Amazing AND true! Upgrade your kitchen’s convenience and efficiency with the confidence and unparalleled performance from a new top-of-the-line Waste King garbage disposer for only about $100. I did!
In these tough times when many of us are spending more “quality time” at home, here is an out-of-the-blue idea that provides surprising results you may not have known or thought about.
Have a look at the existing garbage disposer under your sink. What is that thing and how old is it? Do you have the confidence to be able to grind up and dispose of just about anything short of old car parts? Seriously, would you like to be able to safely, confidently be able to put just about any of your food waste down the sink with the knowledge that it will be ground up and sent on its way without stoppage or jamming each and every time you wish to do so? If you have ever thought twice about putting potato or onion parts and skin, cooked or raw chicken bones and all the other food scraps into your disposer, think again.
Our ¾ horsepower InSinkErator was just not doing the job any longer. We were reticent about putting even mundane, normal food scraps down the drain. There were several instances of having to dismantle the drain under the sink to retrieve what would not pass. I had even become adept at plunging the sink after sealing all the exits through which air could escape when plunging. That was not fun! Of course, it happened at the most inopportune and inconvenient times. We called for a plumber on a couple of occasions to fix the problem. After attending to the stoppage, he said to be careful with what we put down the garbage disposer!
Now, that’s just crazy. Isn’t one of these contraptions supposed to take care of all those food scraps, even the aforementioned bones? I learned from experience that InSinkErators have automatically reversible motors so that each time they are switched on, the motor rotates the opposite direction from its last use specifically as a device to assist in preventing jams. And I learned about the anti-jam wrench that comes with all InSinkErator units. That Jam-Buster Wrench fits a matching hole in the bottom and is used to provide the leverage needed to unjam the unit. But why does it jam? Do all garbage disposers jam?
I remembered my visit at last year’s Hardware Show in Las Vegas to the attending makers of these products. I remember being thoroughly impressed, in particular, when I stopped by the Waste King booth for a memorable demo. They had two disposers mounted side-by-side of identical horsepower. One was, of course, their brand and the other was the competitive and more expensive InSinkErator model. I was encouraged to take the challenge. Placing a broom handle firmly seated in the InSinkErator, I was told to try and stop the motor when it was switched on. Indeed, this was easily accomplished in the InSinkErator. Next, I was challenged to do the same thing in the Waste King model. Mustering all my might I was unable to slow down, much less stop the Waste King disposer. That was impressive! But as a practical matter, who cares?
It was explained that the competitor’s motor technology is one that does not immediately spin up and deliver its full power. The InSinkErator motor is capable of being jammed because of the inductive motor type that is used. That is just the way it is. That is why those and all similar brands need to have reversibility and the tool to unjam the units. Waste King disposers use permanent magnet motors that deliver full power instantly with maximum torque (that is, twisting motion). On Waste King motors, the more their performance is challenged, that is, as if they are straining through the muck and mire, the more the torque is amped up to overcome the strain. That is the nature of this motor technology. It is possible to jam one of these, but it is unlikely. I also remembered while at the booth that I was sure that growing up in our Los Angeles home there was a Waste King disposer under our sink those many, many decades ago. I remember the red reset button on the bottom that was there if the unit was not able to overcome whatever strain was present. That was a circuit breaker reset button. The same button exists today!
Fast forward to recent months and my realization that our old InSinkErator was on its last legs after more than 10 years in service. Granted, the warranty was just seven years. This decrease in performance creeps up on the user so that we forget that once upon a time we were able to throw just about anything down the chute for grinding and disposal.
After that last time I needed to unclog the drain line at the kitchen sink, I decided to investigate a replacement. Remembering fondly the Waste King demo, I looked them up online through their parent company, Anaheim Manufacturing Company in Anaheim, CA – http://www.anaheimmfg.com/.
I went right to the top of their line. There is no point in buying a lesser unit, as you will learn. They make models that replace existing products as well as models that are designed for installation where no disposer exists. My search was for a replacement. If your needs are different, please give the company a call and they will efficiently and courteously offer a recommendation.
For my kitchen, I looked at the Waste King Legend 8000 EZ Mount 1.0 horsepower unit and watched the demo so I could do it myself. It was a surprisingly easy project. Watch the online demo, step by step. You will learn that the company is there to help should you have any questions before or during installation. View the comparison sheet. One horsepower disposers are the most powerful available from any manufacturer, but not all 1.0 HP motors are the same. For those who prefer not to tackle such a project, perhaps you know someone handier than you who could lend a hand. Even if you had to pay a professional, the job will take less than an hour and you’ll never have to pay for service or replacement again. Keep reading. As you will learn from your investigation, the kit is complete with everything from the hole in the sink down. That is, you get the bright metal collar you see from the top of the sink, all the fittings needed to connect the unit below, the power cord that will plug into where your old product now gets power (the plug may be cut off in order to hard-wire it to the switch if that is how yours is now connected). The only extra was some plumber’s putty I purchased to form the seal from that collar on the top to the sink hole upon which it rests. Then, it all cinched up nice and tight.
Comparing the InSinkErator Evolution Excel 1.0 HP unit with the full horsepower Waste King, I learned that Waste King’s demonstrated powerful motor almost instantly achieves its speedy 2800 RPM operating speed, while the InSinkErator model turns at only 1725 RPM. Both are surprisingly quiet with InSinkErator taking the edge here, but the Waste King has the edge in performance and longevity.
I saw that The Home Depot stores carry InSinkErator and GE disposers. Note the prices, showing InSinkErator Evolution Excel selling for $319! The GE models this retailer carries are less expensive, still about $200 for the 1.0 HP model that looks suspiciously like the Waste King units and is probably made and GE-labeled by the same manufacturer of Waste King disposers, but without the Waste King warranty. InSinkErator models carry a 7-year in-home warranty. Lowes home improvement stores carry InSinkErator and another unfamiliar brand. InSinkErator model prices are the same there as at The Home Depot. Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) stores carry the Waste King Legend 8000 series for only $120! Costco carries the Legend 9980 for only $100 INCLUDING SHIPPING! This is the same model as the 8000 but with a professional 3-bolt mounting system, still an easy do-it-yourself project. Now you can see clearly why I went for the best there is, a 1.0 HP Waste King model instead of one with less power. The price is so reasonable and the life of the product is so long with the Waste King brand.
Shopping online with a Google search for the Legend 8000 series yielded a price on eBay for a NEW-in-box unit for $120 including shipping. eBay sellers have the 9980 for about $139 including shipping.
Now, it’s decision time. Get the Waste King Legend 8000 for about $100 to $120 or get the InSinkErator for about three times as much. Sure, InSinkErator has a prettier Website, more flashy and professional, and their products look more elegant, less utilitarian. What I want is performance. I don’t care about the appearance of an appliance hidden under the kitchen sink that will rarely be seen. I also want a bulletproof warranty.
There’s another new model in the Waste King line which was introduced at the National Hardware show in Las Vegas at the beginning of May. The new Eco-Green 1000 has all the performance of their other 1.0 horsepower models AND it’s “green.” Using no foam packaging and less plastics in its production, the Eco-Green 1000 is slimmer (and green colored) and uses less electricity.
I never thought of my garbage disposer as being an energy hog. Still, Waste King has engineered this new model to use less energy than a 60-Watt light bulb. Even though my newly installed Waste King operates perfectly well, I wanted to try the new model. They were kind enough to send one for my evaluation and for my report to you. It seems every bit as quiet and as powerful as the other model and it is smaller and lighter weight. It carries the same lifetime in-home warranty. It looks downright slim under the sink so now it does not appear as cluttered under there. At present, Costco is selling this new Eco-Green Waste King for a delivered price of only $130, still a bargain and close to the “about $100” tag line for this article. Costco is likely to keep this product and other Waste King models in rotation, in and out of their online inventory, a few times during the year. At least, I hope so! I say, go green with Waste King. You can’t lose! Read more about the Eco-Green in this brochure PDF.
Here is where Waste King shines. The warranty on Waste King 1.0 HP models recommended here is LIFETIME, IN HOME! I called the company to inquire. If there is a failure other than due to improper use (which I will discuss later), the company will send a local authorized repair person to you, if there is one reasonably close by. If none is near, then the company will ship a new unit to you along with a call tag for the carrier to pick up the old one for return, all at no charge, for life. If needed, they will pay a professional for the installation. Beat that! Performance AND the warranty to back up the performance claims.
When I bought my Legend 8000, I found it on sale from Costco online for a delivered price of about $88. The sale on that one is gone and Costco no longer shows that model at all online, but the one linked above for Costco, assuming the link is still good, is the best price you’re likely to find for that model. Though new, please also search for the Eco-Green model 8001 and see what you find. Both are great performers with the same warranty.
Here are a few more tidbits of info about garbage disposers, in general. It is more environmentally friendly to dispose of food waste in a disposer and on into the sewer than in the garbage where it all eventually becomes part of landfill. Your garbage won’t stink as much nor attract bugs and animals if most food waste is not part of the mix. Disposers that connect to septic tanks do a fine job, as well. What can and cannot go into a garbage disposer? According to Waste King in their FAQ page: “All food waste can be put down our food waste disposal. Vegetable peels, Fibrous materials (celery, small cornhusks, artichokes, etc. Make sure when you do grind these kinds of materials you run lots of water after the grinding process has been completed.), hard material (bones, fruit pits, etc.). You cannot put the following items down the disposal: clam or oyster shells, caustic drain cleaner, glass, china or plastic, large whole bones; metal, such as bottle caps, tin caps, aluminum foil or utensils, hot grease or other hot liquids, whole corn husks.” My practice is to always run plenty of COLD water before starting the disposer and continue to run cold water through the grinding cycle and for at least 15 seconds after completion of grinding and after the disposer has been turned off. With this simple care, your Waste King disposer (and mine) should last many, many years and with this care, it will be the last disposer you or I will have to buy for the home in which it is installed so long as we live in that home.
I have a sense of relief now that we have our new Waste King disposer. I know I will not need to dismantle the drain or plunge the sink again. Now, we can prepare food and dispose of food waste without worry. Had I known it would be so inexpensive and so easy, I would have done this years ago and been money ahead with far less stress. Think about it. This could be YOU. Now is a good time to upgrade to a worry-free and inexpensive Waste King 1.0 HP disposer. And now that you know my own story, I hope my experience can inspire you to act before you incur added cost by foolishly waiting as I did.
Really, what more could anyone want of such an appliance? Why choose any other brand or a model that performs at a lower level than these 1.0 Waste King products? It makes no sense to me! Waste King’s the name. Garbage disposal’s the game.
As if superb garbage disposers were not enough, the same company also manufacturers excellent, energy-saving hot water dispensers called Quick & Hot, that are installed under the kitchen sink, with a topside spout. We also have one of these excellent products. Choose your faucet, search online for the best price and go for it. Many sinks are already equipped with the necessary hole for the special faucet. The system delivers both hot and cold water (that is plain, cold water from the same line as the sink without additional cooling), ideally first run the water through a filtration system before it gets to the Quick & Hot tank. This is what we have and have had for many years. You, too, could have instant 190º hot water any time and in quantities up to 60 cups per hour. Check it out. The housing is plastic but the business end, the tank inside is stainless steel. Costco currently has a kit for $160 and I see others through Google searching on “quick & hot” for near that price, up to about $200 for the complete kit. Whenever we want a cup or more of hot water for any purpose, we get it instantly from our Quick & Hot and so can you.
Waste King introduced an Elite Series of this product at this month’s Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Besides its stainless steel exterior, the tank holds a generous 5/8 gallon/2.3L, which equates to as much as 100 cups per hour of hot water up to 190º. Other improvements include an expansion chamber to reduce drips and to prevent leaks, a design unique to the manufacturer. It just sits there beneath the sink, ready and waiting to deliver hot water for coffee, tea, soups, hot chocolate and more. We also have their Monterrey Series dual temperature faucet on the sink to deliver the filtered water from the Quick & Hot. Dual temp means one handle delivers the hot water and the other handle delivers filtered water that bypasses the Quick & Hot. The Elite uses less energy than a 40W bulb, about $2 of electricity per month, according to the manufacturer.
Read more about the Elite Series Quick & Hot in this brochure PDF.
More information on both product lines is at www.wasteking.com or call 1-800-854-3229.
