2005 (?) Kenmore ELEGANCE canister

[aeoliandave]

So a ladypal at work turned to me to figure out what's wrong with her ELEGANCE.

Her daughter borrowed it to clean out her apartment before moving. It came back a bit banged and scuffed, not 'pulling' as strong as before and emitting a horrible burning smell.

Well, of course you can guess...but here's what I found:

It had sucked up some moist Kitty Litter clay along with all manner of broken plastic bits and bobs from the room corners. At least, they were sharded after passing almost successfully through the brushroll. LOL Clearly she also sucked up some water along the way.

The Power Nozzle swivel neck bore was half the size, coated with dried litter Clay embedded with mystery clumps and stones and pet hair bristles - which just kept snagging dust debris and hair the more it was used. By coincidence, the inside wiring diagram pasted above the motor had detached itself from the casing and got wrapped around the PN motor shaft. Burning smell was a combination of the belt slipping on the slick lable wrapping and being bogged down with whatever it was trying to ingest. But it was not enough to trip the circuit breaker...
Oh, and the no doubt horrendous vibration all this caused blew out the lamp filament.

This picture does not really convey how much clay muck was already chipped & scraped from the inlet path.

 

[aeoliandave]

2nd problem - the after-motor HEPA filter had never been changed. It was black with carbon. Already airflow compromised, when water was ingested it totally plugged the pores of the pleated filter, the motor heat melted the glue holding the pleats in place so the both sides exploded out of their frame...gluing itself to the insides of the filter recess. No longer filtering it was at least allowing a sliver of exhaust to escape. I had to pry the filter out with a thin knife.

 

[aeoliandave]

The filter is longer than the egress grill and the sides don't really filter at all...but that's where it bulged & blew.

A new filter was obtained for a mere $16.99 Cdn at SEARS. As well as a bulb for $2.99

Such is the cost of basic maintenance.

 

[aeoliandave]

Gave it the Magic Eraser once over and took it out for a test spin.

Not a half bad vacuum really for middle of the line back when. Tools on board, a nice hefty telescopic wand and three position switch on the hose handle.

But those translucent lids! what a piece of CHEAP in the name of style. It's a thin flimsy vinyl plastic that's as flexible as imatation knock-off 'Tupperware'.

I won't be adding one of these to the Collection unless it's a free Pity-pick...

 

[aeoliandave]

While Tracey was without her vacuum for a half week (with company coming this weekend) I lent her one of my Royal PONYs, the red one with the sliding speed control.

A few years ago Tracey's old house was a flood victim and her Tristar was destroyed. Insurance would not give her full replacement value so this Kenmore is what she got on sale. Btw, it has a sliding main motor speed control on the handle as well.

She absolutely wants one, a Pony or a Compact, when I can find her one with the PN. Duh.

But impressing me, what's under the rear lid is the cutest small motor-driven PetPower Handimate. I love the size and non-bog power of this thing. Even better on my narrow stair treads than a regular Kenmore or Lux 'powermate'. I'm not a fan of turbine handimates - they just don't have the non-stop power of a motorized unit.

Anyway, she get's her ELEGANCE back tomorrow good to go for a few more years.

Dave

 

[aeoliandave]

I've spoiled Tracey forever lending her a PONY.

 

[kenmore81]

Very nice Davey, it looks brand new now. That vacuum will definitely last a few more years, she should change the filter a bit more often lol. Those motors do run hot especially whith a clogged filter.


Mine is going on 3 years now and so far so good.

 

[aeoliandave]

"Those motors do run hot especially whith a clogged filter."

Boy oh boy, do they ever! It was this heat not being able to escape freely and all the other neglected items that lead to this, as I explained to Tracey. 'Don't let your kids borrow a vacuum they haven't paid for'.

Latest development.

I used the vacuum out in the driveway to clean my car. After running for 30 minutes It began making an odd whine, I could smell the burn smell and I saw excessive sparking through the filter vent.

So, back in the house I pulled the motor thinking it might be the brushes.

Imagine my surprise to see the rear ball bearing slightly off center. Wiggling the fan armature there is a sideways deflection of about 1/32". Looking inside the ball race there are at least half of the balls missing allowing the shaft to intermittently cock sideways. (rounding off the brushes in the process throwing clouds of carbon dust at the HEPA filter)
The bearing is intact, I see no way for balls to have fallen out and I doubt they simply disintegrated. Manufacturing defect from PRC? Front bearing is fine and fully 'balled'.

Got my fingers crossed that I will be able to get a new motor or just the rear bearing through SEARS.

I told Tracey to keep using the Royal Pony as long as she likes and that I will not be able to take another look at the ELEGANCE until I return from the Convention. Perhaps I will simply hand the motor off to Bill Ellison at his vacuum shop...

It's a vacuum worth saving.

Dave

 

[kenmore81]

Mine is the same way, just not as bad. My friend has the same motor in a blue canister but hers is fine. There just not as good as the old Whispertones, but they still last quite a while. She uses hers daily and is going on year 5, I don't use mine daily anymore but I do have a spare motor for when that one goes. The in mine balls seem to be all there I think, just the shaft isn't straight (oh boy!), and it does smell like a burning eletrical smell when you run it the first few minutes. The motors for these are expensive, I think around 150.00 - $180.00 ish.