Vacuums

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced Vacuum Technicians :

Don`t Vacuum Liquids

Dry Vacuum cleaners should clean dirt particles from carpets and floorings, not pick water and other liquids. If you run your vacuum over water, remember you are running the danger of electrocution and causing damage to your machine. This occurs when emptying the bin.

Check that the vacuum cleaner is plugged into a working power outlet and that fuses and breakers don`t need resetting. An activated thermal cut-out due to a blockage is the next most likely cause of the problem. Check for blockages in the hose and filters, and remove any obstructions that you find.
Instead of using a vacuum bag, a wet and dry vacuum cleaner uses two bucket system for separating dry and wet waste. The collection chamber, and motor unit, and are the main parts of a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. The motor of the vacuum cleaner is situated on top of the collection chamber.
A few things you can check to try and solve:

Let the product cool down for a minimum of 2 hours on the charging stand before starting it again (stick vacuum cleaners only) Charge the vacuum cleaner (stick vacuum cleaners only) Check that the cable is connected to the mains. Check that the plug and cable are not damaged.

You`ll need it—the filter prevents dust from blowing out of the top while you`re cleaning. For wet surfaces, however, you`ll need to remove the filter entirely. Liquids will damage filters, and you could even potentially ruin your vacuum if you suck up water before removing the filter.
The most common problems found in vacuum cleaners are low suction force, excessive noise, burning smell, vacuum not turn on, and overheating. These issues can be fixed by either cleaning the device or replacing some parts of the device. At times, it is best to seek a professional to fix the cleaner effectively.
A dry vacuum system does not use water to generate suction. A wet vacuum needs significant water flow to generate suction.
With proper handling and maintenance, wet/dry vacuum cleaners efficiently vacuum up dry dust, liquids, small debris and other refuse. The vacuum cleaner`s special features: They are operated without any bags, so even wet dirt can be vacuumed up easily. The perfect all-rounder for quick cleaning!
One of the most common reasons a washer won`t spin clothes is an imbalanced wash load. To protect against damage, a spin cycle won`t engage when your machine senses an unbalanced load. If there are too few items in the washer or if it`s overloaded, the load will be unstable, and the spin cycle won`t start.
A: The best filter to use for wet pick up is a foam sleeve. When picking up water containing debris; such as, glass, stone, etc., you may want to consider adding a tear resistant wet dry collection bag.
Not all messes are created equally, which is why a wet-dry vacuum that can handle wet or dry spills can be a useful tool for households big and small. “Wet-dry vacuums are extremely versatile and help to safely clean liquids and dirt in and outside your home,” says Leanne Stapf, COO of The Cleaning Authority.
The Main Difference Between Wet Pumps and Dry Pumps

Water-based wet pumps use water to seal or lubricate. Oil-based pumps use oil. Dry pumps use PTFE dry polymer seals instead of water or oil. A dry vacuum pump may also have a diaphragm to keep the swept gas away from the mechanism that pumps.

Turn on the vacuum and place the nozzle on top of the water. Wet/dry vacuums can vacuum up large quantities of standing water very quickly.
Regular vacuum cleaners are not designed to pick up water and other liquids. If you are ever tempted to run the vacuum cleaner over a puddle of water, remember that you run the risk of electrocution and serious damage to the machine.
In a vacuum chamber, the pressure can be extremely low. So low, in fact, that water can actually boil at room temperature. So, if you put some water in a high-vacuum chamber you will see it boil.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

I have a hoover 3000 i have not used in awhile, and since I removed a large rug, I would like to use it again on my slate floor. HOWEVER, I cannot get it to pick up ANY water in the water recovery unit……it is dry, dry, dry. I have put in a new filter, cleaned the nozzle unit, the scrubber , and reconnected both the recovery unit and the water unit several times, but to no avail. I would like to get a graut attachment a well as replacement part, but since I can’t get the basic unit to work, I
ANSWER : Have you made sure the plastic filter cover with the round hole in it that covers the filter is in place ( part # 59177096 ). This piece seems to get lost, and without it there is no pick-up. The other common problem is that the wheel assembly has been damaged. Look at the bottom of the Floormate. You will see a black plastic wheel assembly. There are two pegs at the rear attaching it to the base. If this piece has a crack in it where it attaches to the base, there will be no pick-up.

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The problem has been getting worse. It works, then cuts off. Then works and cuts off. Making sure the canister is not full. Time b/w it working is getting longer and longer. Almost seems this time when I change the outlet it is plugged into it works. But then shuts off quicker than it was doing before. I’m getting very frustrated.
ANSWER : We had exactly the same problem with our Animal. After the motor was replaced under warranty a different engineer came out and diagnosed it as the cyclone chamber itself being clogged.(the bit with the purple cylinders on it). This is completely unserviceable and it too was replaced under warranty – along with a second motor! Not the answer you wanted I’m sure but you’re wasting your time looking for a problem elsewhere. Ultimately the motor is pulling through a clogged chamber and you will burn it out! Hope this helps…

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I have a 5.5 hp craftsman 20 litre wet Dry vacum . I have lost the manual. & have 2 questions 1) how do I change to wet vacum from dry? Also could i use the wet mode with some water in it and let it run while I am sanding dry wall to catch the dust in the water in the container? Thanks
ANSWER : # 1 myou just take the bag out make sure ytou sponge filter is in place athe top and turn it on the power switch just turns on ,machine ther is no wet dry switch just an empty bagless cannister is all you need make sure the ball outlet in vacumn is working it stops water from overfilling cannister # 2 just use the proper bag and attachment to vacumn up the drywall dust a good building supply store has special sanding attachments for vacumn so you can sand and vacumn at the same time

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How can I get my DAB radio working again?
I have a Sony XDRS100CD with DAB radio. The DAB radio has stopped working although I can still use the CD and get FM radio. The unit has a readout on the front that usually shows the time and this stopped working too, presumably because it got the time via the DAB radio.
The unit works from mains and batteries although I have only ever used it on mains.
ANSWER : I have the same problem… did you ever get a fix..
[email protected]

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Need a cheaper alternative shampoo for kirby vacuum system. Has to be an encapsulating shampoo. Kirby shampoo is too dear and only does one room per bottle. Need to know where to get some in australia as the postage from america is 3 times the price of the shampoo. thanks
ANSWER : Look up your local janitoral supply companies in the yellow pages. Encapsulation shampoo should be readily available in AU.
.
.Here is a list of websites to check out:
.
.http://www.enterprisesearch.com.au/search-engine-subcategory/subcategory/Cleaning%20Products/
.
.This one in particular may have what you need if you call them: (on line shopping not available yet “coming soon”)
.
.http://www.nationwidecleaningsupplies.com.au/
.
.Nationwide Cleaning Supplies – Milperra Store
.Phone: 02 9774 2000

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The belt wont turn…i cant get in to the inside to check to see if the belt isnt on the roller…how do i get up in there..i took the bottom plate off and you still cant get inside…
thx
Peggy
ANSWER : The following site has some great info on your machine:.
.www.dysonmedic.com

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I have a Hoover Platinum carpet cleaner, and it has stopped dispensing cleaning agent and water. This model has a separate tank for water and separate tank for shampoo dispensing. It also has a power hand unit that dispenses shampoo. All along the hand unit has continued to dispense shampoo. Symptom #1, the water tank seemed to be taking on shampoo, as it was getting sudsy. Symptom #2 – On wash mode, nothing would come out, on Rinse mode, sudsy water would come out. Later, symptom #3 – not
ANSWER : Somewhere on the outlet is a control tap thats driven by a rubber band and something is up with this control ,best advice here is put it in the boot of the car and take iot to a hoover dealer ,they will do it seconds for you

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Hoover floormate Hi, I’m not sure what the model number is on my Hoover Floormate, but I can’t get the cleaning liquid to dispense. The vacuum(dry pickup works fine). The handle squeezes without a problem. It used to work without a problem and then I didn’t use it for awhile. When I came back to it, it wasn’t working. Thanks, Alissa
ANSWER : The tank sits on what is called the reservior asm. it is actuated by the control rod inside the handle. With the tank off, watch and see if you can see that rod hitting the reservior asm when you squeeze the trigger. If it is moving up and down on it, then the resorvior asm may be bad. Also check the valve at the bottom of the tank, manually push it in and see if it releases water.

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Hi, my name is Mea Archer, owner of the vacuum cleaner blog, the niche website that I have developed to provide the most up-to-date news, reviews and the latest advice and information for all things vacuum cleaner related.