How long should a food waste disposer last??

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

turquoisedude

turquoisedude

Well-known member
Platinum Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
10,564
Location
.
The apartment we keep in Montreal has an 11 year old BOL 'builders special' Sinkmaster (Anaheim Mfg) disposer that is still working but seems not be working as well as it once did. It's getting fussy about grapefruit rinds and broccoli stalks in particular. It doesn't care for most citrus peels and rinds, come to think of it.
Should we be shopping for a replacement??
The Kenmore that was in the family home where I grew up was installed in the mid-70s and it lasted until 2002! To be fair, though, my father probably never used it for much other than coffee grinds and apple cores after I moved out in 1985!
 
i've only used in sinkerator

all my life, put in my first one in 1971 for my aunt. it was still running great in 1993 when the house was sold! i've never had one go out actually, or leak around a motor seal. i agree it could get dull but like said there are ways to sharpen them.
 
The ISE in our house growing up had to have been going more than 20 years, it was still going 5 years after I moved out when the folks moved.
This house doesn't have one and I'm composting now so I'm not gonna get one.
 
You can pick a replacement for less than $100, probably with more power.

I had an old Waste King that came with this house. It was probably 30 years old. It would jam on the slightest load - it particularly didn't like gristle or rubber bands. Sending buckets of ice cubes through it didn't help. I replaced it with a an Anaheim 3/4 HP Titan for $80 from Costco a couple years ago and it's not let me down yet. My only complaint is that the metal ring that fits into the hole in the sink is thin and easily dented. So I saved the one from the Waste King and bought a kit to use it on the Titan. I just haven't gotten around to it yet... ;-)
 
If the machine is a BOL builders model-afraid its time to look for a new disposer.Yes you can try shredding chicken bone and ice cubes as a first measure-but bet the shread ring is worn and corroded away-if thats the case-DON'T use the machine any more may cause large unshredded peices to clog your plumbing.See if you can replace the machine with all SS shredder parts-these will last mauch longer and perform better than standard builders model machine(unfortunately) what most apt owners use.BOL disposers usually have standard steel shredder parts-these can corrode quickly from food residue and hard water.
 
Juan, used to say, never drain a dishwasher into the disposer, the harsh detergent causes corrosion. alr2903
 
You should be able to drain your dishwasher into a disposer that has the SS shredder parts and hopper parts.Dishwasher detergents won't hurt these.Regular steel-do not drain the dishwasher into it.It wouldn't hurt to run the disposer breifly after your dishwasher has finished all of the cycles where it drains into the disposer-this will get rid of any food rersidue discharged from the washer.The residue can corrode even SS parts if allowed to sit in the disposer.
 
Canadian disposer prices are ridiculous

I was figuring it was time for a replacement and I agree that a stainless-steel component model would be the way to go but GEEEZ the lowest of low-end disposers here in Canada are crazy. An ISE BadgerV (read BOL) starts at $155 (Candadian)... I may just have to plan a trip into Vermont to find a Lowe's or somewhere like that...
'Course if I happen to be driving down to the Cape anyway...
 
Kenmore

For my new kitchen I'm getting the Kenmore 60581, a 3/4hp with SS works. It's made by ISE, and usually sells for about $160, which is around $20 less than the comparable Insinkerator model. It is well rated on Sears website, with 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Our first disposer was a Waste King, that my mom got for Christmas 1957. It lasted until the mid 70's, replaced by an ISE 77. We had it until about '92 or so. When it broke, the plumber put in an ISE BadgerV, which quit sometime around 2002. It was a piece of junk; very noisy. Did without one for several years, knowing I was going to tear out the kitchen.
 
GE 3/4 HP

I had to call Roto-Rooter and when they snaked the drain out came whole potato peelings, just as they went in. I had no idea the In-sink-erator was so worn. I found a NIB 3/4 horse power GE at Habitat Restore for $49.00. It has been a joy and no more stuffed drains.
 
As some of you may recall, I've had to supplement my garbage disposer with an industrial quality 50 ft powered drain auger.

LOL.

It's the funky way they built the drain line from the kitchen to the laundry closet to the shower stall to the bathtub. With a sag between the shower and the tub that likes to collect even the smallest chopped food bits. As a result of a minor flood (and some minor damage to my hand finished hardwood floors) in the shower stall, I use the disposer sparingly and have the drain on an annual reaming schedule whether it likes it or not ;-).
 
How long should a food waste disposer last??

1970 Hobart Kitchen-Aid......40 years and counting :D
 

Latest posts

Back
Top