search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Plumbing NewsBath & Kitchen Pro

What plumbers should know about food waste disposers

Pros can benefit from selling and installing this popular household appliance.

By Jen Anesi-Brombach
The Moen EX50C garbage disposer

The Moen EX50C garbage disposer features a 2,600 rpm permanent magnet motor designed to reduce jamming. Photo courtesy of Moen.

The Moen EX75C’s Fast Track

The Moen EX75C’s Fast Track feature facilitates a quicker installation.Photo courtesy of Moen.

Food disposers

Food disposers are more powerful than ever, yet their footprint under the sink is also shrinking as motor and grinding technology improves.Photo courtesy of InSinkErator.

The Moen EX50C garbage disposer
The Moen EX75C’s Fast Track
Food disposers
December 5, 2018

Food waste disposers, which grind and shred food waste so it can pass more safely through plumbing systems, are present in three out of four homes built within the last two decades in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

As one of the most popular and easily accessible plumbing accessories, they represent a potential source of income for plumbing contractors. And, just like many other electrically operated devices, they have undergone significant improvement over the years.

 

BENEFITS OF FOOD WASTE DISPOSERS

The benefits of food waste disposers are numerous.

They make food waste elimination “convenient and easy, reduce trash odor and volume, reduce drain system clogging, reduce trash bag costs by reducing trash volume, and reduce dishwasher soil loading,” according to the KitchenAid engineering team. “This provides time savings by reducing frequency of food waste transfer from sink to trash and reducing the frequency of emptying the trash.”

Chris Nealon, Moen’s senior product manager for disposers and sinks, says food waste disposers keep food products from ending up in a landfill and instead route them through the water-treatment system.

“According to a recent survey commissioned by Moen and conducted online by Harris Poll, half of Americans — 55% —  have purchased a garbage disposer, and of those, roughly two in five — 39% — did so because it’s easier to use the disposer rather than throw away waste,” Nealon adds.

Joe Maiale, vice president, wholesale, for InSinkErator, says that for end users, in particular, there is a common misconception about disposers operating with blades.

“In reality, as contractors typically inform their customers, there are no blades. A disposer is more like a cheese grater than a blender, shredding and grinding food waste,” he explains. "What food waste is placed in a disposer, it lands on a turntable spinning at high speed. Centrifugal force and impellers attached to it push the food waste against the stationary ‘grater’ ring. The food is ground into small particles so that when it’s mixed with water, it can safely flow through plumbing and into the wastewater system or septic tank.”

 

UP-AND-COMING TRENDS

Trends in food waste disposer design include improvements to motor technology and grinding ability, increased installability, decreased size and weight, reduced noise, and increased efficiency.

“We recently introduced a new installation innovation, Fast Track, which is designed to make installation of Moen disposers quick and simple, saving time and money,” Nealon says. “Additionally, Moen launched a ¾ hp, batch-feed model activated by a drain stopper. Batch feed models are ideal for kitchen islands, where an existing wall switch is unavailable or counter switch is not feasible.”

Units are also decreasing in size, KitchenAid’s engineering team says.

“KitchenAid just produced two ½ hp disposers that take up less room under the sink, which gives the consumer more storage alternatives.”

While electrical efficiency is less important for food waste disposers — which cost less than $0.50 per year to operate, on average — grinding power has increased significantly, which, in turn, helps cut down on the amount of water needed to grind food.

“When it comes right down to it, the motor in a disposer is the key to performance,” Maiale says. “All InSinkErator disposers — from standard to premium — are built with rugged and dependable Dura-Drive induction motors. Today, disposers use a minimum amount of water and electricity. On average, disposers use about 1 gallon of water per person per day.”

“All Moen disposers feature VORTEX permanent magnet motor technology,” Nealon says. “VORTEX provides high rpm [grinding] to help to reduce jamming, while a continuous feed means the disposer continues to grind as long as power is on.”

 

WHAT PLUMBERS NEED TO KNOW

While some homeowners choose to install their food disposers themselves, manufacturers caution against it.

“Pro installs are recommended,” KitchenAid’s engineering team says. “Disposer installation can be difficult, time-consuming and hard on the back for the DIYer.”

“Professional plumbers are highly trained professionals whose reliable installations ensure that products will perform for years,” Maiale says. “With an appliance that serves as important a function as a food waste disposer, it’s a smart move to use a professional for installation.”

Instead, manufacturers are designing food waste disposers with the plumbing professional in mind.

“Our newest line of disposers includes Fast Track technology for easy installation,” Nealon says. “The system incorporates enhanced features such as a Simple Snap Tool to quickly secure the mounting assembly; an easy-open dishwasher inlet allows for an easy connection with no additional tools required; and a quick-disconnect removable power cord allows for optional hardwiring.”

As far as installation best practices go, “Reference the installation guide,” KitchenAid’s engineering team says.

“Choose disposers with features that simplify the installation process,” Nealon adds.

For end users, plumbers can and should pass on valuable tips from the manufacturers that will help increase food waste disposer life cycle and effectiveness.

“Use cold water before, during, and after disposer use,” KitchenAid’s engineering team recommends. “Don’t discard fats and oils into food waste disposers, don’t overload the disposer, clean it frequently, and follow disposer usage and maintenance instructions.”

KEYWORDS: contractors food waste disposers pipe

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jen anesi brombach aug2018 200x200

Jen Anesi-Brombach was a Chief Editor of Plumbing & Mechanical.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Green Plumbing and Mechanical
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
  • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

    Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

    Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Underfloor heating installation with drain sewer hole in bathroom close up on water floor heating.

Using hydronics to leverage time-of-use electrical rates

Watts Nexa mobile image

Behind the Wall: Where smart plumbing gets smarter

Six tankless water heaters that feed the nutraceutical manufacturer’s operations.

How to deliver large volumes of hot water quickly and intermittently

PMCE Home-X April 29 Free Webinar: From Legacy to Leadership: Preparing Your Home Services Business for the Next Generation

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

Related Articles

  • Food waste disposers are present in three-quarters of all American homes

    What plumbers should know about food waste disposers

    See More
  • Juan Carlos, service tech at Zoom Drain of Philadelphia

    What plumbers should know before joining a franchise

    See More
  • PM 0723 Matt Michel column feature

    Matt Michel: What you should know about selling products made in the USA

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • lessons-learned.gif

    Lessons Learned: Connecting New Boilers to Old Pipes

  • The Poop Diaries eimage.jpg

    The Poop Diaries

  • handbook.jpg

    Plumber's Handbook Revised, 6th

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • October 9, 2024

    Speed to Lead Accelerators: 3 Ways to Automate Lead Nurturing

    On Demand In this training, we'll be talking about 3 ways to quickly improve your speed to lead metric and make sure that you're booking every job opportunity possible this fall!
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing