[mpresar]

our 4 year old 15" GE monogram trash compactor just quit working. when the foot pedal is activated, the motor makes a stalled motor noise (hum only). i have tested all of the switches that tell the unit to operate and they are all fine. i have turned the unit upside down and looked at the gears and the chain and they are all fine. what i discovered is the motor armature is not staying centered inside the motor, ie, it is loose and when the compactor is in it's normal vertical operating position, the armature drops about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch and the motor windings can no longer drive the armature which in turns drives the gears and the compactor compacts. question: what is supposed to keep the motor armature in it's normal place?