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Garbage Disposals at Kitchen Sinks

C

chickadee

Guest
How do you make a garbage disposal comply with the accessible clearance requirements at a kitchen sink. This would be for a community room, and also for the adaptable dwelling units in a covered multifamily building in California. There is a pricey kitchen sink by Kohler that has an offset rear drain and a two compartment sink with one of the sinks smaller than the other. I need a less costly alternative...expensive x 400 is giving the developer palpitations. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Welcome...,Since no one else will say it

Not another Californian though welcome any way
 
: = : = :

chickadee,

1st, ...Welcome to The Building Codes Forum ! :cool:

2nd, ...As "the jar" has stated, ...either have a Side

Approach, or have a custom built sink cabinet

constructed to where the user can use a Forward Approach

and the garbage disposal be mounted to one side,

with the appropriate reach ranges, ...knee & toe clearances,

etc.

: = : = :
 
The side approach for the common areas meets the CBC and has been considered, but what about ADA? The common use areas are used by the residents and their guests. Custom built cabinetry doesn't work, as this is not a one-off problem. I need a solution that can be utilized continually.

Front approach is required for the adaptable units. The adaptable sink cabinet bases are typically 36" wide, so it's difficult to mount the cumbersome garbage disposal off to the side and meet the required clearances.
 
Is the disposal required to be accessible?....Split the 2 bay sink w/ a cabinet, drop the disposal in and other bay out w/ proper clearance....
 
The two bay sink was considered, but two separate sinks are coming out to be just as expensive as the pricey Kohler sink. The two separate sinks also don't work for the adaptable kitchen sink in the dwelling units.

The garbage disposal is not required to be accessible, but it cant encroach into the clearances required below the sink.
 
Someone enlighten this poor electricians because I have never heard about clearances for a disposal. What are these clearances you speak of.... :)
 
Welcome to the board. FYI, Mark handler will probably have the best and final word on this.

Meanwhile:

If this was inside an apartment unit, you would use chapter 11A. However, since is for a community room, you should refer to both chapter 11B and ADA for compliance.

Per 1117B.9, knee clearance needs to extend 19” under sinks.

I don’t think there is an exception for side approach. this is more strict than 11A or UFAS, FHA, etc.

Kohler makes a sink called “assure” that has the disposal way at the back, for knee clearance.

http://www.us.kohler.com/webassets/kpna/catalog/pdf/en/113824_4.pdf

Elkay also makes a sink LRAD250 with one drain offset to the back, but I don’t know if that will definitely get you what you need: Elkay Commercial Products

You can also buy a long trough sink, say 36” wide, sot he disposal is to one side of the sink, instead of in front of the user.
 
Yes, I am clear on the code sections and the clearances required. I need to specify a sink and disposal that will comply with the required clearances, and hopefully the sink will not cost a lot. The offset rear drain and one smaller bowl in a two compartment sink is my best bet, I think. The garbage disposal can be connected to the smaller sink so the disposal can be set higher and near the back corner. Hopefully this configuration will do the trick.

The Assure sink by Kohler is the expensive sink that I mentioned in my original post. The Elkay model that you mentioned is about the same price as the Assure. The trough sink is an interesting idea, but I don't know if the residents would go for that for a kitchen sink.

I have been hoping and waiting for a response from Mark Handler.....
 
You all seemed to have it well in hand

Yes an offset sink is the way to comply.

And yes in CA, the garbage disposer, cannot be in the open area. It can in the FAIR HOUSING Guidelines, but not per the CBC

you say costly, what is costly this sink is around $260, is that costly? to some.

Sterling 11723-2 Cinch Undercounter 31.5" x 20.5" x 9" Offset Sink with Two-hole Faucet Punching

11723-2StainlessSteel.jpg
 
But Mark, he not only asked about the covered dwelling units, he also said this is for a sink in the Community Room / Rec Room of the facility. In that one instance of a common area sink, wouldn't that sink be covered by both CBC 11B and ADA? And if there is federal funds touching the project, than also UFAS, which has now been folded into 2010 ADA?
 
Yes, common area sink, would be covered by both CBC 11B and ADA. The most restrictive is still CBC, for front access sinks. And CBC would require the undersink clearances.

I would tend to specify the same sink as the dwelling sink.
 
So the intent here is to provide a front access roll under space at only one of the two sink bowls? I am not convinced that is compliant. A 9" deep bowl will also not allow compliance.
 
JPohling said:
So the intent here is to provide a front access roll under space at only one of the two sink bowls? I am not convinced that is compliant. A 9" deep bowl will also not allow compliance.
Click to expand...
Nothing in 1133A that sets the clearance between the bottom of the bowl and floor, It is not required, by code, to follow the wash basin sink dimensions. show me where in 1133A a 9" deep bowl does not compy...

Thereis nothing that requires "roll-up" to both bowls......
 
I thought we were looking at 11B for this as well as ADA? I see there is an ADA exception to providing roll under access to a single bowl of a multi bowl sink as long as the remaining bowl complies with 306. 306 requires 27" minimum knee clearance. 34" high counter and a 9" deep bowl will not allow this clearance. Perhaps if there is no cooktop present then a side approach is acceptable?
 
Mark, I'll take the bait: 1133A.4.1, item 2 says "Base cabinets directly under the kitchen sink and work surfaces shall be removable to provide clearance for a wheelchair".

Now, I readily concede that when read exactly:

1) The actual words are about the cabinet, not the sink in the countertop above the cabinet.

2) The clearance is for a "wheelchair", not for knee or toe space for the user of the wheelchair.

3) There is no stated maximum height of countertop, only that it must reposition down to a minimum of 28" above finish floor.

Having said that, it would appear the *intent* is for a person to be able to roll under the sink, which would then imply, for a typical 36" maximum high counter, that there's a limit to the bowl depth.
 
I'm sure that I missed something in the dialogue so far, but where is a disposal even required

by CBC, ADA or the Fair Housing Standards? They're a rusting, petri dish under the sink

environment anyway! Also, IMO, they do not break down food wastes enough so as to

prevent clogging of the drain line down stream.

Is NOT having a disposal in an Accessible sink an option?

.
 
globe trekker said:
I'm sure that I missed something in the dialogue so far, but where is a disposal even requiredby CBC, ADA or the Fair Housing Standards? They're a rusting, petri dish under the sink

environment anyway! Also, IMO, they do not break down food wastes enough so as to

prevent clogging of the drain line down stream.

Is NOT having a disposal in an Accessible sink an option?

.
Click to expand...
Yes and no....

If you provide an amenity, in the non accessible units, , youneed to provide the amenity in accessible units. And yes, most feel a disposal is an amenity.

Disposals are not required in the fair housing guidelines or the CBC.....
 
mark h.,

Thanks for the clarity! This seems like a no-brainer to me! Remove all of the disposals and save a

bunch of money! Throw any food wastes in the trash container where they belong, or start a

composting environment. Non-required amenities and conveniences cost too much!

.
 
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