Garbage Disposer dilemma

[Sasha]

I am installing a garbage disposer in process of totally remodeling my kitchen. I never had garbage disposer before. The disposer I got is In-Sink-Erator 555sss. I always thought the garbage disposer works much like sewage ejector pump that I installed in my basement several years ago - float switch turns on where the disposer is full and turns off after grinding waste and flushing water. It turned out that my disposer and as far as I realize most of them are turned on manually and run until manually turned off. Do I understand this correct? I installed a GFCI receptacle on dedicated 20 A circuit but I assumed no switch. I find it very annoying to turn the switch on and off each time I need to use the disposer. Where do I put the switch for the disposer? Can it overheat and break if left running for prolonged time?

[SteveB]

You sound like my wife. She has a hell of a time understanding that the garbage disposal is not like a garbage can. You don't wait until it is full, then turn it on.

First off, the stuff smells rank quickly, and second, that is a lot of stuff to send through the line at once, and there is a chance of clogging.

Still, at any time, I can turn on the water and hit the switch and there will be garbage in there.

Either learn to use the damn thing, or get a pig to dispose of the slop.

Steve

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

very plausable. if it wasn't for Edwin, I would have bit...

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Good troll, bet you reel in a few. Next time get the model 17

[Sacramento Dave]

The switch is usually mounted in the backsplash by the sink.But I just stayed in a condo (new one ) the switch was in the cabinet under the sink.I have no idea why this was done, it took awhile to find and was just a bad idea.If you leave it on it will overheat and I guess that can cause an early death.The dedicated circuit is great. Usually the outlet is under the sink cabinet and one half of it is swathed . they other remains hot. My advice call an electrician,

[Sacramento Dave]

Did I miss something ?, Do I have a Hook Mark?

[Christian]

return it and get a batch version... it has a built in swich that come on whe you put on the plug... much safer.

This is what I hd at the old house we just sold....

Christian

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The part about the float switch operating the disposal.

[Sacramento Dave]

[Joe]

I did have a problem with a dishwasher that had to do with the disposer. I hooked up the dishwasher drain to drain into the disposer. Every now and then when you opened the dishwasher after it did a load of dishes, there would be some dirty water that stayed in the DW. You would then have to re-wash everything. The problem was........my wife wasn't always running the disposer when she put stuff in it. The disposer would partially plug up and when the DW pumped the dirty water out, some of it would sit in the disposer and when the pump stopped, the water would run back into the DW. I changed the discharge to below the disposer and haven't had a problem since.

[Ranieri]

I'm not so sure shes trolling - this question comes 3 days after her question about locating an undermount sink, just about the right time frame to be messing with the disposal.

Woe unto him who reaches into the disposer to retrieve a dropped spoon, only to set off the float switch. Ouch.

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

Same. My wife does not rinse the dishes properly before she puts them in the washer. AND she does nto run the disposal before and after each wash... Gotta do one or the other at least.

[DJ]

Wouldn't looping the drain line, with the high point above the disposal outlet, preclude this from happening?

DJ

[trader4]

There are 3 solutions to the problem. One is put a switch on the wall near the sink, which is the most common. Another is buy one of the batch type disposers that run when you put the lid on it. They are usually used for homes where small kids are a concern, And the last solution, I'm pretty sure I've seen a relay type gizmo that will turn the disposal on. The settup has a push button that goes in a spare hole in the sink, like where a soap dispenser would go. From the button to the relay I think they use air to activate it, so for saety, there is no electric going to the actual sink button.

[Jennifer]

She should definitely run the disposal first, but depending on the model of your dishwasher, she may not need to rinse the dishes at all.

Consumer Reports tests dishwashers regularly, using a mess of oatmeal and spinach that's been allowed to harden on dishes overnight. They reported last year that most current-model dishwashers had no problem cleaning those dishes completely, with no soaking or rinsing.

As I recall, the biggest difference they found in the cleanliness of dishes had nothing to do with rinsing; instead it was related to the kind of cleaner used. The best dishwasher powders, liquids, and tabs were the ones that contained enzymes. Cascade Complete and Electrasol tabs are two of the products I remember performing well.

This was all a big revelation to me, since I'd been raised to believe that you had to wash the dishes before washing the dishes, but I tried it, and lo-and-behold, my dishes came out clean without rinsing. Loading dishes without rinsing completely freaks my mother-in-law out when she visits. Bonus! ;)

-- Jennifer

[Jennifer]

I'd think that broken glass would come from glasses broken in the dishwasher, not from anything on your plate? And bones get scraped into the trash, of course... Sorry if I implied that you could put anything into the dishwasher; only food that can be ground by the dishwasher is safe, but that includes almost everything. No corncobs, no bones, no peach pits.

-- Jennifer

[Jennifer]

So... an independent consumer advocacy organization tests dishwashers, and determines that dishes come out equally clean whether you pre-rinse or not, and you would rather continue to waste the water (and your own time) by pre-rinsing? You sound like my mother-in-law, heheh :)

-- Jennifer

[Bob Morrison]

The problem with not rinsing is not the stuff that gets stuck on, but the fish bones or broken glass that make it past the screen and grinder. These get stuck in the discharge pump and will trap anything else headed for the disposal.

I have a fairly new Frigidaire that I have had to take apart more than once because fish bones or a piece of broken glass got past the screen.

[Bob Morrison]

Jennifer:

You are correct on the source of the broken glass. My point about fish bones is that they seem so small (not like a bone from a steak) and the temptation is to not rinse them off. Big mistake! I think it prudent to give the dishes a light rinse or a quick scrape before they go in the dishwasher.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

In spite of what the manufacturer says, excessive gravy, tomato sauce, or beet juice swirling around in the machine cant be as good as getting rid of it before hand. A quick "pssst" under the faucet gets rid of the bulk. Ed