WASTE DISPOSER MODELS

Some of these pages make it sound like I'm a spokesman for In-Sink-Erator.  I assure you, I am not associated with the company.  But, here in the US, In-Sink-Erator is the company to beat.  Lots of companies offer disposers, but In-Sink-Erator makes the vast majority of disposers sold in this country.  Grainger sells In-Sink-Erator.  Lowe's offers GE and In-Sink-Erator.  Home Depot offers In-Sink-Erator.  Sears, of course, sells its own brand, Kenmore -- which is actually In-Sink-Erator with a bit of badge engineering.

Badge engineering is really easy here, because disposers have a plastic shroud around the grind chamber to help muffle the noise.  Kenmore models have their own plastic shroud, not only a different color than In-Sink-Erator models, but a different shape as well.  Standing on the shelf, they look totally different -- until you start comparing the parts other than the plastic shroud, which are identical.  The sink flange says "Kenmore" instead of "In-Sink-Erator".

There are some benefits to this near-monopoly situation.  In-Sink-Erator offers several accessories, and when you decide you need one they are really easy to find.  The rubber flap doohickey that you jamb scraps through may eventually wear out, and you can get a new one at any place that sells In-Sink-Erator models.

Finally, note that the sink flange attachments that In-Sink-Erator disposers use are the same, regardless of which model you get.  And they've been the same for years.  If you ever have to replace a unit, you may learn to appreciate that standardization.  Y'see, installing the flange into the sink is the hardest part of installing a disposer.  Once in, sealed, and tightened down, you just hold the disposer up to it and turn a lock ring.  It's in, you just need to connect the outlet pipe.  So, if the old disposer is an In-Sink-Erator, you don't even have to fool with the flange; just drop the old unit, slap in the new, and save the new flange parts as spares.  And you can upgrade from a cheapie to a better unit just as easily.