It's not peeling and preparing vegetables I hate-it's the cleanup that follows. Or at least that's how I felt before making a salad at a friend's home a few years ago. They had a waste disposer, making the task much simpler. Carrot peels, lettuce trimmings, cucumber skins-all simply pushed into the drain, ground up and washed away.
Disposers range in power from 1/3 to 1 hp; tanks are usually made of galvanized or stainless steel. The higher horsepower models can handle more volume and stainless steel tanks last longer than galvanized models. For this project we chose a 1 hp Insinkerator model with a stainless steel tank. It cost about $350; other less powerful models are available for about $250.
Can You Handle It?
If your house uses a septic system instead of municipal sanitary sewers, and the system is operating near capacity, be aware that adding a disposer will likely mean you'll need to pump out the tank more often. There's no absolute answer as to whether a septic system can safely handle a disposer or not. Some claim that disposers overload septic systems; others claim it makes no difference. It's safe to say that if your system is already operating near capacity a disposer isn't a good idea because you'll be adding more solids to the system. If your current system can handle more capacity, adding a disposer shouldn't cause any problems and your septic system will continue to gurgle along.
Extra Convenience
We installed an optional remote air-actuated switch mounted on the sink lip. The deck-mounted switch also simplifies first-time disposer installations by eliminating most of the wiring that's normally required. It's also ideal for island sink installations where there's no wall to mount a conventional electric switch.
If you're not using the air-actuated switch, the disposer is turned on and off with a conventional wall-mounted switch. Some disposers have power switches mounted in the drain basket.
How Long?
This disposer installation was done by Steve Wemyss, who is a service technician with City Wide Appliance Service in Weston, Ont. in about two hours. Any homeowner with basic plumbing skills who is installing a disposer for the first time should be able to complete the entire installation in about three hours.
What you'll need:
A hacksaw, slip-joint pliers, wire strippers, assorted screwdrivers, wrench, drill, bits and a knock-out punch. (Knock-out punches can be rented at most tool rental centres)
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