Plumbers putty or rubber gasket under sink flange (stainless steel sink)?

[sandyjb]

The manufacturer of the new Garbage Disposal we are installing in a couple days says IF you have a stainless steel sink do not use plumber putty under the sink flange when installing, use the rubber gasket they provide instead. Well, I understand they are the manufacturer, but I am more interested in what plumbers have to say from experience. I have had plumbers work on the other side of our sink before and watched them use plumbers putty before reinstalling a new sink flange, not a rubber gasket. So you can understand my confusion here. Please tell me what you use, and maybe why? I really dont want to have to tear it all apart because I did the wrong thing and got a leak at the end of the install. Thank you.

 

[Terry]

If you have a plastic flange, then going with the rubber seal sounds like a good idea. I normally install disposers with metal flanges which can use either method.
I won't install disposers with the plastic flanges anymore. Good luck with that.

I won't install American Standard, WasteKing or Moen disposers. I've been doing this for too many decades to waste my time on those anymore.
I do install Insinkerator though.

https://cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/Anaheim-and-Moen-Recall-Garbage-Disposals

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....ce-your-disposal-how-long-do-they-last.81578/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[sandyjb]

The flange piece that sets in the sink that the putty or rubber seal would go under is metal, not plastic. Thank you for your reply!

 

[Mliu]

The flange piece that sets in the sink that the putty or rubber seal would go under is metal, not plastic. Thank you for your reply!

Are you sure? There are plastic plumbing fixtures with plating or a thin metal façade. They look like metal, but lack the strength and durability.

 

[sandyjb]

Yes, in the specs it states it has a stainless steel sink flange. We chose this model because it is the newest version of the model we already have. This last one lasted 20 years. It is a GE.

 

[hj]

I do not care what kind of rubber gasket it is, it is still too thick to put under the flange and NOT "pool" water around the drain. I always use plumber's putty.

 

[Terry]

hj, how long do you think the new GE disposers are going to last? I won't install these either.
2,800 RPM? Isn't that a little fast?

 

[hj]

I have always considered GE disposers to be "pencil sharpeners" from their sound.

 

[Stuff]

That GE looks like a Waste King wearing a Darth Vader helmet.

I did install a Waste King last year on my stainless steel kitchen sink which used the rubber gasket. Found it a cheap toy to play with replacing an old Insinkerator. With the Waste King I find that crud builds up faster on that side of the sink than the other that has a traditional strainer with putty. Never noticed the problem before. In addition to the thickness of the rubber gasket it may be the size of the flange is a tad small so leaves a gap catching debris?