Garbage disposals are very useful and indispensable in modern kitchens. But they can be quite noisy as well. It is no wonder people are looking for quiet garbage disposals. How quiet can a garbage disposal be?
The quietest garbage disposal is the InSinkErator Evolution Excel. Normal garbage disposals produce a sound of approximately 80 decibels (the same as a lawnmower), while quieter disposals produce a decibel level ranging from 25db to 45db (a conversation between two people is 60 dB).
Garbage disposals may vary widely with their sound levels, but it can be hard to understand how loud they really are. This article will continue to share a typical sound level of garbage disposal as well as a list of the quietest garbage disposals.
Sound Level Example
To give you an idea of the sound levels of some popular garbage disposals, review this video:
The noise made by a disposal mostly depends on the amount of insulation it has. Premium disposals tend to have better insulation than cheaper garbage disposals.
Also, the sound produced by a disposal is not just from its motor running and grinding but is from the vibrations it causes on the sink. The better fit with the sink, the lower the vibrations will be, and the quieter the noise that it makes.
The InSinkErator Evolution Excel is one of the best garbage disposals on the market, as it is one of the quietest, but other disposals run quietly as well (you can easily find other options with this Disposal Finder Tool). The amount of noise a garbage disposal makes varies, but you will be able to find a quiet one here.
List of Best Quiet Garbage Disposals
Here are the quietest garbage disposals:
- InSinkErator Evolution Excel
- InSinkErator Pro 1100XL
- InSinkErator Cover Control Plus
- InSinkErator Evolution Essential
- InSinkErator Essential XTR
- InSinkErator Evolution Compact
- Waste King L-3200 Legend Series
Quietest Garbage Disposals and their Warranties
| Name | Horse Power (HP), speed, feed type, size & more | Build Quality | Warranty | Quietness Level (10 being silent) |
| InSinkErator Evolution Excel See Product | 1HP, 1725 RPM, continuous feed type, 40oz chamber capacity | High quality, Stainless steel body, grinding components. | 7 years | 9/10 |
| InSinkErator Pro 1100XL See Product | 1.1 HP, 1725 RPM, continuous feed type, 40oz chamber capacity | High-quality disposal, stainless steel grinding chamber, and components. | 12-years | 9/10 |
| InSinkErator Cover Control Plus See Product | 3/4HP, 1725 RPM, batch feed type, 40 oz grinding chamber | High quality with stainless steel components | 7 years | 9/10 |
| InSinkErator Evolution Essential See Product | 3/4HP, 1725 RPM, batch feed type, 40 oz chamber capacity | High-quality disposal, stainless steel body, grinding chamber. | 6 years | 8/10 |
| InSinkErator Essential XTR See Product | 3/4HP, 1725 RPM, continuous feed type, 34.6 oz chamber capacity | High-quality, stainless steel body, and grinding components | 6 years | 8/10 |
| InSinkErator Evolution Compact See Product | 3/4HP, 1725 RPM, continuous feed type, 34.6 oz chamber capacity | High quality, corrosion-resistant grinding chamber, stainless steel grinding components. | 4 years | 7/10 |
| Waste King L-3200 See Product | 3/4HP, 2700 RPM, continuous feed type, 33.5 oz chamber capacity | Good quality disposal, glass-filled polyester, stainless steel grinding components. | 8 years | 6/10 |
1. InSinkErator Evolution Excel
Quietness level: “Ultra-quiet“
Though only by a small margin this InSinkErator disposal is the quietest on the list, and one of the best garbage disposals out there.
Evolution Excel comes with top-class insulation for its grinding chamber. Its 3-bolt mounting and other premium-level connection accessories reduce the vibrations to almost none, so you won’t be able to hear this garbage disposal while it is running. All these make this disposal the quietest of all.
As you might have guessed, this is a premium model and comes with a large array of features.
It is powered by a 1HP motor that runs at a speed of 1725 RPM (revolutions – or cycles – per minute).
A quick overview of its features includes;
- 3-stage grinding system
- LeakGuard liner
- SoundSeall technology
- Stainless steel build
- QuickLock easy installation
- Jam-sensors
- Auto-Reverse grinding system
- 7-year warranty
These are not all of the details, but there is a more detailed review here.
2. InSinkErator Evolution Pro 1100XL
Quietness level: “Ultra-quiet”
The InSinkErator Pro 1100XL is a relatively new model. It is slightly more powerful than Evolution Excel, yet is ultra-quiet.
It comes with a 1.1 HP induction motor that runs at 1725 RPM. It has all the premium features of the Excel model. It comes with a 12-year warranty; 5 years more than the Excel.
It comes with a 3-stage grinding system, auto-reverse technology, SoundSeal Plus technology, and a JamSensor to detect jams.
Its grinding chamber can accommodate 40 oz of food waste. Its grinding components, as well as the grinding chamber, are all made of stainless steel. This is a continuous feed type disposal with a very compact size. You can see a complete review of Evolution Pro 1100XL here.
3. InSinkErator Cover Control Plus Evolution
Quietness level: “Ultra-quiet”
This is one of the quietest batch feed disposals. The only other type of disposal mentioned in this list is “InSinkErator Essential.”
Its operation is ultra-quiet which is the same as that of the “Excel” model and the Waste King Knight. It is priced at the premium end.
Without a doubt, this is a premium model and comes with all features of the top InSinkErator models.
This operation is quiet, has a chamber capacity of 40oz, is powered by a 3/4HP motor, and has a 2-stage grinding system.
In addition, it has a magnetic collar which helps to prevent any metallic items from accidentally falling into the disposal and damaging it.
InSinkErator Cover Control Plus Evolution is covered under a warranty of 7-years. You can read about this disposal in detail here.
4. InSinkErator Evolution Essential
Quietness level: “Quieter”
Though not as quiet as the Evolution Excel this product is another Batch Feed type disposal, with excellent noise insulation thanks to the Sound Seal technology.
In addition, it uses 3-bolt mounting, which reduces vibrations.
This top-end InSinkErator model comes with lots of features and premium build quality.
It runs on a 3/4HP dura-drive motor (all InSinkErator models use Dura-drive induction motors) at a speed of 1750 RPM. Though slightly underpowered than the Evolution Excel model it has the same chamber capacity of 40oz.
It has a 2 stage grinding system, so food wastes are ground twice, which makes them very granular. This makes it easier for the drainage system, and it reduces any chance of jams and clogs. The Evolution Essential comes with a warranty of 6 years.
If you like to know more about this disposal, here is a detailed review.
5. InSinkErator Essential XTR
Quietness level: “Quieter”
This one is as quiet as the above model and is similar too, with the exception that this is continuous feed disposal.
Like its predecessor, it makes use of ‘Sound Seal’ technology. It operates quietly, the noise insulation is not the very best but it is still a very good option.
Though silent, it uses a 3/4 HP motor and a 2-stage grinding system to grind food wastes to a pulp. This disposal is pricier than the Waste King models.
Here is the complete review of this product.
6. InSinkErator Evolution Compact
Quietness level: “Quiet”
Evolution Compact got its name because it targets the small garbage disposal section of the market.
It uses SoundSeal technology, and a 3-bolt mounting system to reduce noise and vibrations.
This is a tad noisier than the Essential model, which makes Evolution Compact the 4th best quiet disposal unit in the world.
As you know, this is an InSinkErator product. 5 out of the 7 disposals on this list here are made by InSinkErator. The company focuses on being the best in this market segment.
As the name indicates, it has a compact design but still can accommodate 34.6 oz of food waste. It is powered by a 3/4 HP motor which is the same as that of the “Essential” model.
In terms of features, it stands at par with Evolution Essential and Essential XTR. All of them share common features including multi-stage grinding and Quick-Lock installation. It also has a 4-year limited warranty.
For more details check out this review of Evolution Compact.
7. Waste King L-3200
Quietness level: “Quiet”
The L-3200 is a very popular product from Waste King.
It is not as quiet as the ‘Evolution Excel’, but its sound insulation comes at the same level and standards as that of the ‘Evolution Compact’ model.
It is powered by a 3/HP permanent magnet type motor running at 2700RPM (all Waste King disposals use permanent magnet type high-speed motors). It has only 1-stage grinding but the grind efficiently is wonderful.
One thing that is great about the Waste King models is that they all come with a power cord and a removable splash guard, which makes it easy to remove and clean them.
This model has a limited warranty of 8 years, and the stainless steel components and the corrosion-resistant grinding chamber no doubt give you the confidence that this product will last forever.
While the build quality may not be at par with any of the InSinkErator models mentioned above this disposal is more economical.
If you are looking for a premium quality disposal that gives the best value for money, this is what you are looking for.
And here is a detailed review for any more information that you need.
How to Make a Garbage Disposal Quieter
Sometimes even if you buy quiet garbage disposal it may produce more sound than the company claimed. This is not because the one you bought is a faulty product! Most likely this is due to problems with its installation. As mentioned earlier, the sound from the garbage disposal is not only due to its motor grinding but also from the vibrations of its accessories against the sink.
If the garbage disposal unit is not installed correctly, this may cause vibrations that produce a lot of noise. What you can do to avoid this is to double-check that the installation is good. Or make sure to get a professional to do it.
In addition, here are some additional things you can do to make your disposal run quietly:
1. Put spray-on coating on stainless steel sinks
This spray-on on the sink will reduce the amplification of noise when the disposal is turned on. When the garbage disposal is at work, it makes a little vibration normally. The same vibration is amplified and multiplied in a loud noise by the surface of a stainless steel sink. Porcelain cast iron sinks are better at noise absorption, but not so much as a stainless-steel sink.
Some sinks come with a coating that makes the metal less noisy. The simple solution is you can spray your steel sink, this undercoating will help reduce the noise from the garbage disposal attached to the sink.
2. Sound insulation and Noise Shielding
For garbage disposal, noise reduction is achieved by covering the upper half of the disposal with insulating materials, which are the motor and grinding chamber parts. If you want to make your disposal unit quieter you can cover the body of the unit with some additional sound-proof materials. Don’t worry about the visual damage, hardly anyone sees the garbage disposal in the kitchen.
3. Select a batch feed type unit.
If you are buying a disposal unit that is not on the above list, but you want it to be less noisy consider a batch feed type unit. Batch feed garbage disposals come with a cover that will prevent noise from escaping through the inlet. (Batch feed vs continuous feed details)
4. Use flexible hoses
Using flexible piping connections with the garbage disposal will reduce vibrations. This, in turn, will reduce the overall noise due to its working. This may not be practical for everyone but is recommended.
Conclusion
Quiet garbage disposals are getting more popular. But generally speaking, they are also pricey because this feature comes only with top-end models. As said before normal disposals operate at a sound level of 80dB. This is not unbearable, these louder disposals only need to be used for a short time period. Quiet garbage disposals are not indispensable, but optional and will make your life easier.
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