How to Fix 4 Common Breakdowns With Your Vacuum

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OK, you didn’t take the advice that was given to you to get a good vacuum cleaner, instead opting for the cheapest vacuum cleaner out there. Now, you are stuck with a hunk of junk that breaks down every time you try to use it.

Here are some of the ways to fix some of the most common vacuum cleaner breakdowns. Once you learn these, you are going to save the trip to the repair shop (and save the embarrassment of the repairman laughing his way to the bank because of your vacuum cleaner).

Problem 1: My Belt Snapped

Even if a vacuum cleaner says that it has a “lifetime belt”, you are probably going to need to change the belt when (not “if”) it breaks.

Having extra belts (and dirt bags) in your house can save you a trip to the hardware store and keep your house cleaning on schedule.

How do belts break? They usually break because you run over something that can’t be vacuumed up.

To repair a broken belt you are going to follow these simple steps:

1. Unplug your vacuum cleaner.
2. Unscrew the plate at the bottom of the vacuum.
3. Take off the beater brush.
4. Remove the old belt and slip the new belt on. One end of the belt goes on the drive shaft, while the other end goes on the beater bar.
5. Replace the plate on the bottom of the vacuum.

Problem 2: The Beater Bar Doesn’t Turn

This could be caused by one of two things: the belt broke or the beater bar is so full of twisted, tangled hair that it can’t turn.

To fix it, unplug your vacuum and take the plate off of your vacuum. Next, remove the beater bar. Scrape off all of the hair from around the brush, paying careful attention to the edges, because any hair or string is going to stop the bar from turning. Once you have all of the hair off, reattach the belt to the beater brush and put the plate back on.

Problem 3: The Hose Doesn’t Have Any Suction.

The first thing to check is whether or not there are any small holes or tears in the hose. If there aren’t any, you are going to want to check to see if there is a clog in the hose.

Take as many of the hoses and wands apart as possible. If you can see through them, there probably isn’t an obstruction.

If you can’t see through them (or you can’t take them apart), stick the handle of a broom down and push all of the hairballs, socks or wadded up pieces of paper out of the hose. You are probably going to be surprised at what you have sucked up.

Even if you don’t remember sucking up something big, having something small stuck in the tube can turn into a large obstruction by building up over time.

Problem 4: The Vacuum Doesn’t Suck

If your vacuum isn’t sucking up anything, try emptying the dirt cup or the bag. Despite what a lot of manufacturers say, vacuums lose suction if they are too full.

If that doesn’t work, check to see if your beater brush is turning. If it doesn’t hit the carpet, you will never get it very clean.

Are there any vacuum fixes that you can do that I missed? Share them in the comments section to help a fellow vacuumer out.

Tagged as: avoid vacuum repair, canister vac, DIY, repairing a vacuum, upright vacuum cleaner, vacuum cleaners