Maytag FB20 Disposer

[beekeyknee]

I found an FB20 Disposer at Habitat. I don't know anything about this thing. It has the sink flange that has "Maytag" written on it, a black circular snap ring type thing under the flange, a flat rubber washer that appears to go over the sink flange and up against the bottom of the sink, a flat disc with a notch cut out of one side, another plate with three set screws that go in it and a plug that goes in the flange to close the chamber and apparently turn it on. It said something about push down or pull up to start (can't remember). There's a black switch that goes in a slot next to the sink flange that's connected to conduit, but not mechanical. Does it work magnetically with the chamber plug? There is no plumbing fitting that goes on the side of it. Is that a specific piece to the unit or will a generic part fit? Are there any other parts missing? Sorry I didn't take any pictures of it. It's a big yellow/orange beast of a thing. The rotor turns freely. Of course I couldn't turn it on. It has to be hardwired in. The chamber isn't shiny but it's not badly rusted either. Can anyone tell me anything about this machine?

 

[mattl]

Great find!

 

I've got a couple of these, they are beasts.  Sounds like you have the batch feed unit.  You fill the chamber, turn the cold water on then place the stopper in to activate it.  Pretty much bullet proof.  Back in the 60's and 70's they used to demo these grinding up 16 penny 3" nails!

 

The tail piece is generic, there should be a metal flange with a screw in it at the exit port, and a thick rubber washer.  You just need a standard disposal tail piece either straight or 90 degrees to tie into your drains.  About the only thing that wears out on these is the shredder ring, may be NLA but last time I looked there were still out there.

 

[beekeyknee]

Maybe I should be looking for these parts? 10164 seems to be missing. Didn't see any ring with screw slots. The 10030 appears to be there. I saw a plate with three set screws in it. The screws didn't have heads on them like they do in this picture but they may have had hex holes in the opposite ends. 10012 was there and so was 10001 as well as the part that goes in the sink that has "Maytag" printed on it.

I guess part 10012 with the notch in it is for the conduit to pass by? Maybe I should print this out and take it with me to the store. The knock-out for the dishwasher is still in place.

I didn't see the metal flange with the screw in it or the thick rubber washer either. I wonder if there is a substitute?

So this is a batch feed, I take it? I've never used one of these. Do you pull up on the plug to start the motor and the water passes under the plug? I guess I should go back tomorrow and investigate further?

http://www.youserguide.com/wiki/Whirlpool_FB20_parts-016

 

[combo52]

Maytag FB-20 Disposer

This was the TOL MT built disposer, I have said many times that this was the best appliance MT built, and for the last 20+ years it has been the only MT appliance that I deemed good enough to have in my home.

 

I installed a [ custom made ] MTD model FB-5  in one of my kitchen sinks in 1994, that was the year that MT stopped building their own disposers and when I got wind of this information I quickly went out and bought mine.

 

MT only ever built 5  different disposer models, they were 

FC-10

FC-20

 

These were continuous feed models, the better 20 had a sound insulation jacket around it.

 

FB-10

FB-20

 

Same as the former but Batch-Feed with a magnet stopper-lid, you inserted it one way to seal the sink and the other way to start the unit.

 

Later they introduced a model FC-5 that was about 2" shorter for customers that had the drain line leaving the under sink area to high to allow proper drainage with one of the larger regular models.

 

Thats where my FB-5 comes in, my drain line was too high for most disposers and I had had a Whirlpool Disposer for about 15 years but it was on its last legs, so a bought a MT FB-10 and a FC-5 and installed the shorter top grind housing from the FB-10 on the FC-5 along with the other components to make the FC-5 a batch-feed disposer. The FB-5 has worked for over 20 years now without any repairs, witch is better than the WP did.

 

Overall the MT designed and built disposer was an excellent product and IMEO it was the only appliance category where they were truly the best, their disposer worked very well was easy to repair and was very durable.

 

Once you have had a BFB you will never want a CFD again, it is just so much more convenient and cleaner.

 

Brain I probably have any parts you need to install your MT disposer, if you have any questions call me.

 

John L.

 

 

 

 

[volsboy1]

Get it they are the best Maytag and Wasteking nothing can stop them and they never Jam..My Advice to you is to buy a shredder ring before they are gone forever...

There not cheap unless you get lucky because there so big and weigh about 8 pounds..

The impellers float above the flywheel so you don't hear that clacking noise all the time...

I have two of them myself,back when I was a little kid they would show you how tough they were by grinding nails in it..

 

[tolivac]

Grab that Maytag Disposer!!!!Best out there-esp over the disposer DRECK that is sold today.Probably someone replaced it-thinking a new one is better-They will learn the hard way!

 

[rp2813]

We had a no-newer-than-1990 FC-5 that we found in its opened box at an appliance dealer's clearance room for $29.  The instructions that came with it looked ancient.  It was the best bargain we found in items to outfit our kitchen remodel back in 1990.

 

Maytag did indeed claim that their disposers would grind nails and I believe it.  That disposal was relatively silent and still worked flawlessly 18 years later when we sold the house.

 

The house has just recently had a major makeover and facelift and the kitchen may have been relocated.  I wish I knew when that part of the project was happening because I would have salvaged that disposal from the debris bin.

 

I saw a complete used FC-5 at Urban Ore a few years ago and foolishly passed it up.  

 

I prefer the non-batch feed models, but I suppose it's just a matter of getting used to the batch feed system.  I'd sure (electrically) ground the hell out of a batch feeder.

 

[combo52]

Maytag Disposers

First mith, They will not grind nails, yes we used to put a few nails and pennies in the MT disposers  [ as MT recommended ] to demonstrate that they will not jam easily, but a MT disposer [ or any other for that matter  ] has ever ground up a nail of any size.

 

Batch feed Vs a continuous feed disposer.

 

At the Maytag Home Appliance Store where I worked in the 70s we had a demonstration kitchen in the showroom with a double bowl sink. The right bowl had a CF FC-20 disposer in it and the left bowl had a FB-20 in it, all I know is I never saw anyone use the CF disposer when they had some scraps of their lunch etc to get rid of etc. And having had two BF disposers in my kitchen for over 35 years I would never want a disposer with a messy wall switch if I had a choice. A BF disposer is just so easy to see what is in it and easier and safer to use [ when GE introduced their Disposalls they only made FB models ].

 

Grounding is no different on either type, Disposers are very well designed to be safe with water going through them, I would worry far more using a wall switch with wet hands that is not water sealed.

 

We see old disposers every week where the main water seal has failed and the electrical portion of the motor is soaked with water, yet I have never had a complaint that someone got even a little tingle of a shock when using the sink of the disposer itself.

 

John L.

 

[mattl]

Grinding nails

I recall the demo that one of the retailers had. It had a plastic chamber attached to the drain fitting. They would drop a few nails in and run the unit. It would spit out metal shavings, but I don't recall how long they ran it.

That was a great selling feature especially when our cheap Bol Insinkerator spit a peach pit out the side. True, the pit should not have been in there but accidents do happen.

 

[norgeway]

Jerry Gay..AKA Easyspindry

Has a Maytag in his kitchen that is about 40 years old and still will outperform anything on the market today!

 

[rp2813]

I'm still not grasping the advantage of a batch feed system.   Could it be that the left bowl side of the demo sink was better positioned adjacent to the counter work space?

 

I tend to think the batch feed activation system would be more funky to make contact with than a wall switch, which is a safe distance away from the bacterial breeding area in the sink bottom.

 

Am I missing something?

 

[beekeyknee]

Well, here it is. $10.00. All parts seem to be there. It runs. It's big. It's a series 1, for what that's worth. It matches the washer and dryer. That's really important. For comparison I wear a size 9 shoe. The shoe was the most convenient. Furniture polish cans vary in size. Add other trivia below.

 

[beekeyknee]

Ralph,

The stopper is like a hockey puck with a center piece that pulls up and locks in place to let the water through. You fill up the chamber, turn on the water, lock open the center piece so it can get water, drop the stopper in and it turns on. I haven't used one before but I can see the advantage. No splash back, simple, it won't run w/o the stopper in, so it's safer, quieter.

My only questions are, if you want to fill the sink up with water, how do you do it w/o the disposer running all the time and how would I change the shredder ring?
The whole inside body of the machine looks like case hardened steel down in there. Doesn't really look like anything I could change or work on.

I'm looking forward to trying this thing out.

B.[this post was last edited: 11/13/2015-19:53]

 

[jamiel]

My grandmother got one of these at the recommendation of her sister-in-law (who taught cooking out of her kitchen. Only downside was that the magnetic stopper would collect steel wool shards which would rust and be messy.

 

[mattl]

Changing the shredder ring...

If you take off the plastic housing by removing the screws at the bottom and releasing the spring on the metal band that has the Maytag logo on it the plastic housing will separate.  There is the bottom section and the top is in two pieces.  You will see a lot of foam insulation, it may come off with the plastic housing, it may not.  After you get to the metal housing if you flip it over you will see a number of bolts that hold the top bell section onto the base.  If you remove these and are careful in separating it from the bottom you will gain access to the shredder ring.  You may also need to replace the rubber gasket if it tears when you separate the two pieces.

 

I'm doing this from memory as it's been easily15 years since I replaced my shredder ring.  I might want to pick one up too.  looked, they are still available, $76 to $99 - not cheap.  You may not even need one, they are pretty durable,  I recall of reading someone had sharpened their old one.  Might have been someone here on the site, don't recall.  Anyway, try it out first and you may be happy with the performance as is.

 

[beekeyknee]

Thank you, Matt. Where did you find the part(s)?

 

[tolivac]

I don't beleive the Maytag disposer would actually shred nails-this has confirmed that it can't.They are tough but not that tough.Think if you have to shred nails you would have to go to SSI to help with that.Just use the one from Wes to shred food waste.-and selective what I put in it since I am on a septic tank.Other waste goes to Baker the large compactor at the dump.Maybe throw your nails in that!Shred rings and rotating shredder-if they are clean,non corroded-they should be fine.If the hammers on the rotating shredder swivel OK-again should be fine.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have had two batch feed disposers, a big ISE and then a Maytag. I could not use an ISE in this house because it was too tall for the plumbing connection so John said that I needed to get the Maytag. Both are wonderful disposers. The main thing I like about batch feed disposers is that you don't have that filthy black rubbery splash guard in the drain of the sink.

To hold water in the sink with the batch feed disposer drain plug, you turn the stopper over and the center portion seals to hold water.

 

[volsboy1]

I just put in a new shredder ring in my FB-20..It's difficult to say the least,but mine is a 1969/70 and somebody threw it away.

The only thing wrong with it was the start cap and the shredder was very dull to say the least..

 

When you separate the top housing from the bottom.The shredder ring did not come out at all,I tried to used a flat head to get in there but nothing worked

until I used a pipe wrench..

You have to losing a little bit at a time until the shredder will come out..

The grind chamber is stainless steel then there is a layer of rubber that coats the whole thing hidden behind the steel .Then there is another layer of steel on top of that.

That is one of many reason why I love these disposers because there so quite.T-bones,Rib bones don't sound like there tearing the house down..

 

  I took my old grind ring and sandblasted it and had it sharpened and modified it with carbide rippers..