Is it possible to wear through a garbage disposer housing?

Hi all:

I opened the cabinet under the kitchen sink to get out the dishwashing detergent and there was a puddle of water under there. After 15 minutes of poking around, I have come to the conclusion that the leak is coming from the side of the garbage disposer unit under the sink. Of course, the leak is on the back side, so I can't really get a good look at it. From what I can see, there are a number of chalky white spots (looking much like oxidized aluminum) in a ring around the periphery of the unit, and the water is coming from one of them. Do they make these out of aluminum? That might explain how it could wear through. I plan to pull it out and see for sure. For the sake of curiosity, I thought I'd ask if anyone has seen one wear through its housing. This unit is a 15 year old In-sink-erator Badger 5.

Reply to
the_tool_man
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It could have rusted through and the chalky white spots could be a mixture of mineral deposits from the water and gunk from the food waste.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Bingo. BTDT. Usually the joint right where the grind chamber meets the motor housing. Wet all the time on the inside, so any tiny defect in the seal lets water and food residue just sit and work away. Rust never sleeps, etc.

Disposals are in the Life Is Too Short category. Possibly repairable, but you would never trust it again. Better to bite the bullet and swap it out like a light bulb.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

It is common for a garbage dispose to fail due to the corrosion or erosion of the grinding chamber housing. Fifteen years is a good life span of a standard grade unit.

Reply to
Bob

On Tue 09 Sep 2008 06:31:56p, the_tool_man told us...

Most likely it corroded or rusted through. The Badger line of In-Sink- Erators are entry level. You were lucky to get 15 years out of it. There's no way I'd try to repair it. You deserve a new one. Buy a better grade this time if you can.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

I would believe so. I had one do exactly that. I removed it and discovered it had a small pebble that went round and round and got exactly between the end of the spinner and the housing, and poked out a pea sized hole. I would imagine that fifteen years of wear could wear a spot out, but one would have to examine it closely to see if the wear was all around, or just in one place. All of it in one place would be suspicious to me. Perhaps yours, like mine, ate something it couldn't digest.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Fifteen years is exceptional.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I had the same problem; a pinhole in the side of the unit at the bottom, leaking water. Hard to believe! I got about fifteen years out of mine too.

Time for a new one!

BC

Reply to
BCDrums

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