[PandG]

Has anyone had a problem with rust in their InSinkErator garbage disposal? Our house is about 2 months old, so our garbage disposal is (supposedly) new. I wipe off the dishes and don't use the disposal for large amounts of food. Therefore, only small amounts of food particles enter the disposal. And I keep the blades sharp and clean by periodically grinding ice cubes.

This morning I noticed a musty odor coming from the disposal. When we looked inside, it was reddish-brown and the disposal was covered with caked-on rust. The Warranty dept. gal told me to grind up a tray of ice cubes, which I had done and it did not help. She told me that soda can cause this, and I said we rarely drink soda. She said they have not heard of this happening, and was hesitant to send out a plumber. After we re-tried the disposal with more ice cubes, and that didn't help, I called the Warranty dept. back and spoke with another gal. She was more understanding, and they now have a call in to the plumber.

We thought the disposals were made of stainless steel, and didn't rust. My husband googled InSinkErator and learned these builder-grade models (Badger 5) are made of galvanized steel. Therefore, they can rust.

Has anyone who has had a new home built recently noticed rust in their disposal? There is an upgraded stainless-steel model available. Are the new homes supposed to have these?
Thanks!