Installing a garbage disposal.....DIYable?

[Deleted]

So we are FINALLY getting a garbage disposal this spring - just waiting on my bonus check to hit the bank!  I am entirely too excited over something that grinds garbage.      I found a disposal unit at Costco for $120 and I imagine we will go with something in that price range.  Now on to installation.  DH knows enough about commercial plumbing that he could probably handle installing it on the plumbing end, but he isn't sure about the electrical part of it.  He knows a little about wiring but not a lot.  Has anybody DIY'd installing one of these things?  Is it doable for the average homeowner (i.e., no master electrician or plumber in the family) or should we just bite the bullet and hire a pro?  Any idea how much that would cost? 

Oh, one more question.  Is your disposal switch under the sink or is it like a light switch on the wall/backsplash?

TIA!

[mrs.jacinthe]

Is there already a plug under your sink for your dishwasher? If so, no electrical necessary. If not, I'd probably hire an electrician to run wiring for a plug. That's not something you want to screw up, especially since it's a "wet" area, KWIM?

Our current disposal switch is under the sink and it's a PITA - every time we want to use it, we have to open the cabinet, reach in to where the switch is, flip it, run it, reach in, close the cabinet - very inconvenient. We'll be changing it over to an "air switch" shortly, the kind that mounts in the 4th hole of the sink.

[Deleted]

MrsJ, I am a total dunce about electrical so I honestly don't know if there's a plug under the sink and wouldn't know what to look for anyway. I'll ask DH to check.

I will have to remember the air switch as an option. We have an empty hole in our sink where a soap dispenser was - perhaps we could adapt it to that. I'd rather not have it under the sink and don't want to wreck the backsplash installing a switch there either.

[mrs.jacinthe]

The empty hole is exactly what an air switch was designed for. They cost about $40, though - so not a cheap option. Also, I don't know what you are looking for in a disposal, but my $0.02 - get the absolute best one you can afford. 1/2 horsepower is a bare minimum. Go with 3/4 or 1 hp if you can afford it. You will also want to look for an auto-reverse option - essentially, if something gets in there and wedges it up, it will reverse itself to clear the jam instead of clogging up. Also, quieter is better. Our new house disposal (which works, but is approximately 25 years old) sounds like a jet taking off. Seriously - it's SO loud. They make sink baffles that help, but the lower sound rating you buy, the happier you'll be.

This is the one we're going with in our kitchen when we're ready to replace: www.insinkerator.com/en-us/Household-Products/Garbage-Disposers/Evolution/Pages/Evolution-Excel.aspx

[Deleted]

Who knew there were so many considerations for something that eats your garbage!  I checked and the options we are looking at are both 1HP, so that's good. 

We are looking at these two models:
www.costco.com/Waste-King%c2%ae-1-HP-Universal-Mount-Garbage-Disposer.product.11630407.html
www.costco.com/KitchenEater-1-HP-Garbage-Disposer.product.11758846.html

[kitty]

We have this one and I love it:
www.insinkerator.com/en-us/Household-Products/Garbage-Disposers/Evolution/Pages/EvolutionCoverControl.aspx

It is super quiet which was important to me because our kitchen is pretty open to the family room. It is a batch feed disposal which means that you put all of the food in and then put the cover in place and the cover is what turns it on. This type of disposal is much less common but I think it is safer because there is really no way to accidentally turn it on with your hand in it or something. Technically it doesn't need any switch at all but DH put one in under the sink as a "just in case" thing.

[IIOY]

My H installed our disposal. He's an engineer and loves to tinker. I wouldn't say it was easy peasy but he got it done.

[pitterwoo]

I have an irrational fear of garbage disposals that it will eat my hand. I was probably warned to keep away as a child, but I'm not sure by whom because we didn't have one.

What are ya'll disposing? Everything off your plates or all kitchen food scraps? I still don't know what they're good for.

[Deleted]

Feb 26, 2013 22:12:38 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

I have an irrational fear of garbage disposals that it will eat my hand. I was probably warned to keep away as a child, but I'm not sure by whom because we didn't have one.

What are ya'll disposing? Everything off your plates or all kitchen food scraps? I still don't know what they're good for.

Just the little food scraps left from cooking and eating. I'm tired of scraping it out of the sink bottom with my bare hands. The bigger produce scraps we compost.

[pitterwoo]

Feb 26, 2013 22:19:14 GMT -5 downtonali said:

Feb 26, 2013 22:12:38 GMT -5 pitterwoo said:

I have an irrational fear of garbage disposals that it will eat my hand. I was probably warned to keep away as a child, but I'm not sure by whom because we didn't have one.

What are ya'll disposing? Everything off your plates or all kitchen food scraps? I still don't know what they're good for.

Just the little food scraps left from cooking and eating. I'm tired of scraping it out of the sink bottom with my bare hands. The bigger produce scraps we compost.

gotcha, my dog is the garbage disposal then.  he enjoys it.  I have the mesh strainer for the drain and try not to get too involved with what gets caught in there.