Is the ram all the way up.
Trash compactor door jammed.
The drive motor has a small gear attached to the shaft and this gear meshes with the larger drive gear which in turn operates the chain that powers the ram screws.
Plug the trash compactor back in and reinstall the compactor in the cabinet.
However if you compactor will not open there are a couple of things to check first.
My kitchenaid compactor door or drawer will not open.
The steps are given in order of ease to try out the solution as it is usually hard to know the exact problem with the compactor s door with a door that won t open.
Trash compactor product assistance expand collapse global location trash compactor drawer won t open.
Trash compactor door latch.
Trash compactors will normally open when the foot pedal is engaged.
The power nuts raise and lower the ram and if they become stripped over time the ram may start making a banging noise.
If you can t manually lift the ram and the container is full of trash carefully tilt the trash compactor forward and remove the bottom panel.
The porter testified that the morning s accumulation of trash resulted in a jammed condition i e.
Avoid spilling liquids if possible.
Power nuts also known as trunnion nuts are driven by power screws and attached to the sides of the ram.
If you need to repair a trash compactor here are a few steps that you will find useful.
Use a helper to steady the trash compactor while removing the bottom panel.
A condition where the ram was not capable of pushing the trash out and into the trash bag.
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Because the compactor was overly full beyond intended use and the ram was unable to handle the pile up the porter used a stick to assist the ram in.
The drive chain on the ram drive system might have broken become jammed in the gears or fell off the gears completely.
If the drive chain is defective the ram will not move all the way to the top o.
If your trash compactor is jammed or stuck with the ram in the down position the problem may be with the drive gear.
If your trash compactor is jammed there may be a defective power nut causing the ram to be stuck in the down position.