A couple of posts back, we promised a bit more information about our garbage disposer replacement. As we mentioned, the disposer still ran like new after five years, but it didn’t dispose–grind stuff up–like new.

To show you what happens over time to the cheap disposers with the stamped, galvanized steel grinder rings and shredder plate, we first show you what a brand new disposer looks like inside. Notice the nice even teeth around the wall of the unit, and the close fit between the grinder ring and the shredder plate. This fit enables the swivel lugs to push the food particles (including thos chicken bones) right up against the teeth of the grinder ring where the particles are ground into itty bitty pieces. These pieces wash down the drain easily.

Now look at the next photo. You can see that the teeth of the grinder ring have all rusted away, leaving nothing to do the chewing on the waste. Further, the shredder plate has also rusted away at the edges, leaving a huge gap where screechy pieces of bone can lodge and make a dog-distressing hideous noise until someone turns off the disposer.

Note, by the way, how perfect the swivel lugs still look. That’s because they are made of stainless steel. Imagine, then, what this disposer would look like after five years if the grinder ring and the shredder plate were also made of stainless steel.

So, as that auto parts guy used to say in the ad, “It’s a case of pay me now or pay me later.”

We’re not sure if we are going to do many more repairs. Our crule master is threatening to make us mow the lawn, do our own laundry, and wash his car.

Is there no justice?