Repairing Your Trash Compactor
Did you know that trash compactor repair is one of the most common appliance repair jobs our trained appliance service technicians have to do? They can be a little difficult to do yourself so if you run into trouble, remember that you can always call us to book an appointment or a service call.
Trash compactors have only one function and that is to compress your garbage into a smaller size. Here are some common problems and some pretty easy solutions to them.
My Trash Compactor Drawer is Shut and Won’t Open
The first thing you need to do is to unplug the appliance. Once done, and using a butter knife or something similar, you can try to carefully pry the door open by using the tool as a lever in the crease of the top of the compactor where it opens. BE CAREFUL. You are trying to pry open the latch WITHOUT bending the knife or tool, scratching your trash compactor or breaking the latch.
Sometimes the trash compactors latch with already be broken and this might have been the problem. Schedule an appliance repair appointment with us and we’ll help you resolve the issue. If the latch isn’t broken, however, you might need to spray it with an oil substance to grease up the latch to avoid its sticking and catching. Since its open and you are there, verify that the latch is screwed in all the way because a latch that isn’t can very easily break.
My Trash Compactor Stinks
The only way to avoid a smelly trash compactor is to open the appliance, remove the garbage and use a disinfectant spray and hot water to get rid of all living and even non-living bacteria left behind by old garbage. It’s a dirty job but you can do it.
My Trash Compactor Seems to Have Power Problems
This appliance repair symptom is often seen when people stop the trash compactor while it is in the down position. After that, these people have a hard time turning the trash compactor back on again and it seems there is a power problem.
When this type of problem occurs, you’ll probably need an appliance repair specialist. We’ve seen some people try to re-wire their trash compactors only have done in incorrectly and need to replace the whole appliance. Don’t forget, you can always call us to book an appointment with a trained appliance repair technician.
A Warning About Trash Compactors and Things that Can Explode
If you have a trash compactor, you must be careful about what you put into the garbage. We have seen and heard ‘horror’ stories where people have put cans of hair spray or spray paint, for instance and had the trash compactor door fly open and even hit them. Nothing under pressure should be put into the trash compactor because this almost always ends up in being required to replace your who appliance.
