The innovation that is the Garbage Disposal has certainly simplified our kitchen cleanup and made our lives a lot less messier. If you’re planning to buy one, you’d really be doing yourself a favor but before doing so, you should be aware of certain things like for starters, how much is a garbage disposal?
Price Range of Garbage Disposals
Residential garbage disposals have varying prices depending upon their motor power. A unit with 1/3 horsepower (HP) for instance could cost between $50 to $115. If you up to a 1/2 HP model, the price generally increases to an amount of $60 to $180. For 3/4 HP, they range between $120 to $350 and finally, a 1 HP unit can cost anywhere between $150 to $380. Other factors where price depends upon is the garbage disposal’s brand name and construction quality.
There are also light-duty commercial-grade units that has a price range of $500 to $2,500. They generally increase depending on their brand, size and features.
Installation Cost of Garbage Disposals
If you don’t plan on a DIY project and would opt to hire the services of a plumber, it will certainly entail a cost but this will be affected by your choice of disposal and the condition of the area where you plan to connect it. Here are the different tasks that a garbage installation entail with their price of professional fees.
1. New Installation
Having a garbage installation would entail electrical and plumbing connections. If it’s the first time for your sink to have this machine, it would be wise to ask your contractor if it’s strong enough to withstand its vibrations during operation and if there’s a need for new wiring.
How your home is laid out basically determines the cost and complexity of the wiring work needed. Apart from this, the required amount of work as well as brand and model of the garbage disposal you have all contribute to the total cost of the installation which is a price range of about $97 to $188 USD.
2. Replacement of an Existing or Old Unit
Replacement of an existing garbage disposal with a new unit have higher chances of not needing any modifications in order for the latter to fit. The cost of labor for such a replacement depends on how easy it is to remove your old garbage disposal and the how much plumbing or repair is needed to install the new unit properly. The price ranges from $85 to $164 USD.
3. Installations with an On and Off Switch Already Given
The two types of garbage disposals, batch feed and continuous feed, require some installation work. The former is activated by putting a stopper in the frain while the latter is activated by an external switch which you can find mounted above the sink. If the type of disposal you are fitting is a continuous feed with its on and off switch already given, your installation labor fee would be somewhere between $89 to $172 USD.
4. Installations without an On and Off Switch
If your garbage disposal mandates an activation switch but you don’t have this in place, there is additional electrical work needed which will increase installation rates from $113 to $218 USD. It’s essential that you clear it out with your contractor if he will provide for the electrical work needed. If he doesn’t, you need to hire an electrician. If there’s a wiring near the site where the disposal was found, the installation task would be simplified; however, complete wiring required from your electrical panel to the kitchen will raise overall costs.
5. Installation of a Disposal Bought by the Homeowner
Garbage disposals have varying features that range from motor power, stainless steel grind chambers, dampening of sound, compatibility of septic tank and anti-jamming features. It can get pretty confusing in your selection so determine first which brand and model suits your requirements of usage. If you would opt to choose and buy the garbage disposal yourself, the installation cost would be from $95 to $183 USD. This means that your contractor would not need to supply the unit itself but there’s every possibility that he would still need to provide the parts or fittings necessary for the installation.
6. Installation of a Disposal Supplied by the Contractor
What’s your contractor for? Basically, he could recommend or supply the specific brand and model of garbage disposal for you based on how you’re going to apply and use it. As contractors do this based on their experience of the disposal’s quality and features, you can basically rely on their recommendations. It comes at a national price range between $91 to $177.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve already answered how much is a garbage disposal and you already have an idea of how much the different kinds of units cost and how much the installation fee is depending on different situations or scenarios, it would be easier for you to come up with a budget that’s realistic because you already know what to expect.
In your buying selection, a wise tip to remember would be to go for brands and models that fit your application and if any modifications are required to to fit your sink with the disposal. That way, you are making things not just simpler to do but more economical as well.
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