Oreck XL Ultra Bagged Upright Vacuum\015 Not picking up dirt. hardly no suction\015

How to Identify and Fix Common Vacuum Problems ?

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

Check for a plugged hose:

Plugged vacuum hoses are sometimes the reason for a loss in suction. Hoses can get clogged with hair, dust bunnies, string, or anything else that can`t pass through the other end of the hose. Airways inside the machine should be looked at as well. Wherever there is an air passage, check it.

The most common cause of vacuum cleaner not picking up dirt properly is clogged air filter. Remove the filter and either clean or replace it as needed.
You vacuum too quickly

Vacuuming slowly will allow your machine to suck up more dirt and dust, and ultimately get your rugs and carpets much cleaner. Slow vacuuming allows the brush to agitate the carpet properly and suck up the unclean bits that emerge.

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.
Clog located in the vacuum hose

Turn the unit on and feel the suction at the end of the hose handle. If there is no or low suction, then the clog is in the hose. You can remove the clog by running a long, stiff object through the hose, such as a butter knife, starting at the wall end.

Your filters get clogged with bacteria, dust, smoke, mold, and other particles. These can all affect the air quality in your home as well as the performance of your vacuum`s cleaning abilities, if the filter is clogged you will find the suction and general performance of your vacuum will be minimized.
Gravity and friction are the two main forces that make vacuum suction work. While gravity pulls molecules in the air toward the earth, creating an atmospheric pressure, the suction cup and vacuum pump cause a pressure difference, attaching both surfaces.
There can be a variety of reasons why your vacuum cleaner has low suction. It could be clogged filters, a dirty bag or container, or an obstruction in the hose. Check all these areas and replace any parts that need it to restore full suction power.
Bag: The most common method to capture the debris vacuumed up involves a paper or fabric bag that allows air to pass through, but attempts to trap most of the dust and debris. The bag may become clogged with fine dust before it is full. The bag may be disposable, or designed to be cleaned and re-used.
The moving air particles rub against any loose dust or debris as they move, and if the debris is light enough and the suction is strong enough, the friction carries the material through the inside of the vacuum cleaner. This is the same principle that causes leaves and other debris to float down a stream.
Why is the vacuum is blowing dusty air out of the back? Simple: the bag or canister is full and the vacuum has nowhere to store the dust it is collecting. Empty the canister or bag. If that doesn`t fix it, the vacuum filter needs to be cleaned or changed.
Books, carpet, rugs, upholstered furniture, fireplaces, and pets all contribute to the dust load. Dirt, pollen, smoke, exhaust, sand, and many other things may bring in dust from outside. In addition, mold, bacteria, and dust mites are all likely to inhabit and often proliferate in dust.
Boil old suction cups to revive them.

Take the pot off of heat and drop your suction cups in for about 30 seconds. Take them out with a pair of tongs and pat them dry on a lint-free towel. Try to use the suction cups right after you dry so they`re still warm and flexible.

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.
The two main indicators to determine vacuum power performance are water lift and airflow. The water lift is measured in mmH2O, mbar or kPa. It represents the suction force and is the reference parameter for vacuuming liquids and heavy materials. The airflow is measured in m3/h or in l/s.
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.
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.
Add a few drops of soap or detergent into a bowl of hot water. Submerge the filter and squeeze it so it absorbs the cleaning solution. If the water becomes dirty, empty the bowl and refill with more soapy water. Once the water runs clear after soaking the filter, take it out and rinse the suds away.
Suction is the air pressure differential between areas. Removing air from a space results in a pressure differential. Suction pressure is therefore limited by external air pressure. Even a perfect vacuum cannot suck with more pressure than is available in the surrounding environment.
Rather than waiting for the canister to fill up all the way, the Vacuum Experts suggest you empty it after every use. If that`s not feasible, “empty the vacuum once it reaches half to two-thirds of the way full as a matter of habit,” the Vacuum Experts blog post recommends.
Soil and Plant Debris

Soil and plant debris can clog a vacuum, and damp or wet leaves can lead to mold in the bag or canister, so it`s best to use a broom or your hands to pick those up.

It uses light sensing technology to measure the amount of dirt picked up and can thus be used to glean which parts of the house are dirtier than the others. The signals can also potentially be used to understand the size of the dirt picked up by the robotic vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum emissions include salmonella and other bacteria that “have potential to spread infectious or sensitizing aerosols,” they concluded.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Poor Suction Heya! So I just picked up a used Dyson, but when I vacuum with it, the suction is pretty weak and it spits all kinds of stuff out the back and into my feet. When I pull the hose I have good suction, but in regular mode it hardly picks up anything. The brushes are spinning, and it eventually will clean an area if I go over it again and again. Maybe a clog somewhere? Please tell me that Dysons have better suction than my $50 Dirt Devil! Thanks!
ANSWER : I recently bought a second hand Dyson DC07. Its suction was poor. I removed all the un-clipable pipe bits and to remove any blockage but it all looked clear. The Final Sponge and hepper filter did have a lot of dust in it and the rotating brush was full of hair but nothing bad.
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.I eventual gave in to curiosity and removed the three screws in the top or the yellow removable dust collection tube and cyclone bit to see what was in there. The mechanism to release the flap at the bottom of the collection tube does not allow you to remove the lid completely but it does open far enough to get inside. I found the whole top section of the yellow plastic bit blocked by a big plug of compacted dust and a champagne cork. If you are willing to take the risk and have a torx 15 screwdriver handy it that part may be blocked. It did get a bit messy.
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.If I was going to attempt the same procedure I’d remove the dust collection unit from the vacuum cleaner as I did before, but leave the clear tube attached and the emptying flap firmly closed to reduce the mess from the dust falling out the bottom while cleaning the top part.

It has no suction. It was fine yesterday. I washed the dirt container and the filter, let it dry and put it back in the vacuum. Today my vacuum isnt picking up any dirt and has no suction. When I took the hose out of the back, it started blowing dust and dirt out but still no suction.
ANSWER : Look for a place where the vacuum line has to turn in a near 90 degree turn. It’s easy for it to get stopped up there.

The suction is good, but it can’t pick up most of the stuff on the floor. The hand held hose works very well, but it doesn’t even pick up little fuzzies reliably when I push it along. And, the suction is too hard I think because it used to push easily and now I have to push really hard, even on flat carpet.
ANSWER : Check entire length of hose, including the piece in the power head, for clogs. Simply drop a marble in one end and allow it to roll out the other. If it doesn’t, then the hose is clogged somewhere.

Not picking up dirt. hardly no suction
ANSWER : If your model has a hose for a wand or brush attachment then remove the hose and check it for clogs.

Dirt Devil upright doesn’t have suction. I changed the belt and the bag. The suction is so slight it won’t pick up a small piece of paper. The accessory wand also does not have much suction.
ANSWER : Try cleaning chute that fills bag.may be obstruction blocking the flow of air

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.

Need Kirby Generation 3 Vacuum cleaner manual. Vacuum is not picking up dirt from floor. Seems to have enough suction to inflate the bag, but when you check the suction under the vacuum, there seems to be extremely litle suction.
ANSWER : If your brush roll is turning and your bag is not overly full, then the only other thing it can be is a clog where the bag connects to the vacuum. Turn the plastic part out away from vacuum and lift off to see if you have something clogging it. It would have to be something big, but not so big that it could not get past the fan. As a rule of thumb, KIRBY never clogs. I suspect that your belt is stretched out and your brush roll is not turning while on the carpet so the brush roll is just in the way rather than brushing your carpet to pick up dirt.

I recently ( approx. 2-3 months ago ) purchased a dirt devil. Now it is not picking up properly. When I push vacuum forward it picks dirt up a little bit, when I pull it back all the dirt falls out of the bottom. I replaced the filter today and it has not solved my problem. I dont know where my warranty is. Can you please help me?
ANSWER : Hi sounds like your line is stopped up somewhere , check ur suction an make sure your brushes are spinning, if they are try a wire clothes hanger to the hose at the bottom hose to dislodge anything that mite be stuck