How to Perform Basic Vacuum Maintenance
No matter what type of vacuum you have, they all have one thing in common – they need to be maintained. Just like anything with moving parts, a lack of maintenance can cause premature wearing out of components that keeps your vacuum working at its best. In this video Kyle goes over some basic tips to keep your vacuum in tip top shape, and last for years to come!
Important Safety Tips
- Always make sure your machine is unplugged and the power button is turned off, before servicing your vacuum.
- Always make sure your hands are dry and free from moisture before servicing your machine.
- Be sure to wear gloves when servicing your machine to prevent any cuts or scrapes.
- If you are uncomfortable working on your vacuum, please don’t hesitate to contact us at service@greatvacs.com and we can help you through the process or you can send it into us to fix it for you.
Instructions
We’ll start off going over why your vacuum cleaner may have poor performance. You could have a full bag or dirt bin, you could have a dirty, clogged filter, your head or hose could be clogged, the brush roll may be covered in hair, or you have seized brush roll bearings.
We will be using this specialty maintenance tool. To make it easy, we’re including this tool with most of the vacuums we sell!
First, we will go over how to change a full bag or dirt bin. Most vacuums have a full bag indicator light that is located on the canister, which makes it easy to know when you need to swap out the bag with a new one. If your vacuum cleaner uses a dirt bin, you can easily see when it needs to be emptied.
If your full indicator light comes on and the bag isn’t actually full, you may have a clog in the head, hose or wand. The vacuum will notice the decrease in suction and may assume the bag is full. To empty the bag you will first need to located the bag chamber. Once opened you will simply remove the bag, throw it away, and put in a new, empty bag. If your vacuum has a bag holder, make sure you don’t throw it away!
If your vacuum uses a dirt bin, it’s very simple. Just detach the bin from the vacuum, hold over the trash can, and open the trap door.
Next, we’ll go over dirty or clogged filter. If the filter is dirty or clogged it will reduce air flow and can cause the motor to overwork and overheat. This could, in turn, cause the motor to turn off for safety reasons. Most vacuums have a pre- and post-motor filters and you will find them behind a cover or in the bag chamber. Check both filters and clean them if they look dirty.
To clean the filters, start by removing them. Then give them a good smack with your hand to remove loose dirt. Do this outside to avoid making a huge mess in your home.
Then, take the specialty tool and use the brush side to get deep down into the grooves. After you’re done the filter should look new again. You may have to repeat it a few times to get all the dirt out.
Now, we’ll go over a clogged head, hose, or wand. We mentioned earlier that there may be a clog if the full bag indicator light comes on without the bag actually being full. You may also notice reduced suction and pickup if there’s a clog. The head may even spit debris back out.
Start with the wand because it’s the easiest. You put it up to your eye and check to see if you can see light at the other end. If you can see straight through with no problem it isn’t clogged. Can’t see through? You’ve just found a clog!
To remove the clog you can use an air compressor, or, if you vacuum has a blower feature, you can use that. You can also use a broom handle or other straight, rigid item to push the clog out.
Next up is the hose. The easiest way to diagnose a hose clog is to hook it up to the vacuum, turn it on, and put your hand over the other end of the hose. If you can’t feel suction, or it's very poor, there is a clog or blockage in the hose. Dislodging the clog is the same as with the wand – either use a long, straight, rigid object to push it through, or use an air compressor or blower feature from the vacuum.
Lastly, we have the power head. The most common places for clogs are in the pivot neck or suction port. You may be able to access the clog through the pivot neck and just pull it out. Otherwise, the easiest way to remove is the clog is to take the power head apart. Most are held together with screws.
Take the screws out and remove the top portion from the power head. If you see a clog you should be able to easily remove it.
Another common reason for poor vacuum performance is a hair covered brush roll. We recommend removing the brush roll from the power head before removing the hair.
Once the brush roll is removed you can use the specialty tool to cut the hairs, and then grab and pull them off.
The last common problem we’ll be covering is seized brush roll bearings. This will prevent your brush roll from spinning, which will result in dirt or debris not being picked up. Depending on your brush roll, you may not be able to access the bearings. If that’s the case contact us and we’ll help you get a replacement brush roll.
When the brush roll has been removed from the vacuum you can use the specialty tool to brush away dirt, or use the razor to cut away hairs from the end where the bearings are.
If you need any parts, supplies or have any questions, email us at service@greatvacs.com or leave a comment! You can also head on over to our YouTube channel to see more educational videos.
