InSinkErator Support

They are small electrical appliances fitted under kitchen sinks, connected to household plumbing.  Food waste is fed into the garbage disposal with cold water and the waste is ground down into small particles, which flush easily through plumbing and sewers to the wastewater treatment plant, where biogas and nutrients can be recovered. 

In the U.S. approximately half of all wastewater is treated at plants using anaerobic digestion and this is expected to increase as trends of resource recovery continue. Food waste is rich in carbon and nutrients, which can be recovered for energy and fertilizer.

InSinkErator® Sound Limiter insulation and Anti-vibration mount® technology mean Evolution® disposer models can operate with very little noise versus a standard disposer. We also recommend installing a good quality sink with your garbage disposal, which can eliminate vibration and noise.

No, it is as simple as that!

InSinkErator garbage disposals are perfectly safe and don't have blades or knives. Instead, lugs are used to throw food waste against a stationary grind ring. The grind ring breaks food waste down into very fine particles, almost liquefying them, so they can flush down your plumbing.

If you don't believe, us watch the video below that demonstrates how the lugs and grind ring work together inside our garbage disposals to grind up food waste into tiny particles.

Watch Video

No, you do not need a special sink to install an InSinkErator garbage disposal. As standard, most sinks come with a 90mm sink hole and our disposals are designed to fit these, you just need to check that you have enough space under your sink to fit the unit.

If you have a ceramic sink, we recommend that you choose one of our Evolution models. Evolution disposals are fitted with anti-vibration technology, so this will ensure there are no strong vibrations that could damage a delicate material like ceramic sinks.

No. A garbage disposal can be installed with both a single bowl sink or a double bowl sink, this is a personal preference. Check sink and garbage disposal dimensions for details.

Garbage disposals are very low maintenance appliances.  Simply making sure you frequently use your disposal can help to remove any excess food scraps that accumulate in the chamber. However, if you smell any odors coming from your disposal, it's usually the sign of food build up.

Over time, food waste can also accumulate under the sink baffle.

To clean your disposal, follow these simple steps:

1. Turn off your disposal
2. Remove the sink baffle and clean the underside of the baffle with a scouring pad
3. Place the baffle back in the sinkhole
4. Turn on your disposer and run a medium stream of cold water
5. Place ice cubes mixed with lemon/lime wedges down your disposal to freshen it up

Installing an InSinkErator garbage disposal is a straightforward process for any handy person or plumber. The video on our installation videos page explains exactly what you need to do from start to finish and there are also some comprehensive instructions that come in the box.

You'll need these tools:

• A phillips screwdriver
• A pipe wrench
• Pliers
• Safety goggles

Domestic composting works well in homes where people know how to do it and have outside space. However, in urban homes with limited space, storing food in caddies for collection is problematic and not always popular.

There are also several foods that should not be composted but can be put in a garbage disposal. These include meat, bones and dairy products.

Municipal composting does not recover any energy from food waste and since approximately half of all wastewater treated in the U.S. includes anaerobic digestion, disposers can help recover both nutrients for fertilizer as well as carbon for energy.

Potentially biogas, or renewable energy and fertilizers.

Our garbage disposals can dispose of most food waste in a matter of seconds. However, certain food types are only recommended for our Quiet Series models.

Our Quiet Series can grind most food waste, and Standard Series models can grind any food apart from stringy and fibrous materials such as banana peel, celery and rhubarb.

An InSinkErator garbage disposal effortlessly grinds food waste into tiny particles that are flushed down the drain and to the local wastewater treatment plant - where they can be used to create biogas.

What NOT to put down your garbage disposal.

There are certain things you should never put down your drain, whether you have a disposal or not.

Please avoid putting fats, oils, harsh cleaning products and other non-food products down your disposal.

A common misconception is that a garbage disposal works similar to a standard bin or composting unit. However, the reality is far different.

An InSinkErator garbage disposal breaks food waste down into very fine particles, almost liquifying them so that they can be flushed through your plumbing.

Once food waste is flushed through your plumbing, it goes to wastewater treatment where it can yield valuable biogas and fertilizer for agriculture.

Finely ground food waste from a disposal will not block a well-maintained sewer. It is 70% water and has a very similar composition to the human waste that all sewers are designed to handle. An extensive study at the University of Sheffield recently confirmed that these concerns are unfounded.