In rare cases, the lid or foot pedal may not work as expected. In roughly 1% of composters manufactured in early 2008, the vertical bar at the back of the unit may disengage or otherwise jam, resulting in little or no response from the foot pedal. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Usually you can resolve the problem by pushing the vertical bar firmly into the unit (in the forward direction) until it re-engages with the lid. If the bar has completely disengaged from the lid, lift the lid 45 degrees and then press the vertical bar under the slot at the center-back of the lid. Press the bar firmly in place until it engages into the lid. Please see the attached PDF instructions.

If the above recommendations to not resolve your issue, please check the following:

• the lid does not close completely, or does not open when stepping on the foot pedal - even after pressing the vertical bar at the back of the unit firmly into place below the lid
• the unit is a PRO model (Plus and Pet Friendly models are not affected)
• the serial number (located on the back of your unit) is betweeen HC52-08110001 and HC52-08370294

We can fix the above problem, free of charge, by sending you a new lid. Shipping is free within the US. The new lid will snap into place without any tools. Please allow 5-10 minutes for installation. Simple instructions are included. The new lid is available and will ship within 1-2 weeks. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please send us email as follows so we can send you a new lid:

• send us email
• include your serial number (located on the back of the machine)
• include the color of your lid; if you do not specify a color then we will send a black lid