Vacuum Cleaner Fault Finding

This short guide is designed to outline the most common problems, a kind of vacuum cleaner faults FAQ if you like, with what we refer to as "Floorcare" appliances, that is to say that they either vacuum, wash or polish floors. This guide is not intended as a "buyer's guide" but we are working on that presently. 
Some people call them Hoovers or say that they will "Hoover the carpet" but this is actually a brand, not what the machine actually is, they are vacuum cleaners. When asking for spares saying that you need a part for the Hoover doesn't help us at all, you will need the make and model number as there are hundreds of them!

Safety First!

Please remember to keep yourself and your family safe by following our simple basic electrical safety guide. Quite simply it is not worth someone's life or an injury just to save a few pounds calling in a professional repairer.

To get the best possible service we would recommend our appliance engineer search which will refer you to a local repairer that operates to a standard that we have set in our own code of practice. It is your guarantee that the service that you receive will be a quality repair that is fairly priced and guaranteed.

The problems here are frequently asked about in the forums and you may well be able to help yourself before posting a question or calling an engineer however we must stress, above all else, that your own safety is your primary concern.

The Five B's

Over 90 % of the most common problems of poor performance related to conventional vacuum cleaner product's come under the what I call the Five B's and though it may seem obvious these should be checked at regular intervals.

Bag And Filters

The bag should be checked and emptied at regular intervals, if it is of the sealed type you should not reuse it as once the pores of the bag become blocked it will cause the motor of your cleaner to run too hot shortening the life of the appliance.

The filters should be replaced for the same reason, plus the fact that dirty filters will only result in dust being blown back into the room you are trying to clean.

The vast bulk of the common cleaner bags and filters can be found in the vacuum cleaner section of our online store from this link

Belt or Belts

The belt should also be changed periodically as they can over time, have a tendency to wear, stretch and eventually break resulting in poor performance.

Again, the common cleaner belts can be found in the store from this link

Brush Rolls

It is all too often forgotten that the bristles on the brush roll will over time wear down and as a result become far less effective at cleaning and brushing up the pile of your carpets.

Another problem is that threads, hair, or string like fabrics can easily get wrapped around the brush roll, reducing its ability to turn freely, thereby putting extra stain on the drive belt .This is why the brush roll should be removed periodically checked, cleaned and the end caps and bearings inspected, to keep the appliance working at optimum performance.  New brush rolls can be purchased in our online store from this link but if you cannot find the one you need do please ask.

Vacuum Cleaner Blockages

We can all, on occasion inadvertently vacuum up objects such as, matches, cocktail sticks, hair clips, etc. All of these items can cause blockages to form in the internal or external hoses or airways of the appliance. So if you suspect that your cleaner has a blockage due to poor performance or the fact that it seems to be running warmer than usual. Then it is very important to stop using the appliance and investigate the problem, otherwise you can seriously damage the appliance.

Broken Flexes

Be careful not to overstretch the flex of your cleaner during operation especially when it has an auto rewind device for the flex, If your appliance cannot easily reach then use a suitable extension lead as a lot of flexes are damaged by putting to much strain on the flexes resulting in broken flexes, usually at either the plug or the appliance ends.

Other Common Vacuum Cleaner Faults

Probably the number one fault is that the cleaner will go dead and, as with many faults on appliances, there can be many reasons why this would happen.

The first obvious one is the mains flex is broken, as noted above in the 5b,s, but also do make sure to check the fuse in the plug and make sure that that's okay before you open the vac itself.

The next most obvious fault is the mains switch or, increasingly, the PCB (electronic control) as these do burn out.

If you have the power light on then it is possible that the motor has burnt out or, where fitted, that a thermal fuse has blown cutting power to the motor.

• Check fuse in plug
• Check mains flex
• Check main on/off switch
• Check PCB

Very much beyond the advice above you delve into specific cleaners and it gets harder to advise as each is different.