Garbage disposers (grinders/disposals) are illegal in my town because we don't have sewers. Each house has a separate cesspool. We've had to be careful over the years. If we take lots of showers or do tons of laundry and diswasher loads, it backs up. Then requires professional pumping, which costs us $$$hundreds!

Why would you need to replace it if it is still running well? Couldn't you just replace it later when/if it breaks? I'm sure mine is well over 10 years old.

The average lifespan appears to be 14 years (source: appliance.net). So, you have to ask yourself, is it worth the hundred bucks now or would you rather spend it later. If you spend it later, you may also need to pay someone to replace it (plumber) - are the granite guys going to re-attach the old one , or a new one?
We don't use ours that much since we compost, but I'm glad to have it for non compostable items.

Garbage disposals aren't as popular here as they are in the US it seems.

I don't know of anyone who has one, yet they seem to be pretty prevalent there. Yes, I don't know everyone, but I don't see them in new houses, open houses etc.

I don't think I would replace it if it hasn't had heavy use.

They are not that hard to replace if it quits in a few years - you don't have to take the counters apart.

I live in the country and have a septic system, so I dont' use a garbage disposal - but I would LOVE one!

Here's the problem: the old one will have to be uninstalled and then reinstalled after the counters and sink are in. The seals, at 10 years old, will NOT reinstall as well as a new one will. It may very well start to have leaking problems.

Get a new one. Take it from someone who'd BTDT.

I just got one last month when we had our countertops replaced. It's a batch-feeder, instead of a continuous feed. Because we have the GKs around alot, it is safer with the batch-feeder, as it cannot run without the stopper in it. The stopper is actually the switch to turn it on. So no little hands can get hurt. Also the new ones have a plug that if there is a problem, it can be unplugged before sticking your hand down there. This also means you'd have to have a plug installed for it.

I hope this info helps. I probably wouldn't replace unless it is a safety issue or that it would easier for the electrician to work on it before the counters are installed.

I doubt if I would replace one that is still working fine and that has little use. So many new things made today are not made to last like older things. On down the road if it needs to be replaced, it shouldn't be that much of a chore since the drains and electricity will already be in place.

I see there is a fairly wide price range on them, depending upon the horsepower and features they have.

Many disposers made in the past 20 years or so seem to have the same attachment system, which makes it fairly easy to swap out an old broken disposer for a new one.

When I had my kitchen redone last year, I had my then 9 year old disposer put on the new sink. The only change was that my husband changed out the hard-wire for a wire with a plug which we bought in Home Depot. When it goes, the mount will stay, just the disposer will go.

I've seen the same mounting systems for Sears and Insinkerators.. What brand of disposer do you currently have?

Helene

They're not that expensive and if there's a chance that the seals won't be as good then I'd replace it now and save myself the money of calling someone pout later to replace it. You can always donate your old one since it's still working.

Here's another thought. When the old one wears out, unless you are very handy, you'll have to shop for a new one, call a plumber or handyman, schedule an appointment, wait for him to arrive, then pay for the installation. If you do it now, it's a much simpler process.

Did you post this on the Kitchen forum, about remodels? I'd be curious to see how others there feel about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen forum

I did not want a disposal in our new house -- well *new* in 2001. The sink is wired for one, should a future owner want one. There are so many things you can't put in a disposal, and I don't like that 'gunk' inches from my sink. With just two of us here, I have not missed one AT ALL. I have a pull-out beside the sink that has bins for garbage/trash and recycling.

jenson13 -- If you've hardly used your disposal, maybe you don't want/need one -- not the existing and not a new one.

I would look at it closely, they do tend to start to rust if you see signs of rust I would go ahead and replace it because it will be a problem with leaking, the seals tend to get very stiff and crack with age, you can get new seals which may be a good idea because when you unseat those and then try to re seat them you may end up with leaks.

I do not have one in this house, I have had one in every other house even those with septic tanks and had no problems but this house has such bad drainage issues I am not willing to risk having one. It sure is hard once you are used to it and no longer have it.

First, who is the they who are recommending a new disposer? Are they just trying to make a sale, or have they given you good reasons in favor of a new one?

If it were me and I were getting new counters, I would get the new disposer, for the same reasons that have already been mentioned. I don't know the prices, but wouldn't think that it would be unreasonable, seeing that now is the best time to do a replacement.

How much use the old one has had is important. It could be nearly worn out, or if it hasn't been used much, then just like any piece of machinery, they are meant to be used; sitting idle can be very harmful.

True that there are some things that shouldn't be put through the disposer, but I especially like it for cleaning the leftovers off the plates, and such ordinary things like peeling potatoes. I don't want scraps sitting in the waste basket until trash pick-up day.

Good luck with your remodel.

Sue

Sue, potato peelings are among the worst things you can put down a disposal!

Here is a link that might be useful: Disposal clogs

If your garbage grinder is an el cheapo, the lowest cost the builder could find, yeah, go ahead and replace it with a quality unit. However, if it was a meduim to high quality unit, there is no need to replace based on the low use your's get.

Here's my experience:

First house, a starter model, built new.
Garbage grinder was the lowest cost the builder could find.
It was shot after 1 year. Replaced with an average quality unit and that one ran until we sold the hosue. Was in the house 13 yrs.

Second house, also built new. It had a low to mid-price unit. Occupied the house in 1976. At 3 years, that grinder met with early failure - threw weighted grinding blade. Not sure if one of my kids did not toss something in they should not have. Replaced unit using one of Sears better models. The working parts were much more durable and it reverses rotation on every start. So half of the time it runs one direction and the other half, it runs the other direction. This has been useful for clearing tough material in the grinder. I installed that one in 1979; We had three growing children. Still using that grinder. We raised 3 children through grade school, highschool, and finally college. The kids are out of the house. We're still uning the same unit. It has outlasted the sink faucets. The faucets are due for replacement.

The bottom line: If you plan to stay there for 5 years or more, install a quality unit. If you already have a quality unit, keep it.