Thread Number: 85520  /  Tag: Small Appliances
Do Any garbage Disposals Have "Sharp blades"?
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Post# 1100670   12/15/2020 at 01:46 (1,199 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

i am aware that more than 90% Mainbrand (ge/hotpoint, waste king, ise,hobart etc) are Blunt and have any combination of fixed or swivel impellers/lugs (depending on who sells them they call them different things) However my research has lead me to believe that some did at one point....(Along with Practically Everyone and their dog, goldfish etc believing they're sharp to some extent) does anyone have any disposers with weird/unusual/non standardized shredder designs Maybe even Blades of some form? there seems to be a fair bit of reinventing the wheel going on. however there's next to no documentation of it anywhere.
Auna





Post# 1100671 , Reply# 1   12/15/2020 at 02:35 (1,199 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

I never knew of ANY disposers that had "blades"Just impellors and a shred ring.The edges didn't need to be sharp.

Post# 1100682 , Reply# 2   12/15/2020 at 07:19 (1,199 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Disposer Blade Designs

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Sharp blades would work better and faster but would not stay sharp for long, disposers are designed to accept foreign objects without being destroyed.

 

And actually given the speed of a disposer the blades do break up and grind very well, I ground up a 16 pound turkey carcass in about 90 seconds in my old National-Kitchenaid disposer.

 

John 


Post# 1100723 , Reply# 3   12/15/2020 at 13:26 (1,199 days old) by marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)        

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I have only ever seen one disposer that appeared to have a blade.  It was at a friend's house in England.  I don't remember the brand -- it could have been a model from one of the several manufacturers of disposals made in the UK.  What looked to me like a blade seemed to be "raised" up somewhat from the bottom of the turntable on a spindle.  I remember thinking it was strange to have a blade in a disposer.  

 

After this Thanksgiving, we put a 16-lb turkey caucus down the Insinkerator disposal no problem.


Post# 1100726 , Reply# 4   12/15/2020 at 13:32 (1,199 days old) by kd12 (Arkansas)        
"Blade" Sharpeners

I remember the AMWAY guy in the 1970s coming by the house and selling us some items that were supposed to both sharpen the "blades" and clean the disposer. They were little round bricks of something hard (no idea what now). Drop one in and turn on the disposer. Made the loudest and most horrible grinding sound you could imagine. Not sure how they actually worked or if they even did.

Post# 1100733 , Reply# 5   12/15/2020 at 14:06 (1,199 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        

My decades old Maytag has/had a very sharp shredder ring, but no blades. This disposal has been in use for 30+ years, I'm replacing my sink soon and did manage to pick up a NOD shredder ring, should be good for another 30 years.

Post# 1100748 , Reply# 6   12/15/2020 at 15:59 (1,199 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

DECADES AGO

I mean, a long, long, long time ago...

Before the understanding we have nowadays about plumbing and environment preservation...

My mom used to "sharpen" and "clean" our ISE disposer by throwing a long neck bottle in it.

Sometimes if we broke a glass or something, my mom would keep the broken pieces in a box to use it for the same purpose.

Most shocking is: we NEVER had a clog or disposer bad breath.


Of course, nowadays that's beyond unthinkable.

The same way a cheaper disposer (like the POS BOL ISE I have here) that never clogged is unthinkable.


Post# 1100760 , Reply# 7   12/15/2020 at 18:05 (1,199 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Reply # 6

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Hi Thomas, I don't think that grinding some glass in a disposer will hurt the environment much, tons of sand are washed down drains every year.

 

Grinding glass does dull the blades more quickly however and is not necessary to keep things clean.

 

To clean a disposer that is not usually used to grind large loads of heavy food waste, just turn it on [ Do Not Run Water ] grind a tray or even two of ice cubes and after they are ground turn on the cold water.

 

The drain will act clogged for a bit and you will see swirling soil and ice and water in the unit, then in about a minute it will rush down the drain.

 

John L.


Post# 1100801 , Reply# 8   12/16/2020 at 01:59 (1,198 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

The disposer cleaning methods simply flushes the slime from the shred ring grind edges so they can grind better.For me shredding glass in the disposer is out of the question-the glass WON'T decompose in my septic tank.And since the glass doesn't float it CAN cause plumbing clogs.The glass will wear out the disposer shred ring more quickly than food.Another way to clean the cutters-just grind some chicken bones.They are hard enough to clean the shredders and don't clog plumbing.Safer for septic tanks,too.A disposer is simply a form of hammermill shredder and those don't use sharp edges-just by impact of the swivel hammers banging into the items shredded against a shred plate or ring.These things are tought enough grind whole or crush auto bodies-even WHOLE bus bodies!!!!And motors up to 8000 Hp and hammers weighing 900lbs each!The shred rotor may have a dozen or more of those hammers.And those work on old unwanted scrap appliances,too!On YouTube they show videos of these starting up.

Post# 1100802 , Reply# 9   12/16/2020 at 02:02 (1,198 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

i remember an older forum post mentioning the old GE ad telling you to do exactly that "run a glass bottle down it to clean it" and another thing: Does your friend still have that disposer Mark? About that "Sharpening Puck" sounds like some kind of Sand/Pummus Disk to me. so when Broken up and thrown it scours everything in it in most cases giving the illusion of "sharpening" because as i, and most of you have said MOST just... Shred Not Cut/slice and don't have blades and YES Ahaha They would dull SO Fast if some forgin object fell into the "Blade" god if it had a relatively thin/sharp "blade" ..... "DING!" annndd.....Dent! :P


Post# 1100806 , Reply# 10   12/16/2020 at 03:27 (1,198 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

Pumis* i mean. Another Fact is a lot of British made disposals are Wastematic/Maxmatic or Tweeny (weather it be the Westminster type.. or another off-brand called tweeny) tweeny is common for whatever reason idk

Post# 1100886 , Reply# 11   12/16/2020 at 22:02 (1,197 days old) by lotsosudz (Sacramento, CA)        
best sharpner ever

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Run the disposer with egg shells, chicken bones, ice cubes, and follow it up with a wedge of lemon, or orange. This all works like a charm. Last house we lived at had a very old Kenmore unit, that was dull as Hell! Consistently ran the above through it, and used for 16 years with no issues. We moved last August, and it was quick to chomp through anything you threw at it.
Hugs
David


























w


Post# 1100892 , Reply# 12   12/16/2020 at 23:20 (1,197 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Egg shells in the disposer?!?!?!?!

Perfect recipe for clogged pipes.


Post# 1100902 , Reply# 13   12/17/2020 at 01:49 (1,197 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

only if you have a weak disposer. what is it with this egg controversy?

Post# 1100906 , Reply# 14   12/17/2020 at 03:20 (1,197 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Not the disposer itself, but the pipes after the disposer. Egg shells, even if pulverized, are a very famous cause of clogs.

Of course, one or other egg shell once in a while won't do anything, but avid egg consumers may experience frequent clogs.


Post# 1100955 , Reply# 15   12/17/2020 at 14:21 (1,197 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

yeah it's a pipe issue. you also can't have any point of failure (Backup, etc) so disposal +Large amounts of waste + a sump pump or the like... eh probably not the absolute hottest idea even though it technically can work depending on where/why

Post# 1100970 , Reply# 16   12/17/2020 at 16:46 (1,197 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        
Good Plumbing

Been putting egg shells and everything else down the disposer for 5 decades, never an issue.

Post# 1101035 , Reply# 17   12/18/2020 at 08:55 (1,196 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

right on!

Post# 1101124 , Reply# 18   12/19/2020 at 00:34 (1,195 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

I have been shredding eggshells,too-no problems-even with a septic tank.

Post# 1101144 , Reply# 19   12/19/2020 at 08:49 (1,195 days old) by imperial70 (MA USA)        

Disposal is forbidden in the condo unit I'm in with septic. At my other house I hardly used the disposal.  In fact I wanted to remove it all together when remodeling but the plumber advised against it because some people consider it a selling feature.   I think of them as a nuisance.  Especially when someone else offers to help with cleanup and drops things down the disposer without telling you. :-) 


Post# 1101224 , Reply# 20   12/19/2020 at 20:51 (1,194 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        

I've heard that no disposal with a septic yarn for years, not true. In fact I've seen reports indicating that the shredded material from the disposal actually helps the biome in the tank work more efficiently.

Post# 1101349 , Reply# 21   12/20/2020 at 14:10 (1,194 days old) by jakeseacrest (Massachusetts)        

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My parents have had a septic and a disposal since 1991. They only use it after washing dishes to clear out whatever was left on the plates or pans or soup bowls. They've never had a problem.

Post# 1101361 , Reply# 22   12/20/2020 at 14:21 (1,194 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
I Can't Imagine A Modern Kitchen Without A Disposer

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It is one of the most useful environmentally ways to clean up a kitchen and keep your home odor and mice and bug free.

 

If I lived in a place that banned disposers I would keep and old blender in the kitchen [ or get a portable disposer ] and just poor the ground stuff down the drain, Or do like we did as kids and just flush food waste down a toilet.

 

I simply don't know how you can dispose of semi liquid food wastes like a canning jar of tomatoes that has spoiled or the fiber pads they put in meat and fish packages to absorb liquids to prevent leakage it would stink to high heaven to put such stuff in the trash.

 

John L.


Post# 1101467 , Reply# 23   12/21/2020 at 00:51 (1,193 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

I still have an old VitaMix SS "monolith" 3500 I bought at a yard sale that I used as a disposer in a home that didn't have one.The house was on a septic tank.The old VM could grind stuff finer than most disposers anyway-only cost like 25 bucks at the garage sale.Still have the machine cleaned up the jar and sometimes use it for smoothies.It has that famous VM "forward-Reverse" action that is FUN to do!!!The septic tank did just fine with the VM "disposer"I had another VM machine as well.Bought it new-4000.DON'T flush waste down a potty-in a radio station studio lounge with kitchen-DJ's liked to flush stuff down the potty-the kitchen had a disposer-The potty got clogged-use the toilet auger in the pot-up came the remains of a Ceaser salad-Firmly told the jocks to put the slads down the disposall instead.-Sine there was one there to use.Yes,as a station engineer you become plumber,cobbler,radio-TV repairman,and electrician!The manager would say----"You are the engineer--FIX IT"!

Post# 1101474 , Reply# 24   12/21/2020 at 05:52 (1,193 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
I have an Insinkerator basic model, It needs replacing

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Its now 3 years old and I have had more clogs from this model than ever had with a more expensive one.

I am going to buy a new one but am wondering which would be the best to get? I have read about the self reversing ones are they worth the extra £ ?

Anyone recommend a good one for the UK please.

Thank you Austin


Post# 1101480 , Reply# 25   12/21/2020 at 07:41 (1,193 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Better ISE Disposers

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Hi Austin, Always get a disposer with all SS grind components, the cheaper models corrode quickly and start passing much larger stuff down the drain.

 

In general with disposers [ and range hoods ] the more you pay the better the machine is, currently ISE makes by far the best disposers worldwide if you buy their better models, no other maker currently comes close.

 

There is a place in Baltimore that sells used building materials etc called Second Chance, they do home deconstruction and sell all the kitchen cabinets appliances. I love going there and picking up TOL ISE disposers $300-400 models for $25, it is a great way to get high quality models at bargain prices.

 

Last time I was there I picked up a 1994 real MT disposer for $15 that I parted out to get a spare water seal for my MT 1994 FB-5 which has leaked on and off over its life because I always used to grind tea bags in it.

 

John L.


Post# 1101523 , Reply# 26   12/21/2020 at 15:45 (1,193 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        

Hi Austin,

Go for the Evolution 200.

We had a Builder Grade badger originally, which we replaced with a remanufactured Model 65, we used that till it failed. It was good, but loud. We then bought a Grey market import Evo 200 from the UK. The thing is almost silent and destroys almost anything you can put in it. Over here, its a lot of $$ at $1500 but we lucked out on this grey import one for $700. It was definitely a good decision.

Regards

Nathan


Post# 1101542 , Reply# 27   12/21/2020 at 19:01 (1,193 days old) by Marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)        

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My friend in England installed the ISE Evolution 200 and she is very happy with it. Like Nathan said, its performance is excellent and it is very quiet.  They now come with removable splash guards that also block noise.  Unfortunately these new “Quiet Collar” baffles also make the sink slower to drain and the food needs a little more pushing through with your hand.  But you can still install the traditional baffle with the wider opening (installed underneath, not the easily removable type) if you prefer.  That’s what I do — I don’t like the removable type. 


Post# 1101594 , Reply# 28   12/22/2020 at 02:25 (1,192 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        
"I can't imagine a modern kitchen without a disposer

Wait, what!?!?!?!

Does life without a disposer exist?

Lol


Post# 1101605 , Reply# 29   12/22/2020 at 06:14 (1,192 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Yes,I have had to do it.But didn't like it-glad I was finally able to use disposers.One house didn't have one,and one apartment.

Post# 1101638 , Reply# 30   12/22/2020 at 11:42 (1,192 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
Thank you

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For those superb suggestions I will look into getting a new one asap.

Austin


Post# 1101662 , Reply# 31   12/22/2020 at 16:00 (1,192 days old) by kd12 (Arkansas)        
Septic tanks

Lived in a house in Alabama for a while that was built in 1987 and had a septic tank. Whole development was outside city sewer service. Had a garbage disposal and never had any issues with it. I'm sure all the houses had them too. The house next door even had a swimming pool. Whatever tank design they used, it must have been really big and really dependable.

Post# 1102212 , Reply# 32   12/27/2020 at 15:26 (1,187 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        
Disposers for the UK Market

Like i said before. Anything by Max appliances is good. just get a maxmatic or a westminster if you're in the UK

Post# 1102252 , Reply# 33   12/27/2020 at 22:41 (1,186 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)        

A swimming pool wouldn't affect a septic tank unless it were installed in the leaching field. If it were, given sufficient rain to saturate the field and sufficient input from the house, it could back up. And that would be all kinds of wonderful!

Garbage disposals: I think I'm an outlier here. I've never lived in a house or apartment that had one. And none of my friends or relatives had one as far as I know.




Post# 1102276 , Reply# 34   12/28/2020 at 07:50 (1,186 days old) by beehiveboy (Northamptonshire, England )        

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Hi Austin, get the most powerful ISE you can. We’ve got the ISE 75, I think it’s replaced by the Evolution range now as it’s years old. Everything, and I do mean everything goes down it without missing a beat. Yesterday it ate the turkey carcass, as it has done every Christmas, and it routinely chomps through whole corn cobs, broccoli stalks, just about all bones I’ve tried, eggshells, you name it. The only thing I tend to be wary of is rice, as I don’t see how it would be grounds any finer and I imagine it could clump up in the pipes. However I’m happy to include rice in a mixed grind of bigger waste. It’s a big beast, takes up about double the space of a bol ISE but well worth it. The air switch is massively worth having too!

Post# 1102280 , Reply# 35   12/28/2020 at 09:04 (1,186 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
I have taken the advice of those in the know :)

ozzie908's profile picture
And just bought an Insinkerator Evolution 200 its due to arrive in the new year. The Model 46 installed with the kitchen 3 years ago is not far short of useless.!! Blocked up again today with cauliflower leaves it is hardly worth the bother of using.

Chose not to have the air switch as I have Quartz worktops and the thought of trying to drill a hole to fit the switch leaves me cold in case it cracks or something horrid. Also we are used to putting a hand in the cupboard below and flicking the switch on and off so its not a bother, I installed an air switch at mums house in a hole in the sink itself and it was as if that was what it was made for but it was so the sink could go either way round with a mono bloc tap.

I will keep the removed insinkerator 46 as if we move will take the new one with us :)

Thank you everyone who advised me to get a decent one it may be the most expensive but I am hoping it won't block up every time its used.... !

Austin


Post# 1102281 , Reply# 36   12/28/2020 at 09:11 (1,186 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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Overhere in the NL disposers are not forbidden, but using one is in contrary with the rules of waste. Disposing of solid waste through the sewage lines is not allowed. Using a disposer means more pulp in the sewage system and that means more stress on the sewage treatments plants. Costs of the sewage treatment would go up while we have a good system for recycling green waste.

Lately some experiments are being done in some apartment building where recycling is more difficult. So there is an opening, but I don't think we will see a change towards disposers soon.


Post# 1102282 , Reply# 37   12/28/2020 at 09:17 (1,186 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
@Louis

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I can see the reasoning behind the rules against as you say it costs more to treat the waste. Sadly where we are at present there is no recycling of food waste available so it all goes to landfill and am sure there is enough already so waste disposers are encouraged or at least not discouraged :)

Austin


Post# 1102306 , Reply# 38   12/28/2020 at 13:49 (1,186 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Air switch

You can use either the sink itself (if it's a separate unit with a rim, like stainless steel) or even the cabinet.

By the way, I'm installing the air switch in my kitchen today, as soon as my husband arrives, because I need a second person to hold it in the exact place while I'm inside the cabinet tightening the nut.


Post# 1102411 , Reply# 39   12/29/2020 at 14:34 (1,185 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
Old Wives' Tales

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It is difficult to believe, in the 21st centaury they "old wives' tales that still exist in the use of a residential garbage disposer (disposal.)

Egg shells are composed of calcium carbonate and so are bones. Both grind up to fine particles that easily flow through your plumbing system. Egg shells are NOT "famous" for creating clogs, neither are potato peels, fruit pits, celery, ad infinitum.......

You ask ten people on the street what you can't put in a garbage disposal, you will get ten different answers--each person with their favorite forbidden food wastes that you "absolutely positively, cannot" put in your disposal. I will guarantee that virtually none are correct.

The biggest problem I see with disposals clogging is improper installation. The trend for the last few decades is to install a disposal the easiest and quickest and cheapest way possible. That is by using a disposal tailpipe installation kit that you see at Lowe's and Home Depot.

The tell tell sign is the disposal has been installed by turning it to its side (so the front manufacture's label does not show) and discharging it directly into the adjacent sinks drain pipe. This saves the plumber a few cents worth of PVC by not having to use a separate trap, and the uneducated (in plumbing at least) homeowner the two or three minutes worth of mental task of how to install a separate trap and line for the disposer.

People and lazy plumbers use a "disposal installation tailpipe" to do this. The pipe has a baffle in it that forces the disposal's waste downward into the drain pipe and also allows the sink above it to drain through.

So a disposal's waste output is being forced to make an instant 90 degree turn in only half the diameter of the pipe. If you are going to get a clog, this is where it's going to be.

A disposal should be mounted the way its designed by the manufacturer. The front of the machine is facing out so you see it read the Brand Name label you open the cabinet. The discharge goes directly out the rear, into its own trap and line, and into the main drain line. No constrictions, no sharp 90 degree angles and free water flow.

As a credit to the good grinding ability of today's disposers. often they will function with this poor-excuse-for-a-plumbing job. However, stringy wastes or bulky waste will one day create a clog at this vulnerable junction, especially after the disposal gets older and the grinding ring gets dull.

So, of course, the disposal gets the blame for human stupidity.

Not running enough water, is probably the second most common cause of drain clogging. Full flow while grinding with the water left running for about ten seconds after the disposal is the best defense against clogs.

If the water is turned off prematurely when the water velocity slows, it drops its food load and leaves it at the bottom of the pipe or junction. It's important to allow the water to run long enough to allow the food waste laden water to reach the septic tank or street line before water flow is stopped.

Sadly, most homeowners do not maintain their plumbing and allow pipe buildup. When a clog occurs never would they be willing to accept the responsibility as theirs. Instead the disposal, of course, gets the blame. And whatever they were grinding at the time of clogging, of course, now becomes the culprit.

If Aunt Edna was grinding turnip peelings when her sink stops up, then she tells sister Sue that you can "never, ever put turnip peels down a disposal" as it clogged up her sink tight. Sister Sue tells neighbor Agnes, then that you absolutely cannot put turnips down a disposal. Neighbor Agnes tell Mrs. Goodly at the PTA meeting, that turnips can never, ever be put into a disposal. Neighbor Agnes tells husband John that turnips put down a disposal will cause you to have to install a new plumbing system. John tells Mr. Vickers at the water cooler the next day at work, Mr. Vickers goes home and tells his wife, who tells her hairdresser...and so on and so on ...Ad Infinium.

So is the birth of a new Wives Tale.

Substitute egg shells for turnips, or potato peels, or plum peelings or virtually any food wastes. They have all had a turn at being THE verboten food waste item that you can "absolutely positively can never ever" put into your machine.

The only food wastes that I have seen consistently appear in manufacturer's literature are artichoke leaves. Some manufacture's warn about too LARGE of a quantity of a given waste at a time (such as corn husks) but other than that there are few forbidden items.

The residential food waste disposer is one of the most near perfect of home appliances. It can handle virtually any food wastes and helps to keeps our solid waste stream free of organic materials. Materials that can produce methane in land fills and provide breeding grounds for the growth of vermin such as rodents, flies and maggots which in turn lead to the spreading of communicable diseases.

Sadly, old wives tales and human ignorance prevent the disposal from truly doing its job and being the ecologically responsible tool that it was designed to be.


Post# 1102415 , Reply# 40   12/29/2020 at 15:18 (1,185 days old) by jakeseacrest (Massachusetts)        

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In my apartment building everyone has a single sink with a Badger 5. The first 2 months I was here I had to plunge the sink from a clog with potato peels. I asked my maintenance guy if I could buy my own disposal and he said yes. I got an Evolution Compact that I put everything down. No clogs or backups since February 2017. The maintenance guy frequently has coffee with us and commented that we're the only unit that never calls about their garbage disposal. I said we got a better unit than the Badger and we use common sense. Plus a few times a week we purge the kitchen sink with a sink of water that I've used to clean the kitchen with.

Post# 1102425 , Reply# 41   12/29/2020 at 16:44 (1,185 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        

When I was a kid we used to have trouble with the sink drain clogging. At the time we had a Waste King that was installed in 1958, and the plumbing dated to 1952, when the house was constructed. The usual culprits were coffee grounds and potato peelings. The problem wasn't the disposer, but rather the long (about 40') horizontal drain line that was galvanized steel pipe. Eventually my parents had the line rerouted, and clogs were much less frequent. Occasionally it would still clog in the short horizontal section inside the wall, but that line rusted away and leaked, so was bypassed a few years later.

Post# 1102429 , Reply# 42   12/29/2020 at 16:53 (1,185 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        

Given the option I will plumb in a disposer and sink with a 2" drainline. Failing that I use 1 1/2" PVC not the 1 1/2" thin wall crap in the plumbing isle. I like to "stack" the drain with the disposal going into a vertical T at the lowest point with the drain from the other sink, I always use a double bowl sink, feeding on top of the disposal output. Never had an issue with this setup.

Post# 1102515 , Reply# 43   12/30/2020 at 13:19 (1,184 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        
Drain pipes

no one does it like that. period. they always do either 90 tailpipe (that comes with the disposer) or straight out into a T than a P trap, the separated pipe thing is the only part that makes sense. not the whole "pointing the disposer sideways" thing that literally doesn't affect anything. they literally flipped the label and reet button to the side on British made "Tweeny" models it's not like they can't have it sideways AND also properly excite the drainline aside it

Post# 1102583 , Reply# 44   12/30/2020 at 20:21 (1,183 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
????

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Not quite sure what you are attempting to say, Auna. Especially, "nobody does it that way."

Yes, many many do turn the disposal sideways in order to direct the discharge into a disposal tailpipe. You must be misunderstanding something. See the attached picture.

You can't utilize a disposal tailpipe without turning the unit sideways. Not only are you forcing waste into an instant 90 degree in half the diameter of a pipe, but you are allowing noise from the unit to exit through the other sink drain, and sometimes suds and wastes as well....


  View Full Size
Post# 1102593 , Reply# 45   12/30/2020 at 21:21 (1,183 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
proper installation

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Here is a proper installation with the discharge to the rear, as manufacture has designed, with waste going into a separate trap for the disposal and a dedicated waste line for the disposal which enters the main line.

The only thing I do differently is to not have the two basins enter the main line directly across from each other. I use two wyes (Y's) with the disposal's wye entering the main line downstream of the other sink's wye. Then there is virtually never any interaction between the two.


  View Full Size
Post# 1102683 , Reply# 46   12/31/2020 at 17:37 (1,183 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        

That is a nice setup.

Post# 1102842 , Reply# 47   1/2/2021 at 00:31 (1,181 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)        

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I have a navel orange tree, and eat about one a day. Usually I send some of the peels down the disposer to help keep it minty fresh.

OTOH, I don't use the disposer a lot. Food waster either goes into the trash or the backyard compost pile. I don't quite see the point of sending turkey carcasses down the drain, unless the garbage service is very limited and there is no compost bin available. Usually I run the disposer if veggie peels and plate scrapings wind up in the sink rather than in the trash. I view a garbage disposer as a nice to have but not really essential for a well kept kitchen/yard.


Post# 1102860 , Reply# 48   1/2/2021 at 05:54 (1,181 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
The Ecological Advantage Of Grinding Food Waste

combo52's profile picture

Things like turkey and chicken bones if ground up are quickly converted to compost that is used in landscaping in this area, If it is thrown in the trash it is hauled many miles by diesel trucks and buried it will never be of any use for 100+ years and it makes for stinky, leaky trash trucks and a very unpleasant job for sanitation workers.

 

Things that can be backyard composted are great if you can or want to do it, When I have large amounts of organic waste I walk it out to the brush pile.

 

By using the disposer and a trash compactor I literally go around 1 year without taking trash out of my kitchen, and when I do empty the compactor bin I just dump it in the counties super can there are no plastic bags [ or paper ] used at all. Any old grease cooking oils are saved in old glass jars and taken to restaurants to recycle with their old grease.

 

John L.


Post# 1102861 , Reply# 49   1/2/2021 at 06:14 (1,181 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Unpleasant job for sanitation workers-trash truck drives--the most disgusting and dangerous job is shoveling out the trash debris that accumulates behind packer blades.For front loaders they have to climb into the body-with the engine OFF and keys in the pocket-lockout sign at the drivers station.Then you have to shovel the stuff out from a port-small door at the front of the body.Usually done at the "dump".

Post# 1102960 , Reply# 50   1/2/2021 at 22:49 (1,180 days old) by Marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)        

marky_mark's profile picture

Insinkerator says you can grind pretty much all food waste.  Grinding hard things like bones is no problem and is actually good for the disposer.  As for things you shouldn’t grind, Insinkerator says:

  • Don’t pour fat or grease down the disposer or down any drain
  • Don’t grind clam or oyster shells
  • Don’t grind large amounts of egg shells or fibrous foods like corn husks or artichokes

Other than that, you have a green light for grinding. I have found that the better ISE models can take any food waste with no problem and have never clogged or given me any trouble. But the BOL models seem now to have restricted drain ports that can sometimes clog when I have ground large amounts of onion skins. I have always been able to clear a clog with hot water and detergent. This is why I wouldn’t buy a BOL Insinkerator.  The MOL and TOL models are fantastic. 

In the UK some local councils used to give you a rebate for installing a disposal.  They have also apparently been encouraged in Sweden.  The food waste can be used and the biogas captured and used.  They are a convenient way of recycling your food waste. 80% of food waste is actually water anyway. Even if you compost, you can’t do that with everything. I like to cook and I do all my prep next to the sink so that I can put all the waste into the sink. I wouldn’t be without one. 


Post# 1102964 , Reply# 51   1/3/2021 at 00:41 (1,180 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

I can say I HAAAAAAATE my BOL ISE "Clogger"
That POS clogs even with ONE onion peel


Coincidentally, yesterday I finally installed the air switch ($18 on Amazon, whatever Chinese brand and it works great), but right at this moment I feel like I was hit by a truck because of the several minutes I spent "under the sink" undoing the direct wiring and hooking it up accordingly, plus installing a power outlet and 50 of the air switch installation (the switch itself i installed one day before Christmas when it arrived, just to close the hole that was there after I installed "THE" holy grail of the faucets that the only thing it doesn't do is sing. (And I'm still loving the novelty so much that after a few decades I did dishes by hand and happy)

Anyway, as soon as I can afford, I'm going to buy the super TOL ISE model and give it as a gift to my landlord. It will stay here if I move out someday, just because I want to have the pleasure of breaking the POS badger in as many pieces as I can so much I hate it.


Post# 1103013 , Reply# 52   1/3/2021 at 14:54 (1,180 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Best Disposers

combo52's profile picture

The reason cheaper disposers clog drains is Non SS grind components that wear very quickly and allow larger things like onion skins and potato peels to past through virtually whole.

 

Better models also have better designs and more cutting teeth.

 

Avoid cheap Chinese models such as the Moen,  & Fiigidaire junk, There is simply no reason to buy a non US built disposer when we build the worlds best disposer at competitive prices.

 

Hi Thomas, Keep you eye on places like Habitat for Humanity stores our non profit stores always have lots of TOL ISE disposers etc for $25-35, just inspect blade condition and serial number for age.

 

John L.


Post# 1103021 , Reply# 53   1/3/2021 at 15:48 (1,180 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
Eagerly awaiting the post next week

ozzie908's profile picture
As my new Evolution 200 WD will be here on the 6th or there abouts...

Can't wait as we have actually stopped using this crappy Bol offering as it clogged up 2 days on the trot as a result we have to remove everything from under the sink and unblock it. I am going to alter the configuration when I plumb it in and do away with the sharp 90 degree pipework currently in use I will show pics when its done.

Austin


Post# 1103084 , Reply# 54   1/3/2021 at 23:52 (1,179 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)        

sudsmaster's profile picture
Yes, of course ecologically it's better to compost food waste rather than dump it in the trash. But sending it down the drain isn't much better than putting in the trash, IMHO. That's because it has to be dealt with at the sewage treatment plant.

I'd say I bring about 1/2 or more of my food waste to one of the four square yard compost bins I have set up in my back yard. Into one to three go shredded yard trimmings and/or chipped. Into one or two go a layer of shredded yard trimmings, then food waste, then more shredded yard trimmings, etc. The bones can be an issue. I save them in the freezer and when I get enough I'll make bone broth, which softens them considerably. Then the bones go into to the compost pile.

When the compost it ready, I'll send it back through the shredder to chop up any remaining solids like bones. Then it all gets spread on the veggie patch and elsewhere, and if needed, rototilled in.

OK?


Post# 1103090 , Reply# 55   1/4/2021 at 01:51 (1,179 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Talking about shitty disposers...

Tonight I just managed to clog the sink AGAIN.

To make my nightmare even worse, I could feel the clog isn't that serious, a plunger should work.... but it was the first clog since in had the air gap installed hot can it be ever possible to unclog a sink using a plunger with an air gap?

Well, I managed to somewhat seal the air gap using a plastic bag and Darryl holding it and the stopper in the disposer... only to hear the dishwasher gurgling while I worked with the plunger...

Calling the plumber AGAIN tomorrow to u clog that POS sink.


Post# 1103098 , Reply# 56   1/4/2021 at 06:15 (1,179 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Disposers and Recycling and Composting Kitchen Waste

combo52's profile picture

Hi Rich, It sounds like you have a great system for dealing with excess kitchen waste, Home composting or municipal collection are great systems where space and facilities are available.

 

Do consider that all waste water systems the world over  have to deal  with large amounts of human waste, toilet tissue etc, So it is really easier since all this infrastructure is already in place to size it properly and get the job done.

 

A well planned community would never have all these white buckets of  [ stinky ] waste sitting outside homes waiting for collection, The food waste could have been on its way to recycling days earlier, not sitting on countertops, under sinks, in cans outside, wasting plastic bags that are not recyclable Etc Etc.

 

John L.


Post# 1103101 , Reply# 57   1/4/2021 at 06:23 (1,179 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Vita Mix sells a countertop or undersink device that is an alternative to a disposer.It dries the waste-shreds it to a dry powder like material.Then you can sprinkle it on the yard or your garden,plant beds.The machine is slower than a disposer takes several hours per waste process cycle.Doesn't use water at all.It can't be used with bones or fats.

Post# 1103108 , Reply# 58   1/4/2021 at 09:57 (1,179 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
City Utilities and Disposals

reactor's profile picture
John L.'s comments about disposals and municipal sewage systems are in full agreement with our City Utilities Director, in Oak Ridge, TN.

I attend evening adult classes at the local college and we had our Utilities Director as a guest speaker one evening. One of the questions directed to her was the impact of the loads imparted to our municipal waste treatment plant by residential disposers.

Her answer was "minimal" in comparison to the other wastes. She went on to indicate the type of material introduced by home disposers actually supported the growth of the bacteria they attempt to multiply at the plant to digest the sludge.

So she ended that the overall net impact of the residential disposal, although small, was a positive impact.


Post# 1105236 , Reply# 59   1/20/2021 at 11:25 (1,163 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
Evolution 200 waste disposer

ozzie908's profile picture
Is now residing under my sink and can I say what a wonderfully quiet well engineered piece of equipment it is?

I had a Turkey carcass in the freezer and its bones are now history and so quickly and quietly its amazing I will never again have a cheap model installed its worth paying the extra.....

Austin


Post# 1105346 , Reply# 60   1/21/2021 at 04:12 (1,162 days old) by beehiveboy (Northamptonshire, England )        

beehiveboy's profile picture
Hi Austin, I was hoping you’d give some feedback on your new disposal. The difference between a budget disposal and the TOL is night and day isn’t it! And as a disposal only does one job it pays to have one that does that job superbly!

Post# 1106228 , Reply# 61   1/30/2021 at 01:31 (1,153 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

that makes it sound like you'd rather have a rotted turkey in your backyard. one the point is to not have that and two you kinda made it look like you compost turkey..... which we all know is forbidden in compost. (this was a reply to a comment further up the thread.) then plumbing thing's about how few places do it. now knowing the difference it makes i'd do it.

Post# 1109095 , Reply# 62   2/22/2021 at 05:56 (1,130 days old) by retro-man (- boston,ma)        

I had been noticing my disposer was leaving a small ring of waste at the bottom on a regular basis. Ran for longer periods of time with water and sometimes dish detergent to get it all out. It was bugging me why this started recently. Was thinking about what the problem was and if it was time for a new disposal. Then I thought this is not a batch feed disposal this is a continuous feed. I was loading it all in and then turning it on. WRONG. Started turning it on then feeding it. Results are no more waste ring around the bottom and clean every time. Sometimes we are the creators of our own problems. lol.

Jon


Post# 1109256 , Reply# 63   2/22/2021 at 21:45 (1,129 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama)        
Disposers...again

sarahperdue's profile picture
My current home is the first one that's had a disposer, and we don't use it because our line is cracked under the slab and using the disposer seems to clog it up more often. So, I basically don't use it.

I hadn't planned one for the country house because I thought it would be bad for the septic system.

So, disposers and septic systems. What's the verdict?

Thanks,
Sarah


Post# 1109258 , Reply# 64   2/22/2021 at 22:00 (1,129 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Disposers On Septic Systems

combo52's profile picture

Yes


Post# 1109260 , Reply# 65   2/22/2021 at 22:09 (1,129 days old) by MattL (Flushing, MI)        

Some of the current and not so current thinking is the shredded food waste actually helps the septic system function better. It feeds the biomass and helps with the "digestion" of the waste. The house my folks had built in '65 had a septic and a disposal no issues.

Post# 1109767 , Reply# 66   2/28/2021 at 00:12 (1,124 days old) by SudsMaster (SF Bay Area, California)        

sudsmaster's profile picture
This is the first place I've lived that had a garbage disposer.

It's also the first place where I've encountered clogged kitchen drain pipes.

The clogs seem to happen at a hinky spot where the kitchen drain line intersects with a laundry closet drain, a shower drain, and a bathtub drain line before it reaches the main line. Usually the water backs up into the shower stall.

I had been running lots of orange peels through the disposer, until the last clog event flooded the bath and the wood hallway just outside it. I have since sharply curtailed disposer usage, and run only a few sections of orange peels through the disposer. Also got a flood alarm that sits in the shower stall (it is rarely used) to alert of the next clog/flood.

I recognize the problem is with the drain line connection between the old 1941 shower stall and tub, which takes a weird sort of turn. But until I can get that addressed the disposer will see much less food waste.

And yes, grease is very bad for drains. I try to drain that into the trash before washing a fry pan, etc.


Post# 1109781 , Reply# 67   2/28/2021 at 06:17 (1,124 days old) by retro-man (- boston,ma)        

I had a problem yesterday with my disposal. It was vibrating like crazy when running. Looked in and the moveable "blades" were locked in position inwards and sideways throwing it off balance. Had to take penetrating oil and drip onto the slots then 3-1 oil to loosen them up so that they would turn and swivel. It looked like rust underneath them. This is a n-sink-erater all stainless steel. Got one of them free completely and the other won't move completely in its track. It is a lot more balanced and doesn't vibrate as much. Never had this with all the disposers in different houses I have lived. This is probably why I had an issue last week with it not grinding all that well and leaving waste at the bottom. Question is where did the rust come from?

Jon


Post# 1109782 , Reply# 68   2/28/2021 at 06:38 (1,124 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Stuck Blades In A Disposer

combo52's profile picture

Hi Jon, This usually results from not using the disposer regularly to grind heavy loads of waste that contains things like fruit rinds, bones, peach and cherry pits etc to keep things free.

 

Grease should not go down any drain of course, I recycle grease by saving it in old quart jars and then take it to restaurants where they will let you poor it into their grease collection system. 

 

Used household grease is a valuable resource that should not be discarded, small quantities can also be burned in places like outdoor fire pits.

 

John L.


Post# 1109878 , Reply# 69   3/1/2021 at 06:43 (1,123 days old) by retro-man (- boston,ma)        

Thanks John I will start putting more solid waste down. Will start with chicken bones to start the process. Have been putting potato peelings and orange skins down but I guess that has not been enough.

Jon


Post# 1110155 , Reply# 70   3/3/2021 at 23:09 (1,120 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama)        
#51 Thomas

sarahperdue's profile picture
Tell me about the holy grail of faucets...I haven't decided what to get yet

Sarah


Post# 1110219 , Reply# 71   3/4/2021 at 18:26 (1,120 days old) by volsboy1 (East Tenn Smoky mountains )        

volsboy1's profile picture
I have seen a few with Sharp blades from the 50s and 60s models. They don't really help though. They normally use them as a center ripper blade. You know when you put in a orange and it rolls around forever.The ripper blades do speed up the process drastically.
Here are some of the best disposers.
Pic one is a G.E. disposal induction motor with the Carboloy cutter.
Pic two is a 1985 Waste King SS5000
Pic 3 is a 1969 ISE 77 disposer.
They all grind great but, the best one I think, would be the G.E. all food has to go through the small holes in the shredder ring and they don't wear. With that Carboloy cutter which is that small square spike down at the left of the pic that you can barley see.
Carboloy is a alloy of tungsten and cobalt.I had a 30 year old used G.E. disposer and that cutter still had a edge to it. I tested it against a unused G.E. disposer and they both ground the same. I guess that is why G.E. stopped making it.
They were expensive and worked to good.


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Post# 1110253 , Reply# 72   3/5/2021 at 01:54 (1,119 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Besides disposers-Carboloy cutters used in other things-large shrwedders-and Tree-brush mulcher shredders mounted on Skid Steers.Feel the Carboloy shrdders should COME BACK in disposers!!!Also some GE Hi speed disposers with the universal motors had the Carboloy shredder.VERY effective!!!Carboloy started out as a cutting edge for machine tools-lathe cutters and cutter element for large milling cutters.Now used today in large wood planers!Makes nice cuts-quiet-you could talk to someone nearby while planing a board.Not so with conventional planer blades.And on these as one edge dulls-just rotate the cutter 90 degrees for a fresh sharp edge-you can do this 4 times total before the blades have to be replaced.Same with the mill cutters.

Post# 1110270 , Reply# 73   3/5/2021 at 07:09 (1,119 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Great Pictures Wes

combo52's profile picture

These were all great disposers, I think from my experience the GE was one of the longest lived of the 3 you posted,

 

The ISE with the fixed impellers would be the fastest grinding, but more prone to jamming [ which is way it reverses every time it starts.

 

And these earlier WKs were great all around performers.

 

I think all commercial disposers still have fixed impellers for fast grinding and durability.

 

John L.


Post# 1110277 , Reply# 74   3/5/2021 at 09:44 (1,119 days old) by volsboy1 (East Tenn Smoky mountains )        

volsboy1's profile picture
That is one thing that really supersized me John.I have another 1976 ISE 77 thats at my Dads place. It has that fixed ISE grind system on it and its jammed maybe twice but that is it in 15 years. It was new when I put it in in 2007 or so.
I love the fixed hammers they will smash anything very fast. The old Kitchen-aids while better disposers because of under-cutters on it tend to want to bounce things around forever.The old ISE would be perfect if it had undercutting on it.

I have been using a Old 1976 Sink-Master disposer with a induction motor and it does really well for a cheap disposer.I guess it was kinda expensive in 1976 at 90 bucks.
Sinkmaster/Whirlaway has let themselves go really bad ever sense they changed there name to Waste-king.
I found a commercial Bus Boy disposer that I bought brand new I am going to install it here in a few weeks...
The 2 pic in the Busboy commercial I got.
The 3 is the 1976 SinkMaster ..
The 4th is a 2010 Whirlaway it is crap, look at the gap between the flywheel and the grind ring. They have to take huge chunks out of the flywheel to balance it.
That Busboy is smooth has silk and quite for such a large machine.


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Post# 1112921 , Reply# 75   3/27/2021 at 21:33 (1,096 days old) by sarahperdue (Alabama)        
Choices, choices

sarahperdue's profile picture
ISE Evolution XTR vs ISE Septic Assist

The septic assist has a solution called bio-charge that's supposed to break down fats, grease, protein and starches. I've always been taught that fats and grease just shouldn't go down the drain, so is this a valuable feature?

Also, with a septic tank and room to compost, does it make more sense to compost than use the disposer? It seems to make sense that using a disposer could promote the growth of the biologicals in the septic tank, but will it increase the frequency of needed cleanouts?

And wouldn't grinding a chicken or turkey carcass introduce too much fat into system?

John, you mentioned putting the absorbent mats that come with meat down the disposal. That seems like it would be a definite no in a septic system. Thoughts?

Many thanks,
Sarah


Post# 1112938 , Reply# 76   3/28/2021 at 00:10 (1,096 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

I put the meat mats in the trash-NOT the disposer or septic system.The mats would fill up your tank!More solids for the pump out guy to pump!

Post# 1112959 , Reply# 77   3/28/2021 at 05:16 (1,096 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

ah yes old 50s GEs
and my arch nemi- that word that doesn't exist in my vocabulary.
the old 70's/80's WK ss5000 The HUSH i would die to own a new one of.
what i thought would just be... flipper blades (like the waste king and the ge) but none of them stand up very far (the old insinkerator and that old whirlpool are examples of this and most)
do you have any idea where the whole "sharp blender" thing came from? were any of those 50's ones even remotely similar to that, or were they pretty tame like the waste king?


Post# 1112960 , Reply# 78   3/28/2021 at 05:46 (1,096 days old) by AunaBreslun20 (BOISE)        

blades
this is the inside of the Maxmatic/wastematic/tweeny whatever name
it's all cast. i know you've said that it's made better when cast that's why i said it over ise


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Post# 1112961 , Reply# 79   3/28/2021 at 06:24 (1,096 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Liked the CAST shredders over the stamped ones seen today.The cast flywheel had more momentum over the stamped ones.


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