On 8/15/2013 9:50 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 8/14/2013 6:44 PM, NMHQ in LA wrote:
Heard that stainless steel sinks cannot sustain heavy garbage disposals
and may make the disposal more noisy. I am considering either a
InSinkErator Evolution Compact which is listed at 20 pounds or a
WasteKing L3300 that is spec at 12.4 pounds. Both are 3/4 HP which is
fine for our needs. I'm wondering if the sink can withstand the 20
pound
InSinkErator weight. Sink is 16 gauge thick. Any experiences on mounting
and noise considerations?


I have a big Kitchen Aid in my SS sink. No problem with weight or
noise. ISE is made by the same parent company and is a good brand also.
No experience with Waste King. Most disposals have easy mount systems
too so installation is not a big deal



yeah the only real concern with a SS sink, unless it's really flimsy (16
gauge should be OK, I'd think) is noise, as the SS will tend to amplify
any noise from the disposer. If you've got a good sink with a resonance
damping coating this will help. If you just have a bare SS sink I would
put something on it to quiet it down, look to your local mobile stereo
installer for products, there are brush/spray on products like Lizard
Skin and also stick on products like Dynamat. Apply to underside of
sink bowl. This is a good way to make an inexpensive sink sound like a
more expensive upscale sink. Also when picking a disposal there is a
difference in sound levels between models, read the labels/specs to pick
what you think will be good for you.

If you're replacing an existing disposer, if you buy one of the more
"upscale" quiet disposers it will undoubtedly be quieter than whatever
the builder put in.

I just replaced a disposer a few weeks ago in a townhouse that's about
30 years old, with presumably the original SS sink. I didn't see any
issues other than that the 30 year old disposer had finally failed
(shaft seal had failed allowing water to run through the motor and
eventually the water started dripping on the cabinet floor and the
disposer's bearings locked up.) New disposer is working fine in
original SS sink. I used a ISE "Badger" 3/4hp model, not the least
expensive model but pretty close to it (I didn't want to put in a
disposer with a lower HP rating than the original, but I was doing it
for a tenant as her landlord was unavailable at the time, and didn't
want to cause tension by getting too fancy a model either) and it's not
particularly quiet, but sounds just like every other disposer out there
pretty much.

I like using ISE because they're very common and I like their mounting
setup where you can remove the whole disposer with a hammer,
screwdriver, and pair of slip joint pliers, plus if the thing fails
again for whatever reason it's likely that an ISE replacement will go
right on the mounting flange saving time (the one I replaced I don't
remember the brand - GE maybe? - but it had a different mounting
arrangement, so I had to remove the old mount from the sink and use the
new one that came with the new disposer. Not the end of the world, but
it made the job take a little more time.)

nate