Garbage Disposal Replacement

Status
Not open for further replies.
Actually is it better for the environment to use disposer. It helps feed the microbes in the sewer plant. Most of the methane generated it captured in the anerobic digestion phase. The sludge left over is a valuable fertilizer.

This compared to landfill is way better. Best of all is starting your own worm farm/compost pile, not all folks can do this.

Rod
 
All Insinkerators bad luck. Badgers-REALLY bad luck.

Have a Waste King in my condo, works fine. So does an American Standard in one of my rental units and my girl friend's Barracuda (Menard's brand).

Of course you had good luck with a Badger, so take that into consideration.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Smokescreen
My brother is a plumber. He absolutely love garbage disposals. They keep him busy both for the units themselves and the sludge that forms in the drain pipe down the line. He would never put one in his own place and if he ever moves to house with one in it, he'll take it out.


And yet many of us have been using garbage disposal units for decades without a single issue.
 
Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
Actually is it better for the environment to use disposer. It helps feed the microbes in the sewer plant. Most of the methane generated it captured in the anerobic digestion phase. The sludge left over is a valuable fertilizer.

This compared to landfill is way better. Best of all is starting your own worm farm/compost pile, not all folks can do this.

Rod



If anyone still lives in Milwaukee, do they still prohibit garbage disposals? Apparently they didn't want tomato seeds in the Milorganite. My experience was about fifty years ago. Had to split garbage and trash-- sort of like recycling except they didn't recycle--unless you call Milorganite recycling.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Fawteen
Originally Posted by Smokescreen
My brother is a plumber. He absolutely love garbage disposals. They keep him busy both for the units themselves and the sludge that forms in the drain pipe down the line. He would never put one in his own place and if he ever moves to house with one in it, he'll take it out.


And yet many of us have been using garbage disposal units for decades without a single issue.

Works for a single family house.

In multi unit buildings may be problems if not enough water is run or some solids later stuck in the pipes...
I was the lower level unit on such situation... about every 2-3 months. Not profiling, but something about Asian cooking.Rice maybe?
No problems 3-4 years before.
 
Originally Posted by Rand
just because you have a garbage disposal doesnt mean you have to throw chicken etc down it.

I like them for sink garbage few leftover beans etc.. stuff that is annoying to scrape but easy to rinse out off plates etc.



Well you can buy a disposal which will easily handle chicken bones. IJS.
 
Too much of a load on my septic system, no thanks. Maybe if I was in city sewer. Too easy for me to just clean out the strainer.

If I was the op and looking to move before long, I'd replace with like, easiest option with small cost. If it was my house... if the disposal lasted 13 years and wasn't causing problems otherwise, maybe I'd replace, again with like. But if I was building I'd just as soon not install one.
 
They are all prone to the same problems. A like type replacement will likely be all the upgrade you would need. If its your last home or dream home, spend the money and put one in there that will grind bones.

Most of the common ones are meant for replacement not repair. Is it worth your time to take out the insinkerator and clean it every so often? It would last longer but why bother when you can just replace for 50 bucks every few years. An educational class for the wife and kids will also help.
 
I have the same exact unit and almost for the same amount of time. Our house built in 2006 and the disposal unit went bad in 2018.
Since I was doing it myself and this one lasted 12 years I replaced it with the same exact unit.

Took literally minutes to swap out. I just loosened the bolts and put the new one up. I didn't even change out the drain that came with it.
The only thing I don't understand is you say it plugs in under the sink. Mine was hardwired in and again no big deal.
I would definitely replace it more so if you think you may sell the house in a year. The reason for this is why have something not working properly that a home inspector might turn up?
Replacing it simply means you kept up with maintenance on the house.
I see no reason to upgrade the unit to 1/2 horsepower.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys-visited Lowes last night and picked up the same model. I'm about to install it in an hour or so. It won't get used much before the place gets sold, but I figure not having a working one would in fact be a red flag for an inspector and it's more work than I want to tackle to bypass it completely. Aside from that, I'm afraid that might raise questions if the switch is there but there's not one under the sink. $100 to not have to worry about it is well worth it.

Quote
The only thing I don't understand is you say it plugs in under the sink. Mine was hardwired in and again no big deal.


The replacement I bought actually didn't come with a cord so I'll have to swap the one from the old one over, but yes in fact it does have a standard 3-prong socket under the sink(I assume it's GFCI and tied in with all the others around the sink). It's wired to the switch next to the sink. It did make removing it for the initial inspection easier, since I could just unplug it and not worry about it.
 
Originally Posted by Fawteen
Originally Posted by Smokescreen
My brother is a plumber. He absolutely love garbage disposals. They keep him busy both for the units themselves and the sludge that forms in the drain pipe down the line. He would never put one in his own place and if he ever moves to house with one in it, he'll take it out.


And yet many of us have been using garbage disposal units for decades without a single issue.



Works good for stuff like mashed potatoes, things that will make a mess in the garbage can, especially if you're the type that thinks a garbage bag is a waste of money.
 
Originally Posted by KingShalamar
What do you mean by two apple cores?



You need to eat more apples bro. There is like 3/4" of the center option of an apple that you can't eat called the core.
 
I also had an Insinkerator spring a leak out of the bottom where the power cord came out. It triggered the GFI circuit and shut it down. It was only a few years old. Apparently it was a known design flaw. I replaced it with the newer model for another $100.

I have always treated a garbage disposal as an appliance that would grind up food waste that went down the drain in minor amounts after the plates were scraped into the trash. I never knowingly stuffed food into it. While I am sure that there are disposals that will grind up chicken bones it doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

My ex-wife, who had to argue with me about everything once stuffed a bunch of potato peels down the garbage disposal even after I had cautioned her not to do such things. It caused an under the counter, upside down on my back adventure to clear the clog. And this was on Thanksgiving morning while trying to get ready for having the family over.

I am now on a septic system and am especially conscious of sending a minimum of food waste down through the disposal. It's easier to scrape the plates clean than to tear apart the trap or try to clear any drain lines.
 
I agree with you did, just put the same one in there and move on.

Don't forget your 10 percent lowes coupon. I replaced one before we dumped our house in Austin, bought the same Badger that was in there since 2014.

Five years for a 99 dollar appliance is fine with me. They bolt right on 20 minute job.
 
Job's done and working great! I think it took longer to swap the cord over than to actually install it in the sink.

Or I should say I purposely ate an apple after installing just to have a core to test in it, and it did fine.
 
Last edited:
When we redid our kitchen, we got a higher end insinkerator. It is nearly silent in operation. Wasnt that expensive.

Still, I'd minimize outlay if moving soon. You just want one that works and is installed properly.

We compost a ton. Our actual trash is pretty small due to this and heavy recycling. Food scraps that can't be composted we generally put down the disposal, as our town sewer system allows it. My parents live in a town that doesn't... so I'm a fan of having one versus not, but not everybody cares.
 
Originally Posted by SVTCobra
Originally Posted by PimTac
If you are planning to move I would just delete the disposal and plumb it normally.

Me too. Never understood the love for disposal units. Just throw the food in the trash.


Some areas you pay per bag of trash via stickers $1 - $3/each. It encourages lazy people especially with composting and recycling.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top