How to Install a Trash Compactor

$550.00
10 Hours
Medium
Hello readers! Today’spost, Hello I Live Here shows you how to install a trash compactor. I have waited to get this one appliance back for quite some time. Because our kitchen is on the smaller side, 10 x 10 max – yep you read that right – I waited to make sure I could part with the cabinet space before installing this appliance.

Finding I could live without it, I took the rains and ordered a Sears Kenmore Trash compactor, promoting our blog today on how to install a trash compactor. Hubby was surprised when he opened to door to Sears Home Delivery today :-) . Yep, from working on a table, to jumping right on over to another project – that’s how we roll over here at Hello I Live Here ;-). It’s all in the day of the frantic life of Linda!

When we first moved into the Villa, I built a recycling center with the help of plans from the great Ana White that we retro fitted to our own needs to provide basket storage as well. The best thing, this center worked to keep that unsightly can of trash covered. Pee U!!! I hate looking at trash. Now that I find we can live without that space, I decide today was the day. Calling Sears just yesterday, I plead my case,told them I blog, and bam, a trash compactor arrived the next morning (paid for by us of course, but sears was great to give us free delivery).

Here’s our install process.

1. We started by removing the drawers, doors and face frames from the cabinet. Make sure you don’t break the face frames as you will need to re-install them at the end.

2. Next, we cut back the bottom of the cabinet and the shelf inside. We measured 15 ¼ inches inward, and used our skill saw to remove.

3. Before we went further with our install, we checked to make sure the trash compactor fit the space we cut – and it did –like a glove!

4. Then, we added a 1 x 5” pine board to the bottom of the floor area, using our Ryobi nail gun with 2” brad nails to secure the board to the underside and back of the cabinet for stability to the newly cut shelf.

5. After we finished our bottom board install, we moved the side panel we added back to the cabinet on the inside. We cut our side board long, to 35”from floor to under counter. Then we slid the side board into place, and used a pencil to draw a line indicating where we wanted to cut our board length. We did the same at the top and under the bottom of the top shelf so we could route out the opening. This process allowed us to slide the side shelf into place creating stability to the top and lower shelf area. Strong as an ox! ;-) The way it should be.

6. Then we had the electrician put in an electrical outlet. We don’t like doing the electrical part so we went to lunch and let them go at it.

7. When we returned, we installed the compactor,and added the face frames back around the trash compactor completing our post on how to install a trash compactor.

That’s all there was to how to install a trash compactor! Not so bad was it? Tomorrow we will be working on special storage for the kitchen that we partnered with D. Lawless Hardware to bring you - I think you will all be excited about this storage and the surprise of where we are installing this handy storage. So make sure you stop by and see the post :-)

Thanks for stopping by Hello I Live Here – Until tomorrow –

Linda :-)
Compactor installed and ready to use!
Removing face frames - save for re install.
Cutting shelves to get 15" opening to insert compactor
Measuring for side panel height.
Drawing a line on side panel to router out for shelf.
Installing New side panel.
Installing Face frames back after cutting them.
Finished post on how to install a trash compactor
Linda Crandall
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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4 of 18 comments
  • Sgmclawhorn Sgmclawhorn on Feb 02, 2014
    Don't be sorry...I really appreciate any help at all from you. Maybe one of these days you will find a 12 inch compactor that will fit the bill for me. Thanks for caring..... Sharon
  • Kelly S Kelly S on Feb 02, 2014
    Both of our units went out a month before we moved into our new house in '97. We had new ones put in and rolled the price into the price of the house. They were >20 yrs old and had been fixed several times. The washer wouldn't spin and the dryer didn't heat up. It cost over $20 a week at the laundry mat. I'm so glad I talked the hubby into new ones, it was worth the cost.
    • Linda Crandall Linda Crandall on Feb 04, 2014
      @Kelly S I hear that Kelly! It was a touch splurge but I knew it was high time!
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