I am putting mine inside the sink cabinet.

I second alwaysfixin's point about lightswitch next to the GD switch. Was more than happy to see that go and soon to be replaced with a counter air switch. I think you will be much happier having it on the counter.

I agree with the foregoing and got the two switches anyway. I just prefer it. And didn't have a good place to put an airswitch. And I like flicking a wall switch. So I got a pretty, kitschy switchplate and went old school.

I'm grappling with that right now, have to decide asap as electrical is being worked on.

I was going to put a wall switch for the disposal (which I have now) to the right of the sink, and visually balance it with an outlet on the the left.

I've pretty much decided I don't really want an air switch on the counter, because I'm going to have 3 holes at the sink already, and I wouldn't know where to put a 4th hole so it would look right.

I wonder if anyone has mounted an air switch into a backsplash?

We have two sinks and two airswitches. The first is on our main clean up sink, and is at the usual place on the counter. It works very well there, at least for us.

But if you don't want it on the counter, and are hesitant to put it on the backsplash, there's a third option: we put our second airswitch to the left of our undermount sink on the cabinet apron:

Don't know what your set up is, but maybe this would work for you?

We installed an airswitch and I am loving it. I feel its safer with the children and company who could mistake the wall switch for the undercounter or pendant light switch.

For optimum of safety & aesthetics: Batch Feed (if you can use one...we couldn't b/c they don't have one approved for septic & that's what's required by Code for us)

If you cannot use a Batch Fee...Air Switch mounted on the counter (not cabinet next to sink). As mentioned previously, it will not be confused with anything else, it's much safer given it's used with water/wet hands, it's not as obvious to kids (who will play with it if it's easily seen/accessed, like on a cabinet), as a hole it doesn't matter where you put it since it's so low-profile it's not even noticed with the faucet and others, and it just looks nicer!

Forgot to mention...no wet hands dripping water on wood cabinets as you open a door or tilt-out.

Well I'm not the original poster, but you guys convinced me :) Air switch it is instead of wall switch.

I'm going to mount it on the countertop a bit to the right of my other 3 items (single hole faucet, side sprayer, & soap dispenser).

Home Depot carries it in-stock for $59 and it comes with the top button in 3 finishes.

Buehl has good points regarding the placement on the cabinet. I can see a child pushing it to see what it does. Also the wet, drippy hands are a problems as I hate to even get my sponge out!

Wow...I had no idea about the batch feed business. Terrific! I was totally terrified of little hands and the GD...to be honest, was even terrified about my hands!

So...let me get this straight. With the batch feed...you still need a switch?

Thank you ALL for your opinions, ideas and recommendations. I think I finally convinced DH to go with the air switch on the countertop. Now just have to go shop for it. How does the granite fabricator know where to drill hole for it or does that get installed after the granite ??? So confusing...

Sabjimata...No, a batch feed GD does not need a switch. The GD is turned on/off with the cover. When the cover is in place and pushed in, the GD will operate. Pull out/take off the cover and it stops. It's probably the safest GD available (other than a dog, that is!)

This is the best news I've heard all day!!!! (granted...it is only 4:48 am, but I am excited nevertheless!). Thanks, Buehl!

Sabjimata - see my post earlier on this thread above. I describe a batch feed disposal (no switch needed), and also give a link to a good model that has a 10 year in-home warranty.

Sabjimata -- we got one disposal with an air switch, and one batch feed disposal. I adore the batch feed, and if I ever get any extra $$ I'm considering replacing the air switched one for another batch feeder. (Not that I don't love the air switch, it was a perfect solution for an under-window sink where I have little open wall for miles.)

We have the 1hp Insinkerator, and it's a marvel. You insert the cover and twist it a bit and it turns on. Twist again and it turns off. It has little openings in it so you can keep the water flowing from the faucet during operation, like any disposal, or even just leave the cover on in the 'off' position while doing your work. I suppose the only drawback might be losing the cover somehow (kids use it as a hockey puck? dog takes it outside to bury?), but they're easily replaced. Warmly recommend!

Oh! I guess mine's a 3/4hp, actually. But very powerful. And I forgot to mention, my COVER CONTROL Insinkerator Evolution is the quietest disposal I've ever heard in my life. :-)

(I know this sounds like a total shill, but I'm a regular gardenwebber, I promise.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Insinkerator Evolution Cover Control

Circuspeanut, with the batch feed GD are you able to keep the sink full of water? My current GD is in the side that I wash dishes. You mentioned that there are little holes for the water to flow. If it is in the off position will that close the drain?

Parts - in answer to your questionm, both the Waste King batch feed I linked to above, and the Insinkerator batch feed that Circuspeanut linked to, allow you to stop the drain to fill it with water. The stopper that functions to turn the batch feed disposal on and off also functions as a regular stopper - meaning it can either allow water to flow down while straining out the bigger particles the way Circuspeanut described, or you can turn the stopper so that it stops the drainage entirely so you can fill up your sink with water.

What s/he said. ^

Also, you can just remove the special stopper entirely (it's loose, not fixed in the sink) and use a regular disposal stopper -- seem to remember my batch feed even came with an extra regular stopper, but I may be mistaken. They are all the same size. In either case, no problem. We fill ours up with hot soapy water all the time.

We bought a child safety switch for our disposal and I love it. It means you can't mistake it for the light and accidentally turn it on. And my kids can't operate it. I'd worry about an air switch being accidentally turned on in my house.

Not sure how I feel about batch feed. I have to buy a new disposal and haven't decided yet. I often leave the thing running with a sink full of stuff that I was down into the disposal. But then I hardly ever use the disposal anyway.

Has anyone discussed the con of the airswitch in terms of cleaning? We just moved into a house with an airswitch and I feel like it just is ANOTHER thing that collects gunk and has to be wiped around often. This house also has an airgap and between the two of these things on the counter I feel like it is always feeling so much more grimy and harder to easily wipe up than our old house that had a single hole faucet and drinking water dispenser. Is it just me??

It's just you. Most people do not consider it a problem.

Sorry, sushipup2, I think you might not be right on this one. I have spent more time with this setup (an air switch) and I have spoken to others about it too. It sounds all well and good to have a large array of things sitting along your countertop sink line...but ease wiping up needs to be considered especially households that cook daily. II will probably not be putting in an air switch in a future house unless there is a true reason...in fact, I would love to get extreme and get wall-mounted faucets too!! I want to get rid of all the counter clutter!!! Make cleaning easier on yourselves!

"Make cleaning easier on yourselves!"

Yes, by touching a cabinet door pull with a hand covered in onion juice, flipping a switch underneath, and touching the door again to close it instead of poking a top-mounted button with a single finger.

"It sounds all well and good to have a large array of things sitting along your countertop sink line"

I do not think there should be an "array of things" along the back of the sink. The air gap is not required if you have a dishwasher with a high loop - dishwashers sold in the last 10 years or more come with the high-loop pre-installed. If you live in the one state in the U.S. that has a code requirement for an air gap (California), you put in the air gap for the inspection, and after that, replace it with an in-counter soap dispenser - as long as your dishwasher has a high loop hose.

As has been said in this thread, use a batch feed disposal and you'll not need a button or switch anywhere for the disposal. I have a batch feed disposal. My sink has a single-hole faucet and an in-counter soap dispenser. i.e. two holes behind my sink. That is all.

People always forget lonely Washington state, which also has an air gap requirement. Otherwise, M Miller is correct. Batch-feed disposals solve the switch problem and are fantastic.