Installation preparation

Before disposer installation

1. Drain connection evaluation
   

   The drain pipe diameter always fits. The household disposer is designed for the drain pipe diameter of 40 mm and more. The drain pipe inlet in the wall should not be higher than the outlet opening of the disposer. For an installation without the necessity of adjustment of the current drain piping, the distance between the bottom of the sink and the center of the drain pipe in the wall cannot be less than 16 cm.

   Possibilities listed below and stated heights in the drain system serve for orientation purposes only, they are based on the most often used standards. They depend on the height of the work board and the depth of the sink, which could be different. If you need an exact number, you must calculate it from your measurements at the place of realization and the drawing of the particular selected disposer model, which you will find in chapter 9 – Technical drawings and dimensions – of the user’s manual or directly in the listing of the different disposers.

   Options:
   • The height of the drain pipe below the sink should ideally be 35 – 40 cm, as measured from the ground to the center of the pipe. The rule of thumb says: the lower the better.
   • In many instances are the drains somewhat higher, because of the old standards, but if it is lower than about 52 cm from the ground, all is the same, it is only necessary to use a siphon with a wider range for the height adjustment tolerance or mount it upside down. This case only presents a complication for the technician’s ability to continuously regulate the siphon’s position and he must cut the given pipe precisely. Another possibility consists of making an odor stopper – siphon directly from pipe elbows.
   • If the drain outlet is higher, the water will then stay not only in the siphon, but also in the disposer chamber, which basically does not present a problem, however when we switch it on, the water may splash to the sink. To achieve lowering of the drain outlet, it is usually enough to adjust the downgrade of the pipe, if it is outside the wall. However, sometimes it is necessary to cut and adjust the pipe directly inside the wall. These instances occur very seldom and usually only where amateur or unprofessional modifications during remodeling took place.
2. Electric supply 220/240 V leading to an outlet or an electrical box under the sink.
   

   The disposer is generally connected to the nearest outlet through a switch. Depending on the placement and type of the selected switch you can subsequently choose the type of control (switching on and off) according to your judgment.

   Options:
   • The most often used variation is the control by a pneumatic switch located directly in the available sink space or in the work board (see picture). This type of control is the safest! By pushing the cylinder of the switch, the air-pressure impulse is transferred through a little tube to a separate box installed below the sink, where this impulse is recognized by the pneumatic switch, which subsequently opens and closes the electric connection to the disposer. This option does not require any previous preparations and can be used at any time.
   • Another connection option could be a connection directly to the outlet or electrical box under the sink (see picture). This connection is implemented in such a way, that the electricity supply is controlled by a standard cradle (rocker) switch placed on a wall above the kitchen board, as close to the sink as possible or somewhere next to the electric outlets for other kitchen appliances. This option must be kept in mind during construction adjustments before the kitchen unit assembly. Subsequent installation requires a more complicated intervention.
   • An alternative option is to use a foot switch or to use a remote wireless control switch that has its own battery and receiver. This way the necessity of additional electrical supply is no longer necessary and it can be placed practically everywhere, without violating any safety codes. The switch is simply bolted or glued to the specified location.

   You could also install an additional safety switch in a hidden location as a child safety precaution.

3. Connected faucets and permanently placed sink.
   

   Incorrectly installed sink may cause vibrations and noise.

4. The sink opening diameter must be 9 cm.
   

   This opening size is standard at the present time with newer and quality types of sinks. If the sink outlet is smaller, it could be adjusted in stainless steel sinks with the help of special tools, which make a clean cut and at the same time create an interface necessary for the installation and correct settling of the disposer’s neck.

   Enamel, ceramic disposers, as well as thin sheet metal disposers cannot be adjusted.

   Recommendations:
   

   In our country, small sink openings of about 5 cm are common and customary, but the 9 cm opening is gradually being introduced, which means that if you are buying a new sink now, you will encounter the smaller openings only in sinks of older production date, during inventory liquidation sales and in sinks sold on sale in certain stores. These sinks are, as part of the savings effort, made out of very thin sheet metal and their basin’s depth is as small as 11 – 13 cm, which profoundly worsens their utility properties. The depth may not be obvious at the first glance, but it plays a very important role. A good sink should have a depth of about 18 – 20 cm.