but that’s about it.

 

[TTSH]

I’m on my 3rd Insinkerator Badger? in 26 years and the latest one is probably 8-9 years old. It was about $100 back then and didn’t require re-plumbing.

This is what I've always done. The basic 1/2 HP (now available in 3/4 HP) Insinkerator and its identical clones have served me well here for almost 45 years. When one breaks, I simply put in another. I buy them dirt cheap and I can switch them out blindfolded in roughly 10-12 minutes (and I am not exaggerating). I'd guess the average lifespan for these units is maybe 7-9 years. I do not baby them.

But in our new retirement place I plan to go a bit upscale. Same brand (most likely), but I think it's time, at this age, for me to treat myself to one of the bigger, quieter models.

 

[dave1918a2]

Been in My house 32 years and am on only My 2nd Insinkerator 1 HP. Pay the extra and get an Insinkerator.

 

[Bob L]

Our first Insinkerator lasted just over 25 years. I am expecting our second one to last at least that long.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I was in apartment and residential maintenance since 1973. I would say find the best deal on an in-sinker-ator Badger or badger 1 in the 1/2 HP size and go with that.

The necks have been plastic for several years now, because the higher acidity of our sweet foods was rotting out the alloy necks. At the cost of the stainless units, purchase price recovery takes longer than most two or three generation families will own the home. The plastic is an improvement and a reasonable compromise.

Ivan

 

[Abbynormal]

I learned years ago that the 3/4 horsepower and up lasted longer and were quieter and more reliable.

 

[Fishslayer]

The disposal at the rescue where I wash a LOT of bowls makes me jelly every time I turn it on. VERY quiet & dog knows what makes it's way into it.

I wish my old clunker would just die so I could replace it with whatever THEY have!

 

[snubbyfan]

We just do it Flintstones style.

 

[TX-Dennis]

If you can replace it with the same brand the install is usually easier. No need to change out the mounting plate and other parts.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Some people call garbage disposals "food processors for rats." Always thought it funny, some rat sitting down in the sewer, hearing the sound and rubbing its grubby little hands together, going "snick snick snick!" My Sears disposal was about 15 years old when we moved here (owner had papers for everything) and it still works fine 16 years later. Okay, so now I'll be going out to some plumbing supply because I just jinxed mine! BTW, it's plastic outside, metal inside.

 

[Golddollar]

Another point to consider. Get a disposal with stainless steel works. The original disposal in my old house froze up from limited use. I replaced it with a more powerful one made out of stainless steel and I never had another problem.

 

[TAC]

Don't use hot water when you grind. It's melts the grease in the motor bearing and it won't last too long.

 

[DWalt]

Am I the only one who is anti-sink garbage disposer? While we have two of them (two different houses), we never (or very seldom) use them. I don't like the idea of sending ground-up food into my drain lines to cause problems, so everything goes into the garbage container under the sink. I even have one of those screen wire strainers that goes into the drain above the grinder to catch everything. Wife feels the same way.

BTW, we also use screen wire strainers in the shower drains. You would be surprised at how much hair, skin, soap scum, etc. it catches. I no longer have any plugged shower drain lines. The only problem is that they generally need to be cleaned after every shower, but that is simple. Just press a wad of toilet paper in it, everything sticks to the TP, and I flush it down the toilet.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I don't like the idea of sending ground-up food into my drain lines to cause problems, so everything goes into the garbage container under the sink.

Nothing wrong with doing it your way. Our parents did it that way. We've always used them and never had a problem with plumbing.

 

[TTSH]

I don't like the idea of sending ground-up food into my drain lines to cause problems, so everything goes into the garbage container under the sink.

Nothing wrong with doing it your way. Our parents did it that way. We've always used them and never had a problem with plumbing.

As an adult, I've never lived in a place that didn't have a garbage disposal... but my F-I-L (R.I.P.) at some point in the past decided to remove the disposal from the house where my M-I-L still lives. Why? I do not know? This creates some interesting problems for me when I go to her house as some of her daily caretakers don't seem to understand that the kitchen sink lacks a disposal. I am endlessly unplugging the plumbing and cleaning the kitchen sink.

But I may learn a little myself about living in similar circumstances as our new retirement place will be on a septic system and I'm not sure that dumping lots of garbage into the septic system is a good idea. While we will still have a disposal installed, I'm guessing that prudence would dictate dumping a lot of our garbage into the trash.

Just another example of the things I have to learn about going from a house with city water and city sewer to a place with neither.

 

[Texas40]

If your on septic you DONT want a disposal.
I removed the on in my house (Im on city sewer) 10 plus yrs ago. Dont miss it.
I dont put water in the trash or trash in the drain.
Put garbage where it belongs (garbage can) well the dogs get the good stuff and water where it belongs (in the drain) no need to combine the two.

I also removed my dishwasher.
Never cared for an appliance that requires me to do the job it is supposed to do. May as well just not have it.







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[Ivan the Butcher]

If your on septic you DONT want a disposal.

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At the farm we were on a septic. All the kitchen waste went into 5 gallon buckets, then sat in the sun for 3 weeks to 4 months, then into the compost until it goes in the garden, then back into us! Just like the "Lion King", it's the Circle of Life!

(My Tomatoes actually tasted like tomatoes, instead of chemical fertilizer!)

Ivan

 

[TAC]

Am I the only one who is anti-sink garbage disposer? While we have two of them (two different houses), we never (or very seldom) use them. I don't like the idea of sending ground-up food into my drain lines to cause problems, so everything goes into the garbage container under the sink. I even have one of those screen wire strainers that goes into the drain above the grinder to catch everything. Wife feels the same way.

BTW, we also use screen wire strainers in the shower drains. You would be surprised at how much hair, skin, soap scum, etc. it catches. I no longer have any plugged shower drain lines. The only problem is that they generally need to be cleaned after every shower, but that is simple. Just press a wad of toilet paper in it, everything sticks to the TP, and I flush it down the toilet.

We never grind gobs of food. We use it when we rinse our plates off, always with lots of water running and keep it running for a short time after we're done.

I wouldn't think anything going down the drain in a shower would cause a problem, never has for me. If you flush the debris down the toilet isn't that going down the same drain?

Speaking of toilets as a rule we always give our toilets an extra flush if there is any toilet paper involved. Water is expensive but so are plumbers!

Once a year I pour Liquid Plumber down all the sink, tub and shower drains (don't use in toilets) and let it sit for about an hour then run water after. In 43 years of marriage and raising two sons we never had a clogged drain.