Vacuums

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

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

The level you set your vacuum depends on the height of your carpet. For bare floors, use the lowest or bare floor setting, for short and medium pile carpets use a medium setting and finally, for plush carpets use the highest setting.
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.
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 VACUUM command works by copying the contents of the database into a temporary database file and then overwriting the original with the contents of the temporary file. When overwriting the original, a rollback journal or write-ahead log WAL file is used just as it would be for any other database transaction.
As a central vacuum manufacturer we use the 120 and 240 volt motors. The 120 and 240 motors will not be adversely affected if used with lower voltages. The 120 volt motor will be fine on 110 volts. Likewise, a 240 volt motor will be fine on 220 or 230 volts.
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.
Central vacuum makers, as well as some other vacuum cleaner manufacturers, have been using the air watts specification to attempt to rate the vacuum cleaner`s output rather than input power. Air watts are calculated using the formula, (Air Flow (in CFM) x Vacuum (in inches of water lift))/8.5 = Air Watts.
How Many Watts Does a Vacuum Cleaner Use? A vacuum cleaner gets power from a regular electrical socket, with the average upright design requiring between 450 and 3000 watts. However, the most often used versions use around 1400 watts, equivalent to approximately 1.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each hour.
To use the cleaner, you turn on the fan motor and attach a hose to any of the various pipe outlets throughout the house. The dirt is sucked into the pipes and deposited in a large canister, which you empty only a few times a year. For more information, see How Central Vacuum Systems Work.
A manual sweeper is used to clean floors, just like a vacuum cleaner. It houses a set of rollers which, when pushed along the floor, rotate and sweep dirt into an integrated container.
The throttle blades create restriction. This reduces the amount of air/fuel that goes into the cylinder. With less air/fuel, the engine cannot turn as fast. As the throttle blades open, restriction and vacuum are reduced.
All residential Vacs run on 120 Volts. Power used (watts) does not translate into the vacuuming power necessarily.
Battery voltage: the higher the battery voltage, the more powerful the vacuum cleaner absorbs the dirt.
One of the easiest ways to increase vacuum cleaner suction is to empty the dust bag or container. Dust containers need to have enough space for airflow, otherwise, they could get clogged and have less suction power. Regularly check your dust compartment and empty or change it when it`s already 70-80% full.
For light vacuuming, you can leave your multiport valve filter set to “Filter.” For bigger jobs and larger amounts of debris, set your filter system to the “Waste” setting, which does sends the water down the drain, rather than through the filter.
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.
Start the engine and switch it off after 30 s. After 10 min, remove the check valve from the power booster. If a strong rush of air into the power booster occurs after removing the check valve, there is no vacuum leak. If there is no air surge, there is a vacuum leak and a valve check is approached.
Plug the power cord into your power source. Now arc a wire across the low voltage terminals. You should see a little spark when you touch the terminals and you should hear a “click” inside the board. If there is no spark, then the transformer is bad.
Related Articles. Suction generated by a fan motor powers a vacuum cleaner as it pulls dirt through a chamber or hose and then deposits the debris into a bag or a cup. Some vacuum cleaners have a rotating brush or a beater bar at the end of a nozzle to help agitate and sweep dirt into the suction chamber.
Power. Most people should only require a 3.5 to 5 peak horsepower motor for their wet/dry vac. If it can suction up water and sawdust, you`re probably good to go.
What is a vacuum and how is it measured? Vacuum is an air pressure measurement that is less than Earth`s atmospheric pressure, about 14.7 psi.
When the pump reaches its specified “ultimate vacuum,” the pump has an actual flow rate of zero, by definition. At this point, the pump can no longer perform any work, that is, it can no longer move the vapors generated by the evaporative application.
The formula to convert voltage to watts is watts = amps x volts.

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.

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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.

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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

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Rainbow e2 2 speed vacuum shuts off after 5 minutes of vacuuming.
ANSWER : 2 speed E2 models have a circuit board inside that controls the machine. It sounds like this controller board may be bad. The unfortunate part of this is that the board is not only very expensive, but it is only available from an authorized Rainbow service center.
. Use caution if you decide to work on this yourself or if you take it to a service center that is not famliar with these models. The circuit board mentioned above is susceptible to damage from static eclectricity discharge. The static you generate from just walking across a carpet could make this board useless. So, if the original problem is not the board you could make the problem worse.

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My home has a central vacuum system hook-up but no vacuum installed. My friend upgraded his central system and gave me his Eureka Mega Boss central vacuum system and the accessories, including the pow
ANSWER : The power head requires 120 Volts. Some hoses have a receptacle in the handle for the power head plug, and the hose has a cord at the wall inlet end that plugs into a receptacle. Some hoses have a plug at the wall inlet end that plugs into a 120Volt receptacle built into the inlet. The hose plugs into this receptacle when you push the hose into the inlet. The power for this built-in receptacle is wired with line voltage when the system is installed.

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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

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I purchased a Eureka C4910 last year and have a question that I am hoping you can answer.

There are two motor actions with this vacuum, 1) the vacuum suction, and 2) the beater bar. The action of the beater bar is that motor is supposed to automatically shut off when the handle is in the complete vertical position assuming the vacuum is stationary, but then turn on when the handle is tilted toward the floor, assuming the vacuum is moving back and forth.

The beater bar motor turn-on mechan

ANSWER : Good day!

Normally when the motor is easily moved back and forth means that it have a proper lubrication,proper alignment and no clogs.

When the motor and the belt is OK the problem could be on electrical wiring and switch.

If found electrical switch burned out you need to replaced it because when the switch is burn the contact of that switch is open even you turn it ON.that’s why the motor is not function because the voltage is not pass through the circuit because of open switch.You need to replaced it.
And check some fuses if any and other burned electrical wire.Replaced it also.

Thank you and don’t forget to rate my answer.

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Clogged vacuum Rather stupidly, my boyfriend 1) were vacuuming without a bag and 2) vacuumed up a big piece of cotton from a sofa cushion. And now it’s making a horrible noise and I see it vibrating where the tube connects to the machine. When you look inside there’s a white thing sticking out but it looks like it’s part of the vacuum. If it’s a clog, how do you fix it? I tried unscrewing the tray the bag sits in but it won’t budge.
ANSWER : You can start by taking off the bottom plate or top cover, which ever comes off, that is where the inlet starts going in and hopefully the clog is there. Could be in the hose also. But without the complete model number I can’t look it up to see a picture of it.

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