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Cost of garbage disposal installation?

15 years ago

I have a bill from the plumber for $480 to remove the old garbage disposal, install the new one, and clear a clogged line. This seems awfully high to me - can anyone comment? We're in Westchester County, NY, an expensive area, but still...

I bought the disposal (the most powerful batch feed Insinkerator). The plumbers were already on site working on a bathroom renovation, so there should not have been a trip charge.

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Comments (12)

weissman
15 years ago
That seems awfully high - how long did the work take - including clearing the clogged line - and what's his hourly rate? Ask him for a breakdown of the bill.

Some plumbing companies, though, charge "book" rates for jobs regardless of how many hours it actually takes - you might have been charged like that - anyway you should question him about the bill.
asolo
15 years ago
Unless that was one helluva clog, sounds waaaay high to me. Changing out GD's is simple stuff. Even if they replaced entire sink-drain fitting and tail-pipe, I don't get that charge. If it was a simple swap, it would have taken one guy 15 minutes even if he'd never seen one before.
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I have had a garbage disposal in every house I have been in for 35+ years of renting/home ownership, the only one we have ever had die was at our current home and it was 28 years old when it died and not a very good one in the first place. Replaced it with a 1hp InsinkErator Evolution Excel which comes with a 7 year warranty where if anything happens to it in 7 years they come out to the home and repair/replace it for free. A disposal is probably THE most reliable appliance in the home, I'am sure the next owners of this home wont have any problems for another 30+ years more than likely. As for "flies" never had a disposal draw flies and don't see why they ever would unless you leave food just crammed down it but that has nothing to do with the disposal that it YOU. "smells"? rarely if ever, I always let my disposal run for a minute or two with hot water running and I squirt a bit of dawn dishwashing liquid in it, foams up and cleans everything clean as a whistle, also I use fresh lemons a lot in cooking so about once a week or so I run a lemon peel through it, stays smelling fresh. There really aren't any cons to a disposal.
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The drain line from the dishwasher is fine but I see three code violations on the sink & disposal drain lines. 1. The two drains are connected by means of astandard sanitary tee. Code requires a baffled tee. 2. The P-trap is too low, which resulted in installing an 1-1/2" vertical offset on the fixture arm. Code requires a 1/4" per foot downward pitch from the trap weir to the vent. 3. No cleanout. Code requires a cleanout on the upstream end of all drain lines. If you have a removable trap removing the trap will serve as the cleanout but when the trap is glued in you must install a cleanout on the line. I can certainly understand why he installed the unit in that manner, but there is a much simpler solution. First off, get a "disposal type" end waste or center waste kit. When installing a disposal type kit you begin by discarding the 1/4 bend (90 deg elbow) that is supplied with the disposal unit. The disposal type waste kit will have a cross tube that has a flat flange on the end. That tube is then installed on the disposal in the same manner as the 1/4 bend, but the line will no come away at the same elevation as the disposal discharge port. You then shorten the length of the tailpiece on the opposite sink and connect the two lines together with the "Baffled Tee" that is supplied in the disposal waste kit. In this configuration the tee is higher permitting the P-trap to remain at the correct height to provide the required pitch to the fixture drain line. In the configuration in the photos it would probably be best to install a disposal type center waste kit. This would then put the tee midway between the two sinks. You would then have to cut the fixture arm near the wall and install an 1/8th bend (45deg sanitary elbow) and extend the fixture arm out towards the center where it will meet the P-trap tail piece. It is important that you extend the fixture arm from the wall to reach the trap. Code prohibits adding an extension tailpiece on the P-trap. I have prepared an illustration that will show you how the disposal type kits are configured.
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You could have bought the disposal of your choice online, including the so-called Insinkerator "commercial model", and gotten a very good price, with free shipping and no tax. The Insinkerators and the Waste Kings are both very good, as long as you get at least 3/4 hp size. The Waste King disposers have 10-year in-home warranties on both their 3/4 hp and 1 hp batch feed disposals (though the 1 hp Waste King is so large, that some have difficulty fitting the 1 hp size with their plumbing). The Insinkerator's 3/4 hp batch feed has a 7-year in-home warranty. I also prefer that the Waste Kings offer a 3-bolt mount, while the Insinkerator is a "QuickLock" which I do not prefer, but it's not a bad thing. I myself have the 3/4 hp Waste King batch feed 3-bolt mount, #9900TC, for 9 years, and not one problem, and it grinds everything. I understand that the Waste Kings may be louder than the Insinkerators, but the Insinkerator batch feed's chamber is smaller, so it depends what you would prefer. Regarding your comment that he should have judged better the time it took to do the work: he was probably including in his time estimate the possibility of needing to move the plumbing outlet to accommodate a larger disposal than your 19-year-old one. That happens pretty frequently. If he had to do move the plumbing outlet, his time estimate is accurate. It sounds like the new disposal fit fine with your plumbing, so it took much less time. If he had told you upfront that it would take 30 minutes, but then he had to move the plumbing outlet which took an hour and a half, you would be on here posting about how he didn't inform you how long it would take. I think since the work has been done, and you did not settle clearly the dollar amount of the disposal upfront with the contractor, nor seek to buy it yourself online and have him just do the installation, you have to chalk this one up as a lesson learned. You said "he should have told me the price". You should have asked him. You didn't ask him his hourly rate either. The contractor is entitled to his mark-up for the time and money he has taken to purchase the disposal, keep it in his inventory, and install it for you. Waste King 9900TC 3/4 hp 3-bolt mount batch feed at Walmart - with power cord Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control 3/4 hp batch feed - no power cord Insinkerator Evolution "Pro" Cover Control 3/4 hp batch feed - no power cord This post was edited by akchicago on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 11:27
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marisany
Original Author
15 years ago
The clog could not have been that bad - it only started that morning. I don't have any idea how long the disposal replacement took, because the plumbers were there all day anyway, working on the bathroom.

Thank you for confirming my impression that the charges were awfully high. I'll call tomorrow and ask about it.
marisany
Original Author
15 years ago
I just called the plumber (owner of company, whom I've known for years and have a very good relationship with), and he said that he hadn't seen the bill and agreed that it was high. He said that they'd charged for 3 hours, and he did not understand how it could have taken so long. He said that he would adjust and send a new bill.

Thanks again to everyone who posted!
asolo
15 years ago
Good on ya. I would be interested in the outcome if you would be so kind as to share it.
marisany
Original Author
15 years ago
I'll post the outcome when the new bill comes - probably tomorrow or the next day.
User
15 years ago
Well if it included the cost of the new disposal it could be fair. The new TOL from Insinkerator is close to 300 bucks.
marisany
Original Author
15 years ago
The new bill arrived: $179 - much better!

antss, this does not include the disposal, which I bought myself. It includes removal of the old disposal, installation of the new, and clearing of a clogged pipe.

Thanks again to all who posted!
grmaryp
9 years ago
Well, WasteKing is the best brand for garbage disposals, I will say.

Here is a link that might be useful: Legend Series L-111 1/3 HP
kaseki
9 years ago
If an earlier Insinkerator was replaced with an Evolution Pro Excel, the exit port is lower relative to the sink and some plumbing modification may have been necessary.

Heavy disposals are more difficult to hold in place with one hand while aligning them to keep the gasket from being pinched while tightening the clamp with the other hand. This is particularly true in narrow cabinets in which one can't get into a good position, arm and shoulder wise. They take more time (and gaskets) than would otherwise be needed, depending on arm strength (or alternative jacking scheme).

kas
Matt Majdanski
9 years ago
Seems like that plumber wants an arm and a leg. I would shop around and find a better plumber in your area. The batch feed insinkerator is one of the better disposals. Good luck with the installation.

Here is a link that might help you out: InSinkErator Evolution 1.0 HP
weedmeister
9 years ago
6+ year old thread.

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