I appreciate the quick response! We'll be going to Lowes to check out the two models tomorrow. We not doing a garbage disposal because of that issue :)

Definitely scrape all the food off into trash or compost bin before using a dishwasher (or sink!) with septic. Food should not go down that drain. Our house came with a disposal; we are not using it and will take it out as soon as we have time. If we'd known about it before seeing (and falling for) this house, we probably would've skipped over this house; it's that much of a problem.

I agree you should scrape your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, regardless of whether you have a septic system or not. We have a garbage disposer and an aging septic system. Removing the disposer in our opinion serves no purpose. In fact the first one crapped out and we replaced it with a stainless steel unit. Everything will eventually go down your septic whether you want it to or not. We are very careful with what we put down the disposer/septic. Our system was installed in 1975 which makes it ready for failure. To replace it is hugely expensive so I treat it with care. The previous owners took good care and had the holding tank pumped every couple of years. I make it a point not to put any grease down or much of anything else for that matter. However, the disposer is used to grind anything from the dishwasher and to keep the pipes "sweet" so to speak. Removing it really serves little purpose in our opinion. The secret is not to throw a lot of junk down the system. My moto, which we use on our boat for the toilets is "do not throw anything in unless you have eaten it first" plumbers at sea are hard to find. Short story, use the disposer but don't throw a lot of garbage down. Just my opinion and your mileage may vary.

Best wishes

Inga

I like the whirlpool Gold but you should look at the water usage of both of the units (and not just on their "eco" cycle) before deciding because you do have a special issue to be thinking of. I think that you should definitely have a garbage disposal so that it can grind up anything from the dishwasher and anything from the sink.

Also, if possible, bring one of your dinner plates, a bowl and a sample of your cutlery to the store and try to load them into both models, you may find that they only fit well in one brand or the other. Yes, you will feel stupid doing this but it's much smarter to do it before you buy it

I have met people who throw everything down the garbage disposal and they must either use a lot of water/ be on the sewer or pay a lot of money to their plumber/septic. I believe that the garbage disposal is there to grind up stuff that the dishwasher (whether you or the machine) missed, not for stuff that should have been put in either the compost or the trash in the first place. Either way you want the stuff that was missed ground up so that it does not clog your pipes and the garbage disposal is excellent for this. I note that the newer garbage disposals (in the $150-$200 range) are well insulated and extremely quiet compared to earlier models.

We have a septic system -- it's new and I saw it go in as our old one failed a few years ago. Putting food of any kind -- even pureed food -- into a septic system is a super bad idea. True, the stuff does get broken down in the tank with proper maintenance. But you don't want the arms and holes clogged by solids. Seriously you don't.

Not familiar with either of the diswashers you mention. I have a Miele with a super fine filter that catches everything. I rinse it off from time to time. I would really want a dishwasher with a very good filter.

Also, I use half a Method smarty tab as those biodegrade and don't have bleach. Bleach is not good to have in the septic as it kills the natural breakdown of stuff in there.

Dumping food waste, oils,grease can cause septic problems and cause difficulty in emptying. Try to reduce solids load, it will make wastewater treatment a bit
simpler.