Kenmore 85920 PowerSpin Upright Wet/Dry Vacuum

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

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

Check service panel for tripped breakers/blown fuses. If breaker is tripped, reset it. If fuse is blown, replace it. If vacuum cleaner is plugged in, be sure power button is in the off position before resetting breaker/changing fuse.
Problems can occur when overused or clogged filters cause the vacuum motor to overheat. This not only shortens the motor life but causes a loss of suction. In some cases, total motor burn out can occur.
If all you hear from the vacuum unit is a click at the when you try to start the vacuum motor from inside the house, then the motor in the unit is dead and has to be replaced. A strong odor from the shellac, which coats the copper coil windings, is an indicator that the motor is about to or has burnt out.
Suction motors on most vacuum cleaners typically draw seven to twelve amperes (amps) of current from the electrical power source. (Twelve amps is the maximum permitted for any appliance which plugs into a standard household electrical outlet.
A damaged vacuum hose, clogged motor air filter or bad suction motor can cause the vacuum cleaner to shut off during use. A tripped overload on the vacuum suction motor can shut off the vacuum cleaner during use. If your vacuum has a reset button, push it; if the vacuum seems hot, let it cool off first.
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.
If there is something that has become caught in the hose in another part of the system, the airflow will be reduced and can cause overheating and a shut down. Clear out hoses, attachments, and brushes of any hair, dirt, and debris. This will allow for restored airflow and should get things going again.
The average life expectancy of a mid-range vacuum cleaner is about six years. You can fix or replace things like blocked filters, jammed brush rolls, frayed hoses, worn-out stick vac batteries and broken accessories yourself.
The vacuum pump is designed to last a lifetime, but usually this will not happen due to the harsh conditions in which it has to operate. There are a variety of issues that can lead to the vacuum pump not working properly, which is why you will need to keep an eye peeled for warning signs.
An induction motor is used as it is the easiest, most cost effective motor to drive a medical device. There are no gears or chains.
The suction power is measured in Watt (W) and is typically between 250 W and 450 W for machines with 1 motor. 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).
The suction motor creates vacuum pressure and suction by rotating a motor fan. The impeller rotates at an incredibly high speed of about 30,000 to 35,000 RPM. A suction motor`s power is measured by multiplying the rate of air flow and the vacuum pressure, which induces air flow from the brush through the hose.
Overheated Motor

If your vacuum was working fine and then suddenly shut off, it may have overheated. Most vacuums are equipped with a thermal protector safety switch that won`t allow the motor to run when it becomes overheated. You will need to wait for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your machine, to try again.

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.
The most common problem with a vacuum cleaner is also the easiest to remedy: clogs in the hose or attachments. Also the electrical cord, motor, switch, fan, brushes, and motor bearings can all need repair or replacement. The drive belt may need replacing; and the attachments, hoses, and filters may need unclogging.
There are varying degrees of quality and value when it comes to vacuums; if you paid a lot for the appliance, repairs are likely worth it, but we recommend that you don`t spend more than half of the original price for any repairs.
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.

Once all of the checks have been done allow the cleaner to cool down which is usually around 45 minutes. Once its cooled down and plugged back in it should start to work again as the cut out is designed to automatically reset.
“We would recommend vacuuming at least once or twice a week—and more often if we have pets—with the right tools to remove dust quickly and effectively,” Patel advises.
Most cleaning experts will tell you to vacuum your floors once or twice a week depending on how much foot traffic those floors are getting. Cotter says that high-traffic areas should be vacuumed twice weekly, as these areas have a higher level of dirt, and vacuuming this frequently will prevent matting.
The average cost for a Brake Vacuum Pump Replacement is between $603 and $636. Labor costs are estimated between $124 and $157 while parts are priced between $479 and $479.
Vacuum pumps should be dismantled and inspected after every 3000 hours of operation. For oil sealed rotary pumps, the vanes (Fig. 4) should be inspected for cracks or excessive wear and replaced if necessary. When replacement is necessary, they should always be replaced as a set.
This could be the result of an improper application, especially if there`s an inlet vacuum or added pressure at the outlet, which will need to be addressed. When a vacuum pump fails here, fuses can overheat and burn out, eventually leading to damage of the motor or start capacitor.
Vacuum System Failures:

Reduces or eliminates effectiveness of the turn coordinator, attitude indicator, and heading indicator. Discovered by a low indication on the vacuum gauge or unusual instrument indicators. When the primary air inlet is blocked, the backup inlet automatically opens due to pressure.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Kenmore canister vacuum model 116-25512506. It has a 2 stage switch on the handle, the vacuum motor will not work, the carpet beater attachment does work, the vacuum motor will not cut on at all with either stage, 1st stage is vac only, 2nd is vac a carpet attachment. Carpet attachment will work, vac does not.
ANSWER : Try to find the reset button. It should be somwhere near the bottom area. It looks like a red dot that you can push inward. If you can press and hold the reset button, it will restart your suction and solve your problem.

Kenmore carpet shampooer motor stopped, is it fixable
ANSWER : Make sure the plug has all 3 prongs.

Motor Fried? Eureka 431BX Vacuuming, and then all of the sudden the motor just stopped. Well idk if it’s called the motor; the beater bar still spun, it was just the fan that stopped spinning Here is the whole vacuum in pieces http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c237/SirFafner/Vacuum001.jpg Bottom Part, beater bar already taken out [Functions Fine] http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c237/SirFafner/Vacuum002.jpg White Wire connecting to the fan motor [Looks black, i think it’s fried, and that’s the
ANSWER : Funny you said that,I went today and bought a bissel at Wal-Mart.Sure hope it lasts longer then the Eureka did.I will probably try to take the other one back to the store if I can find the receipt.Thanks so much.

My carpet cleaner (bissell proheat plus) is not steaming, dispensing cleaner. Seems like there’s a little thingy that should be spinning or turning….. When I work a small area of carpet, it just leaves behind dry blobs of carpet gunk like pet hair. I had to use a carpet sweeper to clean up. FYI – I filled the cleaning fluid container and after trying to clean the carpet, it did empty out but the carpet isn’t wet. Any tips? The manual doesn’t help.
ANSWER : You need to replace the pump belt. Here is the belt you need:

Bissell ProHeat Belt

I have a Bissell Pro Heat 2X carpet cleaner and the brushes spin, then stop. I turn it off and when I re-start, the brushes do not spin until I push foreward. The it spins and stops again. Both belts are tight. The brushes spin if held above the carpet, but upon contact with carpet it stops. Same thing on a hard surface.
ANSWER : The reason for the brushes to stop when it is above any surface is there is a switch in the handle that stops the brushes so it dont burn your motor up it may have a faulty switch.

Electrolux Centralux I have a Electrolux Centralux. When I plug the hose in at one of the wall outlets the motor will not start. If I go to the motor and slap the unit it will start…..then…it will not stop unless I unplug the power cord to the motor. If I plug the power cord back in, the unit will not restart until I slap the motor unit again. The unit has only been used 20 – 30 times. Any suggestions?? Thanks, Bruce
ANSWER : I dont know if you had your unit looked at yet but it sounds like the Power module is going. I repair the machines so I know some of the work.

We have a Bissell Proheat Cleanshot 2X Model 9500 Steam carpet cleaner. The first time we used it things were great. The second time we used it it left tracks in the carpet. We have no idea what caused this. We tried using the machine on an entirely different carpet and it did the same thing. After vacuuming the carpet about 10 or 12 times, the tracks are still embedded in the carpet – HELP!!!! We’re read and reread the manual and contacted customer service and received no help.
ANSWER : First things first. It’s only the second time you have used the machine, so it must be fairly new. If you have a receipt and the unit is less than a year old you should take it to an authorized Bissell repair center and have the machine inspected under warranty.
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.Otherwise, The jets on this unit clog easily, there are two of them and you can locate them under the recovery tank towards the front of the machine, and blow them out with an air compressor. To prevent the jets from clogging in the future make sure to flush all shampoo out of the machine with clean water when done using it. That is most likely your problem.
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.If it is leaving black streaks on your carpet it could be coming from a burnt belt or melted brushroller part, in which case inspect the belts and brushrollers and replace the damaged pieces.
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.I hope this helped
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.Good Luck

Bad Motor I have purchased two of the Kenmore direct drive beltless systems with Progressive systems. The first died after a year, the vacuum motor start making a grinding noies. I pulled the side HEPA filter and could see a fine coating of graphite like dust. Took it to a vacuum repair shop. They said the brushes were going and thus the motor was shot. I liked the vacuum and bought a second, 1 year later the motor is making a slight noise that and removing the HEPA filter I find a slight metall
ANSWER : That dust is from the carbon brushes on the motor. You may need to check them, and also clean out the motor compartment. A slight noise could be a motor bearing starting to go. Does the smell like rubber or electrical. If rubber, then the belt has stretched and needs to replaced. If electrical, then something is causing the motor to run hot, like a clogged filter, or it could be a motor going bad.