Quality Vacuum Superstore

This guide will assist you in basic vacuum cleaner maintenance recommendations and simple trouble shooting if youare having difficulties with you vacuum cleaner.  As awith any electrical or mechanical device you should not to attempt yo access the motor or wiring if you are not experienced in these areas.  If you  have questions or concerns please feel free to contact by email through the ebay ask the seller a question located in any of our listings.

Belt Maintenance:

One of the most basic maintenance items you should do on your vacuum as regular as an oil change on your car is change the belt.  The belt is what connects your motor to the brush roll.  If th belt does not have good traction on the brush roll the motor will not turn it and the vacuum will not clean up to it potential.  Do not wait until your belt breaks to change it.  SInce the belt is made of rubber it will stretch with use and lost its traction long before it breaks.  We recommend you change your belt every 3 months.

Bag Maintenance:

Paper Bag:  This should be changed when the change bag indicator of your vacuum comes on.  If you do not a change bag indicator check the bag before each use to ensure it is not more than 3 quarters full or past the fill line on the bag.  As your bag fill your vacuum will loose suction and airflow which will decrease its cleaning ability.  If your bag overfills you wills surely clog your machine and the vacuum will also puch dirt somewhere else other than the bag which will most likely be back in the room you are cleaning.

Inner Cloth Bag:  Check the bag before each use to ensure it is not more than 3 quarters full.  Just as with paper bags the same negative impacts will occur if it is over filled.  If your cloth bag is machine washable lauder it each time you empty; it is a good idea to have two bags so you can continue to clea when youare washing the dirty one.

Filters:

Pre-Filter:  Most pre-filters are located below or behind your bag in the bag housing or in your bagless canister cup.  Most pre filters are washable and should be cleaned with a mild soap and water when they are visible soiled.  Make sure that the filter is completely dried before installing the filter.  IF the filter becomes so full that the air cannot pass through air flow and suction will be decreased and the cleaning ability of your machine will decrease slightly.

Motor Filter:  Some manufacturers also call this filter a noise reduction device since it has a dual purpose.  This filter should be washed with soap and water annually and left to air dry.  This should be done some one with electrical experience since it does require the motor to be removed and re-attached.

Exhaust Filter:  The filter comes in many forms and is the final filter the air taken into your machine passes through before is is released back into the air.  The higher quality machines have a filtrete or HEPA filters which cannot be washed and should be replaced according to the manufacturers advice in the owner's manual.

Brush Roll/Agitator:

Every vacuum cleaner designed to vacuum carpet has a brush roll.  A visual inspection should be made each time you use the vacuum to ensure a lot of string, hair, or other debris has not built up so much that the bristles will not groom the carpet.  Once the debris is covering the bristles simply remove the debris from the brush roll.  Wooden and plastic brush rolls have a tendency to splinter if the vacuum has picked up a dense object ush as a screw, rock, or other objects of the line.  This can cause significant damage to the carpet immediately or over time when the splinter catches on the carpet and starts tearing out the carpet fibers.  DO NOT use the machine if you notice a splinter and replace the brush roll immediately.  Every 3-6 months ensure that the length of the bristles still reach past the plane of the bottom plate.  If they are not then they are not touching the carpet and doing you do good.  In this case you will neet to either rotate the end caps according to the owners manual, replace the brush roll, or if you have a metal brush roll you can slide out the old strips and slide in new ones, this all depends on the features of your machine.

Impellor or Fan:

You should only need to replace this if your machine does not have a bypass system.  A direct system like what is found in Kirby, Oreck, and cheap box store items like Hoover and Eureka everything you pick up goes through the motor then into the collection bag or cup.  Direct systems are BAD, they are usually cheap or overpriced as the first two examples are, the potential for costly damage to be done by simply vacuum up a penny to to much risk that is why the later examples are considered disposable vacuum.  A symptom of this is the machine sounds louder than it should and/or a strong vibration you haven't noticed before appears.  You will need to seek professional assistance at a vacuum repair center if this does happen.

Motor Bearing:

Noticing a loud squealing sound when you turn off the machine and it is winding down is not a good sign, you hear this sound because the bearing have gone bad. You may have to either purchase new bearings, the whole motor, or have your bearing repacked, this all depends on the make and model of you machine. Only a vacuum repair specialist should attempt doing and of those functions

Clean and Service:

The last and most important maintenance item you should have done on an annually basis is a Clean and Service. The price usually depends on the complexity of the machine. The typical service will consist of taking the machine completely apart down to the motor, cleaning it, inspecting for damage, replacing filters, belts and bags. This should only be invested in if you want to keep you machine and avoid costly repairs in the future.

I hope that you have found this guide helpful.  If you have any questions or need a specific part for your vacuum please email us or click the link at the top of the page.