InSinkErator SST-FLTR 2/3-Gallon Stainless Tank and Filtration System
by InSinkErator
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of InSinkErator SST-FLTR 2/3-Gallon Stainless Tank and Filtration System
Customer Review: Easy replacement for old tank
Summary: 4 Stars
My house is 11 years old and I am the third owner. A previous owner had an older InSinkErator tank, filter and hot-only faucet installed. For months, I had a very slow leak under the sink, but had never been able to locate the source until recently, when I saw a single drip roll-off the power cord from the tank. This probably explains the GFI kicking-out once every few weeks, which was impossible to isolate.
The SST-FLTR was not in-stock at my local big-box stores but was available at two local plumbing supply houses -- for over $240. I purchased this from Amazon as it was the 2nd-lowest price I could find online and it was eligible for Amazon Prime 2-day shipping, making the price delivered the lowest. It was delivered overnight KUDOS!
Working under a crowded kitchen sink is always a pain, but the installation of this tank was pretty straightforward. I'm an average handyman and did not use any documentation except the included, "6 Step Quick Install Guide". I will not discuss the filter installation as my old installation had the exact same filter system. I just swapped-out the old filter canister for the new one.
PREPARATION:
After unplugging the power, I ran water from the instant hot water faucet until the water coming out was lukewarm. Next, the water supply to the existing InSinkErator water filter was turned-off and the instant hot water faucet was turned-on for just a second to release any pressure in the line. I then placed an old bath towel under the area and it was inevitable that some water would spill.
REMOVAL OF THE OLD TANK:
The first step was to disconnect the three water lines going into the tank from the faucet. The white and clear tubes pull right-off, but I had to use diagonal cutters to remove the stubborn blue line. With the power cord and all three water lines disconnected, removal was just a matter of lifting the old tank of a mounting bracket. The old tank was inverted in the sink to drain. Since the SST-FLTR tank does not use the bracket, it was then removed.
PREPARING FOR THE NEW TANK:
The blue line was connected to the old tank by sliding the blue line onto a barbed fitting. The new tank is different; a quick-release fitting must be attached to the blue line first, using a compression fitting. All the parts needed are included. It's simple - first, slide the nut and then the ferrule onto the blue line. Second, push the end of the blue line into the quick release fitting as far as it will go, about 1/2-inch. The last step is to slide the ferrule and nut down to the fitting and screw it together. You will need a wrench for the last few turns, but don't over-tighten.
INSTALLING THE NEW TANK:
Using the included screws, mount the new tank at a height where the three water lines can reach the tank. Be sure to mount the tank level for proper operation. Next, depress the latch on the blue line's fitting and attach it to the tank. The white and clear lines are easy; just slide them on. Turn-on the water supply. VERY IMPORTANT -- actuate the faucet until the tank fills and cold water comes out of the faucet. Inspect the water lines and tank for leaks. Plug-in the electrical cord. Once the water is hot, ran a bit of water and again checked for leaks.
I am very pleased with the new tank. It was easy to install, has a larger capacity then the old model, and seems to be able to get the water to my preferred temperature of 200F without boiling the water and sputtering hot water into the sink like the old tank. While I did not want or need the included filter assembly, I used the new cartridge and found my hot water flow is perhaps 2X than the old tank and/or filter cartridge.
Customer Review: Be Warned - These Units Don't Last
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought one of these hot water dispensers in August of 2007, to replace one of their older style units which had started to leak after 3 years. A common problem with those styles, as it turned out.
So 3 years and 3 months (3 months out of warranty) after installing this new stainless steel tank style unit, it developed a problem where it would only get the water lukewarm. Even with the temperature adjustment set to max the water was only heated to about 150°.
Since it was out of warranty anyway, I took the unit apart and found it only had 2 active parts - a thermostat and the heating element. I started searching the web for the manufacturer's part numbers hoping I could replace the part(s) cheaper than replacing the whole tank. But then I noticed 2 other problems. First, the clear plastic tubing inside the unit had started to turn dark and brittle and there were signs of deposits (leaking) around 2 of the fittings on the top of the tank. I knew I could replace the tubing as another reviewer posted here, but the leaking around the fittings had me worried. I hadn't seen any actual signs of water drips or leaks underneath the kitchen sink cabinet, but I didn't want to risk spending the money to replace the thermostat and/or heating element only to find out in the coming weeks or months that I now had a water leak.
So I started searching for a replacement tank. I didn't need the whole retail unit with the water filter and counter-top faucet - just the tank. Water to the kitchen sink already goes through a whole-house filter, a water softener and an under-sink filter.
Very few places sell he tank only and the best price I could find was $199.95 - almost as much as the whole retail unit! I've ordered the tank, but I'm not happy. These things should last longer than 3 years. I started researching other brands but found almost as many customer complaints and significantly higher prices. Plus, I really didn't want the hassle of installing a whole different type unit, faucet & filter assembly. I really feel trapped.
I'll install this new tank when it arrives, but if this unit fails, I'll probably give up on hot water dispensers, take it all out and stick flowers in the open hole in the counter-top (I already have a soap dispenser hole and a sprayer hole. Although, I guess I could install a second soap dispenser and fill it with hand soap or hand cream).
You've been warned!
Customer Review: Great When Not Leaking
Summary: 3 Stars
I like this unit when it works but like the Hot1 unit it replaced it does have some significant design problems. I purchased the SST-FLTR along with the hot/cold brushed stainless dispenser as the F-HC1100BC set in August 2007 from Insinkerator when the Hot1 unit I purchased from Home Depot started to leak after only 3 months. They were kind enough to offer me a great price under their customer care program and I was very happy with the new unit for 2 years. I started to notice some rust on the bottom of paint cans I was keeping under the sink, but didn't notice the heater dripping and it was still working fine. 4 months later I had to do some touch up painting and pulled out the paint cans now completly rusted on the bottom and the newspapers I kept them on were soaked. Called Insinkerator to tell them about the problem and got most of the same poor customer service answers that you have read about in other reviews. I did unplug the unit and put a bucket under it but continued to use the cold side for filtered drinking water as I waited to decide if I would replace the unit. I finaly decided to purchase a new unit and took out the old one to take a closer look. It was quite easy to drain the SST-FLTR (screw on bottom# and take the gray plastic cover off of it #small screw on top) and slide the two halfs apart. Then it was just getting the styrofoam off and looking at the unit. Two spots on the front were covered in wet rust and i first thought the tank was leaking but after wondering why a plastic/silicone breather tube going to an overflow chamber on the top of the unit was so brown and discolored I found the problem. I couldnt believe that they allowed that tube to lay so close to the heat chamber. It was brown and dried out and when I looked at it closer it had a crack about an inch long in it. Wow, everything else on the unit was fine, but a 1 cent plastic/silicone tube and a couple of zip ties led to the demise of my heater tank. I hope they have fixed the flaw in newer units and I will be taking the new one apart when it arrives to check it. I havent decided if I'm going to try to reapir the old unit myself, but a short pice of fishtank air tubing and a couple of zip ties might be just the ticket.Customer Review: Model SST - Failed just out of warrenty
Summary: 1 Stars
I brought an InSinkErator Model SST in Nov of 20007. (Model SST is essentially the same as the current model SST-FLTR except it doesn't have an internal filter.) The unit was installed by a licensed plumber as part of a kitchen remodel in Feb 2008. We were very happy with it's performance until Jan 2010 when we discovered it had been dripping for some time. Luckily we found the leak before too much damage was done to the cabinet floor.
Our unit had only a two year warrenty although the current model has a 3 year warrenty. Since it was out of warrenty I decide to take it apart and try to fix it. I found two leaks - a cracked plastic (PVC?) tube between the stainless heater tank and plastic expansion tank and a leaking plastic fitting on the top of the heater tank. I believe these fitting are designed for fast assembly and are glued together. I had to cut it apart to remove it. The fitting used a silicone O ring to make the seal. The O ring was flat on one side. I expect it was pinched during assembly.
The stainless heater tank is a two part design with a flange between the top and bottom. An O ring between the flanges forms the seal. The flanges are held together by carbon steel screws which were heavily rusted.
I disassemblied the unit by cutting the rusted flange screws with a dremel tool. After cleaning everything I reassemblied it using brass fittings to replace the leaking plastic ones. (I could not find any parts supplier for these units). I also replaced the carbon steel screws with stainless and the PVC tubing with silicone tubing. It was a little difficult getting the unit back inside the plastic case but it went in after some extra care.
The unit has been reinstalled for about a week and appears to be working fine with no leaks. I did place a pan under it just in case.
Overall I think the unit's design was marginal plus assembly appears to be critical (pinched O ring). Also, some of the materials of construction clearly didn't meet the requirements. If I have to replace this unit I will buy a "Hot and Quick" heater which looks like a more reliable design.
Customer Review: Large and loud
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm not happy with insinkerator hot water heaters for 3 reasons:
1) TOO LARGE TO INSTALL EASILY/AS RECOMMENDED
The unit is truly huge, with lots of insulation around 2.5 gallons of water, so before buying this, please make sure that the unit will fit around the plumbing in your cabinet. Ours would not fit. The instructions say not to extend the tubing that they provide, yet, I cannot see how this unit would fit in a normal cabinet with normal plumbing. Because of the length of the provided tubing, the system seems designed to place the unit at the back of the cabinet rather than at the cabinet's side, but the size of this unit would make that impossible. Thus, most people would need to install this unit on a side of the cabinet. BUT that would require most people to extend all of the provided installation tubing, which is not easy and also not recommended.
I highly recommend that you go to the insinkerator web site, look at the product documentation, and make sure that the unit will fit and/or plan out how to do the installation before buying this.
2) SOUNDS LIKE A TRAIN COMING TO THE STATION.
I can't believe how loud this unit is. It's actually louder than our 80 gallon whole-house water heater. It's so loud that I'm already looking for a replacement, or for some kind of sound-insulation blanket that one would use over an AC compressor. Beware of the sound, it's really a problem.
3) QUALITY.
I originally had a version of the insinkerator instant hot water heater bought in May 2005. It broke, dangerously, in Oct 2006 (6 months after the warranty expired). The tank split at its seam at a top corner and then dripped water all over its own electronics, and ultimately onto my cabinet. I believe that I was lucky to realize that the tank was leaking before it caused a fire. However, I did not find the leak before it caused a lot of mold and subsequent staining in my cabinet.
All in all, then, I've had bad experiences with this version of insinkerator's hot water heater AND with the previous version, so I wouldn't recommend it.