How Does A Trash Compactor Work?

The component of the trash compactor that compresses the trash is called the compacting ram. The compacting ram does not reach the bottom of the drawer and cannot be seen compacting trash during first few times compactor is operated. It is also important to note that the drawer should be more than half full prior to the compactor beginning to compress the load. A noise may be heard when glass is breaking and strong glass bottles may not break when trash is being compressed. When compressed the trash in a compactor will be approximately one quarter its original size. Finally when loading a trash compactor it is advised that bulky trash, cans, and bottles should be placed in the center of the drawer as bottles or cans not in the center can become lodged between the drawer and the compacting ram. This can result in the drawer monitor switch sensing a misload, thus resulting in the ram returning to the up position without compacting the trash.