InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal

When dinner’s over and it’s time to clean up, what do you do with all the table scraps? Even if you scrape them into the wastebasket, there will still be some food that makes its way down the drain. A garbage disposal can make life easier, crushing up all that food so that it easily makes its way through your home’s pipes.

If your home came with a garbage disposal installed, you may not think much about how it works until it’s eventually time to replace it. You’ll likely find after a decade or so, your disposal reduces its efficiency or begins jamming excessively, at which point you’ll need to get a new one. As you start shopping, you may be amazed at all the choices.

Efficiency is the most important factor in a garbage disposal. One with a strong motor will be able to crush even the toughest food fragments. Others will struggle, forcing you to carefully monitor what you put down the drain. You’ll also find that some garbage disposals have built-in technology to prevent jams — a feature that will be very welcome if your current unit tends to clog easily.

If you’re replacing an existing garbage disposal, you should be able to make the switch easily, as long as you shut off power to the unit before you start working. However, if you’re installing from scratch, you probably will need a nearby outlet and switch installed. You’ll need to contact a professional electrician to take care of that.

Once your disposal is installed, it’s important to realize that it’s not a trash can. You’ll still need to scrape the majority of your food into the garbage, using the disposal only for food scraps. You should also avoid pouring grease or coffee grounds down the drain since that can cause issues. With a combination of the right disposal and good upkeep, you can keep your household plumbing healthy for many years.

• If you’re looking for a garbage disposal, the higher the horsepower, the more crushing power you’ll get. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal is by far the most powerful, with 1.0 horsepower and three stages of food grinding. This means you can put almost any type of food waste into it, and it will crush it into tiny pieces.
• The Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal also holds its own, thanks to a 0.5-horsepower motor. With the InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal, you get only a 1/3-horsepower motor, which means you may find they have a tougher time grinding up hard waste.
• One feature that sets some garbage disposals apart from others is continuous feed. With this feature, you’ll be able to continue to add food to the disposal while it’s running. Most of the disposals you’ll buy today have this feature, including the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal, InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal, Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal.
• Garbage disposals are known for emitting a disruptive motor-driven sound while they’re running. But there are varying degrees of noisiness. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal builds in SoundSeal technology, which combines advanced insulation with an antivibration mount and tailpipe for extremely quiet operation. The General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal also features advanced insulation to keep noise at a minimum. You will find a bit of noise when you insert larger food items, but after that initial burst of grinding, it calms down quickly.
• The combination of water and food particles can easily wear down even the best garbage disposal over time. The Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal has stainless steel impellers that will resist rusting and keep your system healthy for many years. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal uses fully galvanized parts, which are known to be extremely durable. However, it can be prone to rusting over time.
• Having to waste valuable time troubleshooting jammed garbage disposals is no fun. Today’s garbage disposals work to prevent jams using the latest technology. The InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal has a sensor circuit to detect jams. Once one is found, it automatically increases the motor to power through them. The Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal uses stainless steel swivel impellers to battle clogs.
• Although it does pack a powerful motor, the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal is by far more expensive than other garbage disposals, retailing for more than $350. Compare this to the InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal, Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal, all of which retail for less than $100.
• If you’re limited in cabinet space under your sink, the bulkiness of the disposal will come into play. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal is only 7 x 7 x 12 inches and 12.8 pounds, compared to the InSinkErator Evolution Garbage Disposal, which is 13 x 12 x 12 inches and 25.5 pounds.
• As long as you have a nearby outlet and switch already installed, you should be able to install your new garbage disposal without professional assistance. It’s important to shut off power to that area of the kitchen at the circuit breaker before you start the installation. The InSinkErator Badger Garbage Disposal and the General Electric Continuous Feed Waste Disposal both boast easy-to-install mounting systems.
• Before you purchase a garbage disposal, make sure it’s compatible with the sink you already have. The Waste King Legend Series Garbage Disposal, for instance, doesn’t fit some types of cast iron sinks.