Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question about any of our products, you will find the answer to the most frequently asked questions here.
If you have a question about any of our products, you will find the answer to the most frequently asked questions here.
They are small electrical appliances fitted under kitchen sinks, connected to household plumbing. Food waste is fed into the garbage disposal with cold water and the waste is ground down into small particles, which flush easily through plumbing and sewers to the wastewater treatment plant, where biogas and nutrients can be recovered.
In the U.S. approximately half of all wastewater is treated at plants using anaerobic digestion and this is expected to increase as trends of resource recovery continue. Food waste is rich in carbon and nutrients, which can be recovered for energy and fertilizer.
We offer a garbage disposal for every household and budget. Whether you're cooking for your family or entertaining a game day crowd, InSinkErator has the perfect garbage disposal to help you kitchen better.
InSinkErator® Sound Limiter® insulation and Anti-vibration mount® technology mean Evolution® disposer models can operate with very little noise versus a standard disposer. We also recommend installing a good quality sink with your garbage disposal, which can eliminate vibration and noise.
No, it is as simple as that!
InSinkErator garbage disposals are perfectly safe and don't have blades or knives. Instead, lugs are used to throw food waste against a stationary grind ring. The grind ring breaks food waste down into very fine particles, almost liquefying them, so they can flush down your plumbing.
If you don't believe, us watch the video below that demonstrates how the lugs and grind ring work together inside our garbage disposals to grind up food waste into tiny particles.
No, you do not need a special sink to install an InSinkErator garbage disposal. As standard, most sinks come with a 90mm sink hole and our disposals are designed to fit these, you just need to check that you have enough space under your sink to fit the unit.
If you have a ceramic sink, we recommend that you choose one of our Evolution models. Evolution disposals are fitted with anti-vibration technology, so this will ensure there are no strong vibrations that could damage a delicate material like ceramic sinks.
Wondering what to do with your old disposer after getting a new one? Many appliances that no longer work can still be used for scrap metal. Since garbage disposals are mostly metal, it is better to think salvage rather than the landfill. This process recycles a variety of items including copper, aluminum, steel and more. Find out where to take your old disposer check with Earth911 and check under “metals” for your local zip code.
Rest easy with an exclusive, free, In-Home Limited Warranty from the only manufacturer with garbage disposals assembled, designed and invented in the USA. It comes free with every one of our garbage disposals and dispensers. Each series warranty covers you for a period of:
Quiet Series Garbage Disposals: 8-10 year Limited Warranty
Power Series Garbage Disposals: 4-7 year Limited Warranty
Standard Series Garbage Disposals: 1-3 year Limited Warranty
No. A garbage disposal can be installed with both a single bowl sink or a double bowl sink, this is a personal preference. Check sink and garbage disposal dimensions for details.
Garbage disposals are very low maintenance appliances. Simply making sure you frequently use your disposal can help to remove any excess food scraps that accumulate in the chamber. However, if you smell any odors coming from your disposal, it's usually the sign of food build up.
Over time, food waste can also accumulate under the sink baffle.
To clean your disposal, follow these simple steps:
The ice cleaning method can be done using an InSinkErator garbage disposal by following these simple steps:
There are better ways to clean your garbage disposal than using the ice method. Or watch the video for other methods.
Installing an InSinkErator garbage disposal is a straightforward process for any handy person or plumber. The videos on our garbage disposal installation page explains exactly what you need to do from start to finish and there are also some comprehensive instructions that come in the box.
You'll need these tools:
Domestic composting works well in homes where people know how to do it and have outside space. However, in urban homes with limited space, storing food in caddies for collection is problematic and not always popular.
There are also several foods that should not be composted but can be put in a garbage disposal. These include meat, bones and dairy products.
Municipal composting does not recover any energy from food waste and since approximately half of all wastewater treated in the U.S. includes anaerobic digestion, disposers can help recover both nutrients for fertilizer as well as carbon for energy.
Potentially biogas, or renewable energy and fertilizers.
Our garbage disposals can dispose of most food waste in a matter of seconds. However, certain food types are only recommended for our Quiet Series® models.
Our Quiet Series can grind most food waste, and Standard Series® models can grind any food apart from stringy and fibrous materials such as banana peel, celery and rhubarb.
An InSinkErator garbage disposal effortlessly grinds food waste into tiny particles that are flushed down the drain and to the local wastewater treatment plant - where they can be used to create biogas.
What NOT to put down your garbage disposal.
There are certain things you should never put down your drain, whether you have a disposal or not.
Please avoid putting fats, oils, harsh cleaning products and other non-food products down your disposal.
A common misconception is that a garbage disposal works similar to a standard bin or composting unit. However, the reality is far different.
An InSinkErator garbage disposal breaks food waste down into very fine particles, almost liquifying them so that they can be flushed through your plumbing.
Once food waste is flushed through your plumbing, it goes to wastewater treatment where it can yield valuable biogas and fertilizer for agriculture.
Finely ground food waste from a disposal will not block a well-maintained sewer. It is 70% water and has a very similar composition to the human waste that all sewers are designed to handle. An extensive study at the University of Sheffield recently confirmed that these concerns are unfounded.
Our new Lift & Latch disposers have a stationary ring with a small notch to make installation easier. This small adjustment allows you to simply lift the disposer and make a slight turn to have the tabs latch over the ridges on the slide-up ramps, instead of continually turning until the tabs lock.
Of course, you just need to make sure the diameter of the hole can fit the faucet that you wish to purchase. Look at the faucet spec sheet for further detail.
Yes. InSinkErator offers four different additional dispensers, the HC3300, H3300, HC1100 & GN1100. These dispensers sit neatly alongside your main faucet and dispenses instant filtered near-boiling water. In addition to the near-boiling water function, the HC3300 & HC1100 dispenses filtered cold water at the pull of a lever.
No. Our instant hot water dispensers eliminate the need for a kettle. With our very own digital adjustable thermostat, you can go as low as 88°C for delicate leaf teas or up to 99°C to prep and cook your daily meals.
Yes. All InSinkErator instant hot water dispenser faucets have a full 360° swivel.
The only maintenance required is changing filters, so use the dispenser daily like any other faucet and change the water filter at least every 6 to 8 months.
Simply follow the four easy steps on your filter:
Our tried and tested InSinkErator water filters improve the taste of cold drinks by filtering out hardness, limescale and other impurities. Exclusively designed for the steaming hot water system from InSinkErator, our filters deliver the clean water you demand and represent excellent value.
We recommend that you change your filters every 6 to 8 months.
It is hard to give exact figures as each area will have different water hardness levels, so we recommend at least every 6 to 8 months or when you notice the taste in the water start to change.
Click here if you wish to buy more filters
Except for the obvious shape difference, the functions of the paired taps are the same and all four use our improved Digital Tank with an adjustable thermostat of 88°C to 99°C.
In a kitchen faucet this powerful, safety is critical. The whole family needs to enjoy the everyday luxury of an instant hot water system, from children right through to grandparents. The safety spring lock push down lever on the steaming hot water handle immediately springs back into place as soon as it is released by the user — meaning that near-boiling water is never left running unattended. This also dramatically reduces water waste by ensuring that you only ever use the amount of water that you actually need.
We have also refined the flow of instant hot water dispensers as it leaves the faucet. As you pull the lever to dispense the hot water, you'll see an extremely fine flow that is designed to prevent spraying and spitting that could cause scalding or burning.
If the water form your InSinkErator instant hot water dispenser is too hot or too cold for your liking, you can easily adjust the temperature on your InSinkErator hot water tank.
Before you get started there are a couple of points to note.
Changing the temperature on your hot water tank is a straightforward process - just follow the simple steps below.
Check the temperature on your tank.
Looking at the front of your tank you'll see a digital dial on the front with two arrows, one pointing up and the other pointing down. This is where you can control the temperature of the water in the tank. If the water is too hot, push the down arrow and turn on the hot water tap for about 20 seconds to allow cold water to enter the tank and allow the water to reheat to the new setting. Follow the exact same process if your water is too cold, but use the up arrow instead.
Continue adjusting the temperature in small increments until the water reaches a temperature you're happy with.
If your InSinkErator instant hot water dispenser doesn't come with a Digital tank, you'll follow the same process but instead of arrows on a digital thermostat, you'll have a twist dial that you can turn up or down.
If adjusting the temperature on the tank still doesn't fix your issue
If your water temperature still hasn't improved, check that all of the connections are tight and secure. If after this you're still experiencing problems, please contact us for further assistance.
If water or steam is spitting from your InSinkErator instant hot water dispenser, don’t be alarmed. There are a few straightforward fixes.
First, it’s important to note that spitting is normal upon the initial start-up of your instant hot water dispenser. If your dispenser has been installed longer than a few days, please take a look below.
Is the water temperature in your tank too high?
If the water temperature on your tank is set too high, it will begin to boil, and this can cause spitting from the tap faucet. Look at our help article on how to adjust the temperature of your tank.
Check the connections
If changing the temperature of the water in your tank doesn’t do the trick, then you might have a lose connection. Check all of the connections from the tank to the faucet and make sure they are tight and secure.
Clean the aerator to remove any hard water deposits or debris
Turn off the hot water tank and run the water from your tap until it’s cool. Unscrew the aerator from the end of the spout and clean it by running water through it. Place the aerator on the spout and turn the tank back on.
If after this you're still experiencing problems, please contact us for further assistance.
