Vacuums

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

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

The first thing to do is to disconnect the motor unit from the collection tub. Then switch the hose from the vacuum section to the blowing side of the motor. Almost every shop vac has that option. Then simply turn it on and blow the leaves out of the garage.
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.
Vacuum cleaners use an electric motor that spins a fan, sucking in air – and any small particles caught up in it – and pushing it out the other side, into a bag or a canister, to create the negative pressure.
Canister vacuums come with a blower port for blowing small debris collected inside the window grills, and under furniture. Vertical vacuum cleaners are powerful, lightweight and offer great value-for-money. They have powerful suction to trap dust and allergens from carpets and floors.
The air that fills the box is being pushed by air pressure into the empty space. Vacuums never “suck” air. What they do is present an empty space and then air pressure forces the air into the vacuum.
Every home vacuum cleaner uses a fan to create a pressure difference which generates the suction needed to clean a variety of surfaces. This fan creates a constant stream of air that travels from the intake port, through the fan, and to the exhaust port.
They are majorly used to remove dirt and dust from upholstery, carpets, velveteen furniture and floors made of hardwood and many varieties of floors, including laminated floors. They are also used to clean cars and stairs.
A powerhead vacuum comes fitted with a separate motor in the floor head to drive the motorised brush and effectively eliminate allergen triggers. Proven to be more powerful than a regular floor head tool, it`s the best cleaning tool to help those living with allergies or asthma.
The ambient air pushes itself into the vacuum cleaner through the intake port because the air pressure inside the vacuum cleaner is lower than the pressure outside, as air always moves from areas of high pressure to comparatively low pressure. This is the process that will remove dirt from the floor.
If your setting is correct and you notice dust blowing out of your machine, not from the hose, you`ve likely placed the hose in the wrong outlet. In many vacuums, the front holds the inlet port that sucks up materials, whereas the back park has the exhaust port that blows out materials.
If you have a small yard and are diligent about keeping up with leaves as they fall—or if you want to surgically suck up leaves from around bushes and flower beds—the vacuum mode on your leaf blower can save time and effort.
Blowers increase the pressure of the absorbed gas by a series of vortex motions formed by the centrifugal movement of the impeller. When the impeller is rotating, the channels in the impeller push the air forward by the centrifugal movement and a helical movement occurs.
Blowers use twin rotating rotors to displace air inside a tank, while rotary vane pumps compress air to create a void.
A VACUUM CLEANER HAS A FAN INSIDE THAT CREATES A LOW PRESSURE INSIDE THE DEVICE. CONSEQUENTLY, AIR PARTICLES ARE SUCKED INTO THE DEVICE.
In science, a vacuum is a space without matter or air.
Vacuum uses the surrounding atmosphere to create work force by pulling on, rather than pushing, a work piece. Evacuating air from a closed volume develops a pressure differential between the volume and the surrounding atmosphere.
You can use the latest models of vacuum cleaners as blowers as well. They come integrated with a blower function along with their standard suction power. Using them as a blower will help unsettle dust particles that usually get stuck in unreachable areas of your house, such as the top edges of doors and windows, etc.
You can use the latest models of vacuum cleaners as blowers as well. They come integrated with a blower function along with their standard suction power. Using them as a blower will help unsettle dust particles that usually get stuck in unreachable areas of your house, such as the top edges of doors and windows, etc.
A blower uses high-pressure air jet flow to blow the leaves away, while a leaf vacuum uses high suction power to suck the leaves inside the collection bag.
Canister vacuums come with a blower port for blowing small debris collected inside the window grills, and under furniture. Vertical vacuum cleaners are powerful, lightweight and offer great value-for-money. They have powerful suction to trap dust and allergens from carpets and floors.
A blower uses high-pressure air jet flow to blow the leaves away, while a leaf vacuum uses high suction power to suck the leaves inside the collection bag.
Originally Answered: Can a Dyson vacuum be used as a blower ? Not without taking it apart. The suction motor can be used as a blower motor, but dyson vacuums do not exhaust in a way that can be easily tapped and used effectively as a blower.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Dirt devil vacuum cleaner–trouble vacuuming dirt and pet hair on carpeting –is the problem with the spinning brush which contacts the floor,  not contacting the carpeting??  I thought (when I bought this vacuum) that the aforementioned brush was adjustable to various heights of carpeting.  Sometimes, it seems like nothing is being vacuumed up –unless I have just put a new bag on the vacuum… Do I need or can I replace the spinning brush on the bottom of the vacuum so it kicks up and vacuums
ANSWER : Try replacing the belt. Rubber belts stretch out after about a year.

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I purchased a brand new Eureka Pet vacuum, sorry don’t know exact name but it the one that has the self cleaning duster on it. Last night I used the vacuum on my carpet, it was working fine until I accidently sucked up the corner of a scarf that was hanging off a couch. I shut the vacuum off, pulled out the scarf and and resumed vacuuming. Much to my dismay the suction on the vacuum had ceased. Can you tell me if there is a reset button on the vacuum? The vacuum does not appear to be damage
ANSWER : If the motor is running, there should be suction. Possible problems depend on whether it’s a canister or upright and are:
.A clog in the hose, UR or canister. Detach hose. Drop small coin in one end and lift hose causing it to roll out the other. If it does, no clog in hose. Drop same coin into hose opening on power head. If it rolls out, no clog in PN.
.Broken fan blades, UR. Needs to be taken to shop for repair/replacement.
.
.A reset button is for use if the motor isn’t running, so won’t have anything to do with the suction.

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I have a Kenmore canister vacuum – model 25614506. Some time ago, I was not able to turn the vacuum off with the on/off switch, but could still use the vacuum. Turned if off/on by pulling the plug. The other day when I went to plug it in, I heard a pop. Now the sweeper runs but the vacuum cleaner does not **** – no air flow. What could be the problem. The cleaner is only 4 years old.
ANSWER : The motor has an inline fuse

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I have a Kirby G4 Vacuum Cleaner – MOdel G4 D. I have never had any problems or repairs done to it in the past ten plus years that I’ve had it. This is an upright vacuum. I was vacuuming the carpet floor and was not having any trouble at all. I switched the vacuum off and moved it into a different room. When I tried to turn on the vacuum, it would not turn on. I checked with different outlets, used both front attachment and hose attachment. Checked the front part of the motor/ spiral case. This
ANSWER : Hello,
.My educated guess is that it’s either the switch or the power cord. Here are a couple of guides to help with diagnosis and repair…
.
.http://reviews.ebay.com/COMMON-PROBLEMS-WITH-THE-KIRBY-VACUUM-TROUBLESHOOTING_W0QQugidZ10000000003800312
.
.http://reviews.ebay.com/REPLACING-THE-POWER-SWITCH-ON-ANY-KIRBY-G-SERIES-VACUUM_W0QQugidZ10000000003752018
.
.Hope this helps!!
.Marci

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I have a kenmore progressive direct drive handi mate jr. upright vacuum. My daughter used it last night to vacuum up some cat litter that had spilled on the floor. I went to use it today and it turned on for a second and then stopped working. I have hit the reset button but it will not turn on. Help this vacuum is only 2 years old Is there anything that I need to reset or do so that the vacuum will work again?
ANSWER : Its probably clogged up with cat litter.might have gotten into the motor.your motor has a motor guard inside if it. when it overheats it will shut down till it cools off.you need to clean all th cat liter out of it.and clean the filters.with a direct drive you might want to take it in to a repairman to sevice. its not a shop vac i advise you not to pick up things like cat liter

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

Miele Champagne Vacuum Cleaner Model S548 I was using the vacuum as normal, moved locations so I plugged into another outlet & suddenly there was no power to the vacuum! I tried it in several other outlets, tried the reset button… & still no power to the vacuum. Any ideas what could be causing this? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
ANSWER : Greetings from ,
.

.This definitely sound like a cord reel issue to me. This is really the only problem that I ever see on a Miele vacuum cleaner. 9 times out of 10 the cord reel needs to be changed. If you purchase the cord from us, and it’s not the problem you may return it up to 60 days later for a full refund, that’s how confident I am that is what’s wrong with your machine.
.
Ok, so you need to replace the cord reel on a Miele , no problem! I’ll attempt to try and walk you through this repair with a detailed explanation of it, and along with some pictures to help you. You’ll first want to buy the new Miele S500 series cord reel

So once you have the cord reel, you’ll need either a Phillips head screw driver for the older S514 models, or a T20 Torx Screwdriver for the newer S514 model vacuums. The picture below is actually of the Miele S518 Cat & Dog series, but for this repair the procedure and parts are identical to your Miele Champagne. You’ll need to remove the hose, wand, and power nozzle from the vacuum cleaner before you begin.

1cd8104.jpg
The first thing you’ll wand to do is open up the bag housing, and remove the vacuum bag, as well as the exhaust filter which may be either the Cloth Super Air Clean Filter, or the HEPA Filter catridge which is blue in color. If you’re using the Super Air Clean filter, remove the filter, and then remove the bracket that secures the filter in place as well. Simply pull straight up on the bracket and it will come out.

Once the bag and the filter have been removed, you’ll need to take off the entire tool lid. While the vacuum cleaner is open so that you can see into the compartment where the bag just was, you need to pry two arms from the tool lid off of the main body housing. Simply put a screwdriver behind one of the blue arms, and pry inwards. Here’s a picture of what this looks like;

ea76cca.jpg
Once you have removed both of these clasps, the tool lid will pull straight upwards and off, leaving you with only the bottom part of the canister. This is how the vacuum cleaner should look now;

4e90a53.jpg
Now you’ll need to remove the black speed control box from the canister. There is one screw in the front of the black speed control box that needs to be removed. After the screw has been removed, turn the vacuum cleaner around so that the back of the machine where the cord reel goes into the vacuum is now facing you. If you look where the black speed control box meets the bottom part of the canister, you can see two clips that you’ll need to release before the variable speed control box can be removed. Simply put a screw driver and push in on the clip while lifting the black speed control box at the same time. Here’s where the clips are located on the vacuum;

c4f57b8.jpg
Ok, now that the speed control box has been removed, it’s time to separate the colored plastic from the base of the vacuum cleaner. There are 7 screws that need to be removed in order to get these housings separated. I have circled the location of each screw in the picture below;

d7e09aa.jpg
After removing all 7 screws, you can then simply pull upwards on the colored plastic housing, and remove the housing from the base of the vacuum cleaner so that the motor and cord reel are exposed. Once you have exposed the cord reel, you’ll need to remove the internal wires (white wire is in the higher posistion, and to the left of the lower right side black wire), as well as the rubber hose part. The rubber hose part simply pulls off, just like the wire terminals do. After removing these parts, you’ll need to remove one more screw with your screw driver. Here’s the picture of which screw needs to be removed;

707ba1e.jpg
After the final screw has been removed, you’ll have to remove the rectangular shaped wire harness that sits at the top of the cord reel. Pay close attention to how this wire harness is correctly seated which will save some aggravation when putting the vacuum back together. Here’s a picture of the wire harness that needs to be removed from the old cord reel;

9dd734e.jpg
Once the wire harness has been completely removed from the old cord reel, you may simply pull up on the cord reel and remove it. The new cord reel will come completely assembled, with all the parts and compontents that your faulty cord reel had. You simply need to line up the screw hole on the new cord reel with the hole in the bottom of the base of the vacuum. When installing the new cord reel be very careful that you don’t pinch any of the wires down by putting the cord reel on top of them. The wires have a specific place they go, and you’ll be able to see the correct path for these wires when paying close attention. Also remember to install the rubber tube back onto the new cord reel as well. Once the new cord reel has been installed, and screwed down, pull the plug out a little ways, and guide the plug through the colored top housing first, then screw the 7 screws that hold the upper housing to the lower housing back into to secure these housings together.

That’s about all there is to that repair! Please feel free to request a repair clarification if you have any questions about the repair that I can help you with, I’m always more then happy to help.
.
If this repair guide was helpful to you, please click the thumbs up icon in the bottom right part of this solution to rate it has helpful.

Thank you so much,

Chris Jones

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I do not have my users manual and have never vacuumed wet with this vacuum. How do I change it from a dry to wet vacuum.
Can’t find my manual and I need to use the shop vac for water in basement, do I have to change the filter or what
lost my user manual never used it to pick up water. need to know how to puit it in wet mode i want to clean the dirty water out of my pool.
ANSWER : .Vacuuming Liquids
.1. When picking up small amounts of liquid
.the filter may be left in place.
.2. When picking up large amounts of liquid
.we recommend that the filter be
.removed. If the filter is not removed, it
.will become saturated and misting
.may appear in the exhaust.
.3. After using the vac to pick up liquids,
.the filter must be dried to reduce the
.risk of possible mildew and damage to
.the filter.
.4. When the liquid in the drum reaches a
.predetermined level, the float mechanism
.will rise automatically to cut off
.airflow. When this happens, turn off
.the vac, unplug the power cord, and
.empty the drum. You will know that the
.float has risen because vac airflow
.ceases and the motor noise will
.become higher in pitch, due to
.increased motor speed.
.IMPORTANT: To reduce the risk of damage
.to the vac do not run motor with float
.in raised position

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums

I own a self-propelled Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum cleaner (Model U6425-920). I do now have an owner’s manual and was wondering how to clean the Hepa filter on this model (*this model uses a vacuum cleaner bag also).
ANSWER : Http://geeksquad.fixya.com/ThreadView.aspx?prdid=0&thid=794479
.Generic problem for all Vacuums
.I own a self-propelled Hoover
.Posted by gohornsgo on July 17, 2008
.I own a self-propelled Hoover Wind Tunnel vacuum cleaner (Model U6425-920). I do now have an owner’s manual and was wondering how to clean the HEPA filter on this model (*this model uses a vacuum cleaner bag also).
.Hello,
I would advise you to ALWAYS to FIRST UNPLUG YOUR VACUUM before beginning any service procedure. The best way to clean the HEPA filter is to take it outside and use a blower over the trash can and blow off the dust and dirt, or use things like an old paint brush and brush it off, or you can vacuum it off with another canister vacuum or shop vac if you have an extra one. For the best filtration is to replace it, there fore the air flow will catch most of the dust and dirt and then you would have to watch how fast it gets dirty and then do the maintenance.

.So if you need further assistance, please feel free to contact your local vacuum cleaner dealer in your area or in the yellow pages, or contact the factory phone number or website to further assist you with your questions.
.http://www.hoover.com Telephone
Contact our Customer Service Department at 1.330.499.9499
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. – 7 p.m. EST

.Thanks, Don the Vac Man
Go Ahead. Use Us.

.

Read Full Q/A … : Vacuums