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The Insinkerator Badger 5-81 food waste disposer is admittedly only the second garbage disposal I've ever owned and had much experience with, but it really has been a disappointment. It certainly looks fine, just like any other garbage disposal, but that's where anything good about this appliance ends.
The Badger is rated at .5 horsepower (HP) - I'm not sure if that's a good rating for a normal household or if this model is just no good. All I know is that right after getting this unit I tried to peel potatoes in my sink like I did with my old disposal and it clogged the drain right up. My old disposal was rated at 1 HP, so I guess my expectations were a bit high for this one. For $150-$200 (plus install), I expected this unit to perform like my old one. I've heard tales of people putting chicken bones down their disposal and not having problems (though I wouldn't attempt that), so I didn't expect a few potato peels to jam things up.
After paying a plumber to clear the line, I now just use this disposal to mainly clear the line whenever the drain backs up a bit with whatever random debris ends up down there. I always make sure to scrape my dishes completely before putting them anywhere near the sink. The Badger works great for a few stray coffee grounds, but at this point I don't trust it enough for more than that.
If you want a garbage disposal that can do what you expect of it, look for one rated at 1 HP. This .5 HP disposal has proven to be nearly useless around my household and we don't even have kids putting stuff down the drain. The only reason I don't give it a "1" is because it hasn't outright failed on me yet.
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