How to fix your vacuum - 4 tips to get it working like new

Does your vacuum suck? Is it working properly and actually picking up the dirt from your carpet? Mine wasn't working very well. It seemed to take several passes for it to pick up any little crumb. It was either time to fix my vacuum or time for a new one. And as much as I'd like a nice top of the line vacuum, I don't want to fork over the cash. So here are a few tips that got my vacuum working like new again.

{If you have a problem with your motor, or the vacuum won't turn on, then I can't help you. If your vacuum runs but just won't pick up anything, try these tips before buying a new one.}

Tip #1 - Clean the Filter.  

The first thing I did was to clean out the filter. It had been WAY too long since I'd last done this. I blew out most of the dust with an air compressor and then washed it and let it dry completely {overnight}. {You will need to read your owners manual to see if it is washable, or if you need to replace it.} But after all that hard work, I vacuumed the floor and when I went to empty the canister, there was not a speck of dust in it.

I knew I had to dig a little deeper. I took off the cover. To do this I located the screws on top of the base. There were four of them. Unscrew them and take off the cover.  All vacuums are different. In the past I've had to take off the bottom cover.  Check your user's manual if you can't figure out how to get it off.

Tip #2 - Get all the Hair off the Roller Brush. 

With four of us girls in the house, and all of us with long hair, there is a lot of hair that gets vacuumed up. Over time, the roller brush becomes covered with hair and will not spin as well. I actually had to get some scissors and cut some of the hair loose.

Tip #3 - Replace the Belt. 

This is something I try to keep on hand. They're only a couple dollars and it makes a world of difference to have a new belt. I had actually replaced mine not too long ago, so I knew that wasn't the problem.

Tip #4 - Unclog the hose. 

This one is new for me. I've never had this problem before. But when I opened up the vacuum, I could tell there was a clog in the hose. I took the vacuum outside.  At first I tried to blow air through it from the top end, but it was too clogged to even budge. I ended up grabbing a long screwdriver and digging it out.

Look at that! All of that was stuck in a three inch section of the hose before it turns upward. Once I got the clog out, I blew air through it with the air compressor.

{As I'm watermarking this picture, these thoughts run through my head: "Do I really want to claim this as mine? Is anyone really going to want to steal it? And if they do try to claim it as their own, do I even care?"}

I am happy to say that it works just like new. In fact when I first turned it on, I could tell it was going to work better. I could hear the air flowing through it. That sound had gradually gone away, and I hadn't realized that it was missing.

Another plus, it no longer overheats and turns off in the middle of my vacuuming session. I thought it was just because it was getting old and because it is an inexpensive vacuum. It seems that having air flow keeps the motor cool, preventing it from shutting down prematurely.

I hope these tips help you.  Did I miss anything? Do you have other tips that help keep your vacuum running? I'd love to hear them and share them with my readers.

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