Kenmore 35912 / 35913 Progressive Upright Vacuum

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

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Loose connections will cause your vacuum cleaner to lose suction. Make sure that the dust container, the hose, the tube and the brush are all attached properly. If the problem continues, your vacuum cleaner might have a technical problem. If you suspect this to be the case, contact an authorised service agent.
The most common cause of loss of suction is that the filters have become blocked. They may require cleaning or replacing. Another cause could be that the vacuum cleaner hose is blocked.
A clog is a common (perhaps the most common) reason that a Dyson unit loses suction. They have a number of choke points in the airflow paths. Some considerations follow: Hoses: because of their often rough inner surfaces and inevitable bends, hoses are prime locations for clogs.
If both your foam filter and felt filter have not been cleaned in the past month, this may be why your vacuum has lost suction. To clean the foam and felt filters, remove the dust cup and pull out the two filters that are on the top of the motor base. Rinse the filters with lukewarm water until the water runs clear.
We have two possible ways of adjusting the pressure in a vacuum system: first, by changing the pumping speed (altering the speed of the pump or throttling by closing a valve); second, through admission of gas (opening a valve).
Low suction or poor pick-up may be due to a clog in the vacuum cleaner. If you notice a change in the sound of the motor or a reduction in the spinning action, check for clogs. First, remove the Easy Empty dirt tank from the vacuum and discard all dirt and debris.
If the filter isn`t clean, it can impact the performance of the vacuum. Dirty vacuum filters can restrict airflow so the suction won`t be as strong.
A Dyson vacuum cleaner has a lifespan of around 10 years. This is considerably longer than most other vacuums. So, if you`re looking for a high-quality vacuum cleaner that will last you for a long time, a Dyson could be a good choice. However, remember that Dyson vacuums are expensive.
If you have checked for airway blockages and have cleared your filters, a damaged or deteriorating hose may be causing your vacuum`s loss of suction. On most Shark vacuums, there are two hoses to check, the short hose between the main vacuum head and the base, and the hose between the handle and the wand.
To reset your shark vacuum, put the Power button in the On-Off position and keep the vacuum unplugged. If necessary, clear the hose. Once it has cooled completely, plug the vacuum back in again.
All vacuum cleaners operate based on air flowing from the opening at the cleaning head or tool, through the vacuum cleaner and the bag and/or filter system and then out the exhaust port. This airflow is created by the vacuum motor, which also may be referred to as the suction motor.
Use Some Water

A little bit of water can do wonders for boosting a suction cup`s grip. Using warm water, rinse the whole cup so it softens it up. Shake the drops of water off the cup quickly and then put it up on the wall. That can often do the trick.

Low compression, an intake leak or tight valves also can cause low vacuum at idle. If the vacuum reading fluctuates within the normal range-the gauge needle bounces around a lot-uneven compression (broken rings or leaking valves or head gasket in one or two cylinders) is a likely culprit.
The suction power is to be measured at the end of the tube of a complete vacuum cleaner (i.e. with tube, hose and filters – but without nozzle). Some manufacturers show the results from measurements made at the suction of the actual vacuum cleaner.
Second, can you vacuum too much? Believe it or not the answer is no. Now, if you vacuumed continually 24 hours a day, yes, that would be too much. Vacuuming every day, or even a few times a day, is not going to create any long term problems.
Any fine dust remaining in the filter can usually be removed with a gentle rinse under a cold tap – hold the filter under the running water until the water runs clear. You shouldn`t need to use any detergent – just water.
The suction control slider is located at the front of the cleaner head. The ball located between the bin and the cleaner head.
To reset the Brush bar press the Brush bar control button twice or switch the machine off and back on.
To reset the machine, turn the power off (using either the power button on the remote or the Main body), wait 60 seconds and then turn back on.
Check the LED light to determine the battery level. A solid blue light indicates that the machine is in normal operating mode. A flashing blue light indicates that there is no power, and the battery needs to be charged for a minimum of 3.5 hours.
In many cases, you probably can repair a Dyson yourself, especially when it comes to common issues (see below). However, even if your machine needs some extra TLC by a Dyson expert, it can be worth getting it repaired.
Pet owners, we recommend 1-2 years between service, light use every 2-4 years between services. Heavy use serviced annually.
There is an adjustment piece at the top of the handle where you turn it to adjust the suction setting. This is the only way to adjust to different carpet heights and rugs.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Everything seems to be working fine except it has no suction. I changed the bag and filter, but still nothing.
ANSWER : Probaly a clogged suction tube, unplug the vacuum first then tilt the vacuum upside down and see if you can see a clog .On the back side of the brush it will be kinda funnel shaped and that leads to your suction tube . That is the most common place for a clog.
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My electrolux oxygen cannister has the “bag change” light on when there is a new bag. The light stays on when the suction power is high (to pick up small particles) and it won’t pick up, but the ight goes off when the suction power is low (to pick up big objects). I changed the hepa filter, cleaned the motor filter and changed bags, but all that didn’t help.
ANSWER : You may have a clog in the hose, and/or the inlet by the brush roll. A clog will turn on that light as well as a full bag.

I was vacuuming and noticed that the bag needed changing. the red light with the ! inside the triangle also came on. When the bag was changed, the vacuum would not restart. The red light came on. Tried the reset button but nothing happened. Tried unplugging and re-plugging in and nothing happened. Replaced all the filters and still it wouldh’t start. So I brought it downstairs and tried one more time to get it to start. it worked! Is there something wrong with the vacuum cleaner? Was it overheat
ANSWER : It was overheated that is why it worked downstairs after cooling off.

Our kenmore progressive model #11634922 was working fine today. And then – it’s not. Plugged in – nothing is working on it. We let it cool down (though it didn’t seem hot). Still nothing – no light, no motor. Tried it in some other plugs that we know are functioning well – and still nothing. Any idea what might be wrong with it? It’s six years old but doesn’t get heavy use.

Thanks so much ~ Susan Golden

ANSWER : Hi, it could be a number of things, cord may be bad as well as a problem with the motor. There also is a fuse that could have blown. If you go to sears.com, click on parts, put in your model number, when the page loads, click on the first link and you will have a parts list, and scroll down there will be a parts break-down picture that you can look at. You can also order parts thru the Sears website.

Electrolux Epic 6500SR Full Bag sensor working, Does not Reset properly
ANSWER : The problem was a sticking switch that was not being reset. The vacuum on/off switch mechanism is comprised of two switches. One is the main switch that turns the vacuum on and off. The second is a shut off switch that gets tripped when the full bag sensor is engaged. This second switch is supposed to get reset when you push the on/off switch on the outside of the machine. The full bag shutoff switch was stiff and it, therefore, was taking a couple of presses of the on/off switch to move the shutoff switch back into the running position.

Hoover Windtunnel My Hoover Windtunnel is 3 years old. It worked great until yesterday when it lost all suction. I have followed the manual to trouble shoot any possible clogs and could find none. Then I noticed that when I remove the dirt collection cup and held my hand over the vent the suction is fine and strong. So… I replaced the hepa filter thinking that might be the problem. That didnt’ work. The motor runs fine. The suction without the dirt cup inserted is strong. As soon as you insert
ANSWER : Mine does the same thing. There is no suction. I found that there is a door that opens when you tilt the handle in the down possition. I think there should be a spring in place so it can open. Until I find a replacement spring I have to open the door manually throught the opening under the light.

I have a panasonic mc-ul975 vacuum that works great when working properly. the airflow through the canister seems to stops once the aero blast technology is done running which causes the vacuum to not function as it should (does not have as much suction and the hose/tool accessories do not work at all). if air is continually running through the canister everything seems fine. please help!
ANSWER : Hi there. In Panasonic vacuums2.gif, there is a thermostat protection on the motor. It will automatically shut off the motor if there is no airflow through the motor. This is typically caused by a clogged hose. Typically, if your dust container is that full, there could be backup in the hose. Or the dust container being too full could also or otherwise be the problem. Check your hose for blockage, let the machine cool off, it should start up again

Hoover Windtunnel My Hoover Windtunnel is 3 years old. It worked great until yesterday when it lost all suction. I have followed the manual to trouble shoot any possible clogs and could find none. Then I noticed that when I remove the dirt collection cup and held my hand over the vent the suction is fine and strong. So… I replaced the hepa filter thinking that might be the problem. That didnt’ work. The motor runs fine. The suction without the dirt cup inserted is strong. As soon as you insert
ANSWER : Either the hose has a clog, or the inlet down by the belt is clogged. Is there suction at the end of the hose, if not then it is clogged. If there is suction, then it has to be clogged down below by the brush roll, check that inlet. There also is a filter at the bottom where the dirt cup (and bag) is, check it also.