BTW
Hey Paul,
A caveat. The seller states: "We aren't sure if this unit has ever been installed." -- It has been.
First, the drain tailpipe is clogged tight with what looks like corn husks. (Enlarge the picture of the drain elbow.) Secondly, look at the end of the tailpipe and you can actually see how far it went down into the trap by the residue on it.
The seller, in the specs, has put down the specs, which he lifted from the internet, from the new GE "Green" disposal built in China by Anaheim Manufacturing. The dimensions are wrong and so are the rpm's.
This is one of General Electrics disposals with the series-wound motor. The rpms are actually 8000.
My scenario is that the homeowner crammed too many corn husks down at one time with too little water. The result is what you see packed into the tailpipe piece.
Corn husks are what Consumer Reports uses to test their disposers and its one of the things I use as well. The series wound GE can handle them, BUT only a few at a time, and with plenty of water. Otherwise you get what you see.
Corn husks are one of the few things I don't put down a dispose, unless testing it, as it just takes too long and too much effort. Put too many in and they ball up in the chamber and take a very long joyride on the turntable.
The owner probably had a stopped up sink, and the Piranha probably overheated and kicked out. My guess is they thought it had burned out and removed the disposal.
It is odd that the lower component of the unit body has been removed. That is not something you normally do when trying to sell an appliance. The homeowner probably took it off to see if there was anything they could do to fix it. They probably looked inside didn't have a clue what to do, and relegated the disposal to the barn.
On the bright side, the cutter is intact and the turntable and impellers look good. The discoloration of the turntable is only superficial and will disappear when it is used.
General Electric's series wound motors are exceptionally stout, and the thermal/overload cutout is set low so motor damage does not occur. Odds are if you take the tail pipe off, clean out the lower chamber of the disposal and pull the garbage out of the tailpipe it will work. (not forgetting to push in the "reset" button.)
But...there is no guarantee. I almost bought it myself. But, at that price I figured I would pass, since I already have a Piranha and also since it is used and stuffed with garbage.
If it were forty or fifty dollars I would say grab it. With shipping you are probably getting close to two hundred dollars. You might want to quiz the seller a little bit and see if he will come down on price, siting to him what I just did about it actually being used and stopped up.
At least ask him if he will hook it up to power and see if the motor turns (if you think he is competent enough to do so without getting electrocuted.)
I wish you well....
BTW, Ralph, my family had the Brushed Aluminum trimmed General Electric disposal which my dad purchased in 1971. I thought it was rather stately and rich looking, as opposed to the funky look of the newer Technicolor Piranha model.
It was the exact body of the Piranha, but instead of the psychedelic paint the top part was a satin brushed aluminum (it was actually metal) and the reset bottom was mounted onto the bottom on the unit instead of having the hole in outer body, which you put your finger into to reach the reset button, as you do in the Piranha pictured above.. I remember the words were written in script below the name General Electric, "Super Quiet Stainless Steel Disposall with Carbaloy Cutter." [this post was last edited: 3/15/2021-20:39]
