What features should I look for when buying a replacement garbage disposer? Dose name brand mater? I quick check of Lowes.com shows that everyone and their brother makes a disposer with prices ranging from $70-$350. Can someone point me in the right direction?
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Thanks again for the help!
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Trevor
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Replies
What are your needs? Do you have a big family? Will you be looking to shove every scrap in there? Do you have sewer or septic? The more garbage you will throw down there, the more powerful you will want. If you have a septic system it's not a great idea to use it all that much as it can play havoc on the septic.
In-Sink-Erator pretty much has the market wrapped up, and they are good units. check out their website (don't know it offhand-google it) and look at their lineup. Figure out how much you need to use a disposer, and look at their choices to get a feel for what unit you'll want. Then shop around for that one or a comparable brand.
Generally, the more expensive, the more powerful and quiet the motor is.
We didn’t use the old one very often, only to chew up the small stuff left on the dinner plates. It’s only me and my wife in the house. We have city sewer.
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I’ll check In-Sink-Erator out.
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Thanks for the info.
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Trevor
If you liked the old one, check out the HP rating and get the same thing. for your use it wouldn't make much sense to get anything bigger than a 1/2 HP model unless you wanted to make sure you had enough power to grind up the watermelon rinds someday (bad idea, as personal experience has shown). Maybe someday I'll know a little something.
I agree with JJV, the only thing that I would add is not to go too cheap. The bottom line garbage disposals even with moderate use don't have that great of a life span. I would go in the mid range. Luck.
Trevor
We use the Insinkerator brand exclusively. I have been using their Pro 333 model. They are introducing the next series of disposals at KBIS next month. These things are super quiet and they will grind up just about anything you happen to put down the chute.
We don't plan on changing how we advise clients to use them, but it is good peace of mind knowing that the new series will be able to handle the odd things that HI's put down the drain.
ISE's are definitely worth checking out.
sully
Stainless steel chamber is the main thing. Beyond that, not the smallest motor you can find, but you don't need a giant 10HP unit either.
If you compare units you'll see a wide variation is physical size, but the difference is primarily plastic fairings around "sound insulation".
Now given that you run a disposal for about 2 minutes a day (if that), the sound insulation isn't generally a big deal, but they tout it to run up the price (and also make the unit look bigger and more powerful).
In practice, that extra size is a PITA since it takes up space under the sink that you need for those 3000 bottles of spray starch and bug killer. Plus, you're paying $25-50 for some plastic and styrofoam.
There are only two or three mfgrs of disposals. ISE (InSinkErator) makes most of them and makes decent quality stuff for the most part, if you don't buy their cheapest unit.
happy?
Yes, don't buy a 5hp unit when you can get a 10hp model.http://www.insinkerator.com/isejsp/product/product.jsp?id=30&template=c
I swear by the ISEs, they juet seem to last and last and last--even in rentals (sometimes--that's a 'nuther thread entire).
I like the 1/2 HP units and would not go smaller. The point about the sound insulation was apt. You bolt that 1/2 motor to your SS sink which is clipped to your counter top--hard to add sound insulation to the sides and have it be very effective.
Great! Thanks for all the info.
Trevor
Yeah, if you really want/need a quiet disposal, get a quiet (ie, thick) sink.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
if you really want/need a quiet disposal, get a quiet (ie, thick) sink
Ah, the stories . . . <g>
Before being a "foodie" was cool, was an over-rich person who wanted a commercial kitchen that was also friendly and welcoming (oh to have been too busy to take that call . . . <sigh>)
Must have a commercial GD, an absolute must, donchya know? Ask a simple question (oh, to have learned to not to earlier): You ever been in a working kitchen with one? Does not matter, nothing but commercial, it must be the best, and nothing less than the best will do!
Long story short. Go get a 3HP router. Bolt it under your 2" granite counter top. Bust a wing off a 3-4" door panel coving bit. Connect to switch next to sink. Wait a week and meekly ask for biggest ISE instead . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
and the mre they jam and the less they can handel...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
True dat.
Whoops. I was just trying to repond to you and somehow deleted my own post.
What I was saying, if anyone is interested, is that the cheaper they are the louder they are. It may not seem like a big deal, but we had a cheap one once that was so loud the dog would run upstairs every time we used it. The SS sink didn't help things either. The only saving grace was that because it was cheap, it didn't last very long. ;)View Image