Talk of The Villages Florida - Rust in garbage disposal

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Rust in garbage disposal

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!

I would ask Home Warranty about the stainless steel.

Our disposal will smell occasionally and I turn on the hot water, turn on the disposal and put a tablespoon of dawn dishwashing soap in there. It will suds up and all go down and then it smells fine. I don't look down the hole so I don't know if there is rust. It seems to work fine though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PandG (Post 574937)

Yes, I have the same issue and it has been really bothering me. When I stand on the other side of the counter near the sink, I can smell the musty smell. We are now just out of warrantee. The Today show had a segment that said to put Spick and Span in the drain and then use a large brush to wash it away. I might try to suggestion of putting dawn detergent and run a lot of water. I do see rust and really do not like the quality of these little things. THANK YOU for posting this issue. Maybe someone will have a better resolution.

I'll bet it's orange mold. that's what shows up in mine every so often, also around the joint in the shower wall. Had the same thing in my last home up north, and bleach usually took care of it

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjfg154 (Post 574951)

Yes, I have the same issue and it has been really bothering me. When I stand on the other side of the counter near the sink, I can smell the musty smell. We are now just out of warrantee. The Today show had a segment that said to put Spick and Span in the drain and then use a large brush to wash it away. I might try to suggestion of putting dawn detergent and run a lot of water. I do see rust and really do not like the quality of these little things. THANK YOU for posting this issue. Maybe someone will have a better resolution.

If you check your owners manual it will say not to run hot water through the disposal.....it ruins the seals.

Something else to worry about! My garbage disposal works fine and doesn't smell, but after reading your post I looked into it with a flashlight and sure enough it looks rusty. Somehow this doesn't surprise me.

It appears that you are seeing orange mold instead of rust.

Garbage disposal rust

Quote:

Originally Posted by PandG (Post 574937)

The InSinkErator disposals come in several different qualities. The standard disposal is made of ordinary steel and begins to rust quickly. This results in the disposal rusting thru in four or more years and must be replaced. There are disposals that are made of stainless steel and will last years longer but cost more than the standard. 99% of the disposals in the Villages homes will have to be replaced much sooner than we think, stainless steel is the only thing that makes sense.

No smell, but we have a caked-on layer of rust. The home is about 1 3/4 yrs old. (Our stainless steel InSinkerator at the other home is 12 yrs old and just fine.) I called the warrantee dept, who referred me to CRM plumbing who did the house. Technician arrived and verified the rust, but said that it is normal with the builder's model. He wanted $195 to replace it with the same thing. When we declined, he wanted $40 for a service call. We refused, and called the CRM office. A belligerent office mgr told us that he was giving us half off the regular house call cost. The tech made a second call, and dropped the fee.

So, when the unit dies, I'll get an upgraded one, and NOT use CRM Plumbing.

I have replaced garbage disposals three or four times in my current home over 33 years. I buy them at Sears. Usually their best model. Takes about half an hour to install. We use citrus peels to keep the disposal smelling fresh. It is usually rust that destroys the disposals. The job will be easier if you buy the same manufacturer replacement as all the hook ups will match.

Thanks for suggestions re: rust in garbage disposal

Thanks to everyone who replied to my original post about this issue. Since it's under warranty, the plumber came to check it out. He said this discoloration/ partial rust is normal on these "builder grade" InSinkErator Badger model disposals. Our disposal works fine, so we will continue to use it -- along with the various tips suggested -- until we need to replace it. At that time, we will go with a stainless steel model.

Gail