KUCC151LSS0 KitchenAid Trash Compactor - Instructions

the bearing were the perfect match and instructions helpful. sysem is rolling smoothly

Replaced drive gears.They arrived in a kit from Parts Select with instructions.They fit perfectly and the compactor works like new.

Had to first raise the screw plate that compacts the garbage. Then had to turn the compactor over and remove screws holding the bottom plate on in order to get to the gears. Once that was done I removed the worn gears and the chain drive and replaced with the new gears and the chain. Put the unit back together and works like a new one. A $35 dollar fix for a unit that sells for around $900 today. Thanks to partslect for being able to help me with the parts needed. Not only did I save on a new unit but by doing this myself I saved around $100 in labor charges.

At best it is advisable to load just one at a time and covered with newspaper etc., In this case someone put in three bottles with out covering with heavy newspaper etc.and for some reason one rode out and to the side. Crushing the side of the metal trash container. This pinned the container against the side of the compactor body and behind the front rails. Using a lot of pulling and some nifty pry bars and two hours of prying and squeezing we got the container out( see attached photo )The replacement container was ordered on a Sunday night and arrived Tuesday morning. Removal of the existing front panel ,foot pedal and door switch was easy and installation on to the replacement container was a breeze with a little orientation required to line up the switch and pedal in the right configuration. 20 min tops and that was with five kids helping ;)

changed out the big gear that was broken

The part was suppose to come with instructions, but did not. However, it was easy after reading the comments on-line, and discovering that the front cover had to be removed in order to expose the whole switch and wires. I did drop one of the mounting screws down the front of the compactor and was not able to recover it. So, I had to make a trip to the hardware store for a replacement. They couldn't match the remaining screw but I found 2 similar ones with lock washers and nuts that worked just fine. I saved a $90 service charge and probably double the cost of the switch by doing it myself.

The instructions were pretty straight forward. I did not expect to receive the foot pedal and switch as mine was still ok. However, I find that everything works with less effort than before. I did have to trim the new toe guard as it hit the actuator button when opening and closing the compactor.

I took the hex screws out with a nut driver and then punched out the role pin in the pinion gear (the little gear) and replaced it along with the large gear, less than 15 minutes. I was surprised how fast (day and a half) the parts were here.

Took the bent one out, put the new one in. The repair was not the story, the story was that we ordered the part on Monday afternoon and it was delivered on Tuesday! And the shipping was less than $8.00. Fresno to Elk Creek in less than 24 hours for that price was amazing!

We only had part of the model number and I was able to narrow it down to less than ten by using an SS as two of the last letters. I looked at the handles and counted the squares from one hole to the other for the size. It was perfect and installed in less than 5 minutes.

Pull unit from under counter (Held in place with 2 screws) Use nut driver to remove top and front panel. (I didn't remove the control panel from the front panel which probably made access more difficult) Locate the directional switch near the top of the unit and remove two screws, being careful not to lose a small metal plate into which the screws thread (similar to a Tinneman nut). I moved the wires one at a time from the old switch to the new as I am color blind and have trouble with wire colors. Fit the new switch in place, being sure the switch lever is positioned against the metal tab that operates it. Screw the switch in place and then reassemble the compactor.

This replacement kit did solve the problem but required replacement of a number of parts because the switch and actuator functionality had been redesigned. Fitting the kit of parts requires that you have to slide the compactor away and out of its location (might be a bit tricky if it's beautifully integrated into a designer kitchen)so as to remove the front cover. Some heavy leather gloves could be helpful here since there are several sharp edges on the pressed steel carcase of the unit. Once free the kit replacement is relatively easy (for the average handyman/woman), following the simple instructions provided. You will need to drill two new holes in the front plate (template provided) so an electric drill and a sharp drill bit (for metal) will be needed. Most important - the kit worked; and with a more reliable component than that replaced.

I installed the new bracket, however not the new switch that came with the kit as the old switch was fine. The one key which threw me for several hours is, you must replace the switch, located in the compactor. The new switch is normally open when compressed, the old switch is closed when compressed.

All I really needed to do was to take the front facing off and put on the new container, but I took the opportunity to do a complete overhaul and cleaning. It now work like a new compactor.

This is the third time that I have had to repair the actuator on this unit. The first two times I did it, it was a really simple fix-two screws and done. And it was inexpensive. However, obviously this fix didn't last because the piece of spring metal kept breaking. Fortunately, Kitchen Aid redesigned the actuator to use a new pedal mechanism and a different type of switch. This new actuator seems much beefier and I expect it will last for the life of the unit. The bad news is it is a pretty complex fix. Disconnect power, slide unit out, remove the top, remove the front panel, remove the switch and the old actuator, drill two new holes in the front panel and install the actuator, reinstall the panels and the new kick plate, slide the unit back in, level the unit and attach it to other cabinets, reconnect power. It was about as hard to do this part install as it is to install a new compactor. If you can install a compactor, you can install this part.