Multifamily Property Saves $1k/Mo After Compactor Monitoring System Identifies Operational Failure
When a multifamily property reported a compactor overflow, the instinct was to add a pickup, which would have cost nearly $1,000 more per month. Instead, the DSQ Pioneer Compactor Monitor traced the issue to an operational failure.
When a multifamily property reported a compactor overflow, the instinct was to add a pickup, which would have cost nearly $1,000 more per month. Instead, the DSQ Pioneer Compactor Monitor traced the issue to an operational failure, kept the existing haul schedule intact, and saved the property from a recurring cost increase.
The Problem
On Friday, site staff reported the compactor was full, and trash was overflowing. The DSQ Pioneer's compactor fullness monitor showed the unit at approximately 60% capacity with no pack-out indicators and a standard haul already scheduled for Monday. The team trusted DSQ Pioneer’s data, skipped the emergency call, and let the weekend play out. The compactor ran without issue, and the Monday haul came in at 11.5 tons.
The question remained: if the compactor wasn't full, why was trash overflowing?
What the Compactor Monitoring System Found
A review of the DSQ Pioneer's cycle history revealed the answer. The compactor had not been cycled once between Tuesday and Friday. During that same period, the site would historically expect more than 100 cycles. The valet team had been loading trash into the chute the entire time without activating the compactor.
Thursday, Feb 12
- Actual Cycles: 0
- Historical Average: 45
Wednesday, Feb 11
- Actual Cycles: 0
- Historical Average: 48
A compactor monitor measures fullness based on how hard the unit works when it cycles. No cycles means no data, and no compression. Based on the site's average daily output, roughly 2.25 tons of uncompacted waste had accumulated in the chute. The moment cycling resumed on Friday, the bin monitor's fullness readings climbed immediately, exactly in line with DSQ Pioneer’s data.
The Outcome
The DSQ Pioneer Compactor Monitor was accurate throughout the entire event. The failure was operational: the valet team had gone over two days without cycling the compactor. By identifying the real root cause, the property corrected the valet procedure, maintained the existing pickup schedule, and avoided a cost increase of nearly $1,000 per month.
The Takeaway
When a trash monitor says the compactor isn't full, but waste is overflowing, the answer is rarely another haul. A compactor monitoring system gives operations teams the data to ask the right questions and find the real answers.
About DSQ Pioneer
The DSQ Pioneer Compactor Monitor is a predictive compactor monitoring system designed for multifamily properties, commercial buildings, and any site running a waste or recycling compactor. DSQ Pioneer tracks real-time compactor fullness, learns your compactor's usage patterns, and schedules on-call hauls only when needed, eliminating unnecessary pickups and reducing waste costs.
Properties using DSQ Pioneer have reduced hauls by up to 47%, cut GHG emissions, and saved thousands annually on trash invoices.
Ready to see what DSQ Pioneer can do for your property? Calculate your savings with our calculator!
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