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late install of air switch

15 years ago

I wish I knew about air switches (for garbage disposal) before my electrician put in a wall switch!! We have a big window over the sink, and it will be a looong reach, especially because he put the switch on the side opposite the GD (doh!).

So I would really really like to have an air switch instead. The granite hasn't been templated yet so I'm all set there. The only problem is the electrical part, because sheetrocking is complete. I think I read in the air switch thread that all of the electrical stuff takes place under the sink; the electrician wouldn't have to open up the wall to install an air switch. Is that right? If so, I'm golden (except that then I'll have a defunct wall switch, which is a code violation, but I'll figure that out next.)

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Comments (6)

Circus Peanut
15 years ago
It shouldn't be difficult for any experienced GC or electrician. Yes, they'll have to open the wall under the cabinet to pull the wire out of the wall switch and reinstall it under the sink, but that's not impossible to do. It takes a little more time to fish around for those wires, but if you can afford an extra hour or two of labor, no problem.

You don't need to have a defunct wall switch, either - any handyman can simply patch up your drywall as though no switch was ever there. :)
weissman
15 years ago
You said your counter hasn't even been templated yet - is your disposal installed? If not, you shouldn't need to do anything with the wall switch. Are you sure that a defunct wall switch is a code violation? Why?
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Take a look in your sink box for the templating paper that is hopefully there. I do know there is/was a thread on faucet placement awhile back... For me, I respectfully disagree with smiling in that I wanted everything on my dominant hand. And because of our bowl configuration it is. Most templaters/installers want to line them up in a straight line along your back edge. Placement issues... make sure they are far enough away from your sink lip if it is an undermounted sink. (don't ask! ;) make sure to leave enough room between the faucets and your back wall to avoid water being trapped and to make it easy to get a sponge/towel in there to cleanup I like the air switch near by to the garbage disposal and is the far right side of our setup Depending on the size of your sink to cabinet, you might have room to put the hot water faucet on the opposite corner from your main faucet. Wherever you put the two faucets, try to avoid putting them next to each other, as to avoid them banging into each other... Templating... lots of little decisions to make at this time. Have your favorite vice available afterwards for celebration!
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Your GC doesn't know?! Make him call/visit the permitting authority and ask. Give him the DW model and a copy of the install sheet (I think that's where Miele puts the info) explaining why how the Miele works negates the need for an air gap. Make him earn his money by finding this out for you since he should know. If he won't do it, go in yourself armed with the info. Write down what was told to you and by whom along with the date you visited. That way when inspection is done, you have back-up if inspector questions it. Sorry....I GC'd my whole house reno so I feel the homeowner is entitled to know the laws. Side note: My municipality supposedly enforces the make-up air requirement, like most states do, for range hoods over 400cfm. I put in a 600cfm beauty and no one along the inspection path ever asked me about it at all, other than to admire it. I was a bit worried, but it turned out fine. I was really quite shocked at how little the final inspector looked around and enforced code. My island outlets weren't to code, but the inspector never once looked at them. It was a cursory 5 minute glance through my house, and he was gone. Long story short--your inspector might not even care about the air gap.
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I see I wrote a comment on this back in 2011 when we had an air switch installed, but the sink wasn't working yet. Six years later, I'm a big fan of air switches. What I always hated about the wall switch (as still do in others' kitchens) is raising a wet hand to flip that switch. DD's switch also requires two steps to the left to reach it. In my sister's kitchen, finding which is the GD switch is always a guessing game. Water drips from your reaching arm onto the counter. It runs down your raised arm. I've always been a bit squeamish about flipping a live electrical switch with a wet hand. I don't miss it one little bit. Air switch vs wall switch kind of reminds me of the debate over the efficacy of taking your rugs out and beating them clean vs using a vacuum. Both work, yes?
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m_nk
15 years ago
Hi mmme,

We almost ran out into the same problem. I didn't know what was involved in the airswitch installation, so I assumed it would give us much more trouble to have that feature instead of the standard wall switch.

The thing is even if your trash disposer has been installed (as long as it plugs into an outlet - just look under the sink) converting into an air switch should be the easiest thing. The airswitch system, is just a unit that sits between the electrical outlet and the disposal plug. (the disposal plugs into the airswitch unit and the airswitch unit plugs into the electrical outlet. The push button that controls the unit is installed on the counter top / sink.

Now the only thing your electrician has to do, is to bypass the switch... which should be fairly simple. If you can't drywall over the gap, there are solutions such as screwing a cover on where the switch used to be.
HTH.
Cloud Swift
15 years ago
If the switch controls power to an outlet, you don't have to take out the switch. The airswitch module plugs into the outlet and has a plug to plug the garbage disposal in. You could just leave the wall switch in the circuit turned to on. It could even be a feature - a way to disable the garbage disposal if someone like a young child is working at the sink.

It depends a bit on your kitchen layout and family - if the wall switch is someplace where it might get confused with a light switch, it might be annoying to leave it in the circuit and find the air switch not working because the wall switch is in the wrong position. But if it is some place inconspicuous where it is unlikely to get switched off by accident, you could just leave it.
Penny Thomas
5 years ago
Do you know of any building code in Texas against a counter top air switch for a disposal in An island?
alex9179
5 years ago
Penny, this is a very old thread and it's better to start a new one with your question because a lot of members won't open an old one.

As to code, you need to contact your town's building department for the answer. It will vary. In my Tx town, it is fine.

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