Troubleshooting tips for your Gladiator trash compactor when the ram won't go down
A faulty drawer tilt switch will prevent the ram from going down more than an inch or two. If the motor starts and the ram moves down slightly then reverses and move back to its top position and the drawer is fully closed, check for continuity through the drawer tilt switch. The drawer tilt switch should only reverse the drawer if it detects that the drawer popped open during trash compaction. Using a multimeter, check for continuity through the drawer tilt switch with its plunger pushed in. If the meter measures continuity, replace the drawer tilt switch because it's reversing the ram even though the drawer is fully shut.
Top Gladiator trash compactor replacement parts
- Drive chain. The drive motor rotates the chain, which rotates the power screws to move the ram up and down to compact the trash inside the drawer.
- Motor centrifugal switch. The motor centrifugal switch reverses the direction in which the motor rotates to change between upward and downward motion.
- Ram. The ram is above the compactor drawer and is attached to the power screws. The ram compacts the trash inside the drawer.
- Drive motor. The drive motor spins the sprocket that moves the chain to drive the ram.
Owner’s manual
