Hoover turbo brush making AWFUL noise

[niclonnic]

So my Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet has a really nice "pet" turbo brush. It is unique because instead of bristles, it has rubber blades which sweep up pet hair and carry it into the dirt cup. The great thing about it is that it doesn't tangle up with pet hair.

However lately when I go to use it, within about 10 seconds, it makes a HORRIBLE high-pitched screeching noise. It is so bad that I have to shut off the vacuum every time I hear it.

Recently, I tried lubricating the turbine with WD-40 and it seemed to work fine. But after a few uses, it started screeching again. So does anybody know of a way to stop this horrid screeching? This is a GREAT tool for stairs and upholstery.

Any solutions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bagintheback]

Check to see if there is any hair build-up in the bearings. That will sometimes fix the issue. If it needs to be lubricated again, it's best not to use WD-40 for bearings. Find a lubricant designed specially for motors. The lubrication you momentarily experienced from the WD-40 will last for a much longer time.


 


It's also possible there is a chip in the turbine, but I think that seems unlikely in this case. I hope you can fix it; those are really useful. 

 

[fantomlightning]

I Have...

The same brush, making what I'd bet is the same noise. I'm thinking it's just a bad bearing somewhere in the tool. Best course of action is probably just replacing the entire thing. There's one on eBay now for $15 with free shipping. I doubt you could even replace any of the parts in that thing for less, if they're even available.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOOVER-WIND...245?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43d9ed0db5

 

[sprockkets]

As a general rule, WD-40 is a degreaser or a way to loosen stuff up, it isn't a lubricant.

 

[henrydreyfuss]

Turbo Tune-Up!

I would start by cleaning out any hair or thread that's built up around the brushroll and turbine, making sure none has gotten into the ends of the brush or where the turbine seats. Also check and make sure none of the plastic is chewed up where the brush or turbine sit, and that all the parts seat between the casing halves properly.

I'm assuming that Hoover tool uses itty-bitty sleeve bearings, and in that case I would use 3-in-1 Motor Oil to prolong bearing life, and keep noise down. Just a drop on the ends of the brushroll that fit into the sleeve bearing does the trick! WD-40 breaks down quickly, and you'll soon be left right where you started, if not worse due to extra unnecessary chemical residue. WD-40 is great for hinges and temporary round-the-house fixes, but it has no real place in moving machinery.

I use automobile-grade bearing grease for ball bearings, and just a little 3-in-1 MOTOR Oil for sleeve bearings. Always does the trick!

These turbo-tools are generally noisy and cheaply made, but this is what I would do to give one a tune-up! Hope this helps!

 

[floor-a-matic]

This style is the better turbo nozzle

Or U can go for a mini electric PN

Why did Hoover quit offering this good turbo nozzle? Or do they still make it? I HATE the new style like the 1st pic

 

[sebo_fan]

Outside Wessel Werk ones, the better one I like is the Electrolux ZE060. Probably available in the U.S under Eureka. Only thing I dislike is that it is impossible to open up quickly to clean out due to two screws on the back of it.

 

[niclonnic]

Thanks!

I'll definitely look into trying that 3-in-1 motor oil for the bearings. Perhaps I'll find some at Lowe's or Home Depot.

I looked inside my turbo brush, and it has some long hair wrapped around the turbine bearing where the belt rides on. I'll have to pull it out with pliers, as that area is too small for my fingers.

FantomLightning, I wouldn't really want to buy a new turbo brush, as I'm trying to save money. A new turbo brush costs $17.75 on Hoover's website. It doesn't appear that the individual parts are available separately.

http://hoover.com/products/details/uh70831pc/windtunnel-2-rewind-pet-bagless-upright/

Sebo_fan, that Electrolux turbo brush is available in the U.S. under the Eureka name. My Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind (which was given away last summer) had a turbo brush very similar to that Electrolux tool. Its "Riser Visor" makes it VERY easy to clean stair risers without flipping the tool over, which can be awkward. The downside is that it slows down a lot when touched to a surface.

Floor-a-matic, I've never used an older pre-TTI Windtunnel upright, but it seems that Hoover has stopped making that red turbo brush in your picture.

One upright that has a mini electric power nozzle is the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away. It is the first upright I've seen that has a "TruePet Mini Motorized Hand Tool." I have attached a video that explains how to use it.


Or I could go for a new Dyson if I could afford it. Dyson makes a "Tangle-free turbine tool" which is the only turbine tool that won't tangle up. Here is a video showing Dyson engineers putting this tool through crazy torture testing.

 

[parwaz786]

I would go for the dyson tangle free tool with an adaptor

 

[sprockkets]

can someone mention if the dyson tool gets powered from a seperate air path? It doesn't make sense to vacuum dirt over the wheel to mess it up.

 

[niclonnic]

The Dyson tool has a "clean-air" turbine setup. When you clean with it, debris does not pass through the turbine itself, so there will be no risk of damage to an essential part. And if you clean something like a real dense fabric, instead of slowing down, this tool will speed up! Dyson has pretty much perfected the turbine tool.

 

[niclonnic]

Oil ordered today!

I purchased a small bottle of 3-in-1 motor oil from Amazon.com for only $2.99. It should be here Thursday. Crossing my fingers and hoping this works!

 

[niclonnic]

It's here!

My bottle of 3-in-1 motor oil just came in today! Now I can get down to business! Wish me luck!

I have a picture of everything I need.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Interested

To see if the oil worked. I am sure it will.

 

[niclonnic]

The moment of truth...

So today, I put the turbo brush back together, plugged my vacuum in, took the hose out, put the turbo brush on, powered it on, and...

IT LIVES!!!

The turbo brush runs VERY smoothly now! I vacuumed a pet bed for a small test, and I didn't hear ANY screeching!

Later on, I'll be vacuuming some couches, pet beds and the stairs to give this tool a workout.

A VERY cheap and simple repair for a great little tool!

 

[parwaz786]

Well done! You must be chuffed that you got your precious tool working again lol It does look good, you did a good job repairing the tool I gave up repairing my Vax large turbo head afer it was rusty when I got it used with my DC14, but it was alright, but span slowly :L

 

[henrydreyfuss]

Hey Niclonnic!

Glad the 3-in-1 Motor Oil did the trick! It's my go to, and I've gone through several bottles over the years tuning-up vacuums. It's great for any sleeve bearing, and it's what I use for my vintage fans as well.

As turbine tools almost universally use small cheap bearings, don't be surprised if you need to tune-it-up again down the road, depending on use.

3-in-1 Motor Oil is also great for vacuum wheel axles (which seem to squeal way too much on modern vacs), but be sure to clean any excess oil off the wheels themselves, so they don't stain carpeting. I haven't found a long-term solution to stop wheel-squeal on new vacs, but this keeps them quiet for 3-6 months. The effect lasts much longer on vintage vacuums, which usually used better, larger wheels that kept dirt away from the axles longer, and rolled smoother and quieter by design.

It's a great product.[this post was last edited: 4/12/2015-15:47]

 

[niclonnic]

Yeah

The 3-in-1 Motor Oil really is great! I may have to lubricate my turbo brush a few more times over its lifetime. The only downside is that after having used the turbo brush, residue appears within the top cover of the tool. I am attaching a pic. The brown markings are residue.

 

[niclonnic]

But there is one more thing...

The rear wheels of my Hoover are fine, but the front wheels are squeaky! They squeak the most when I pull the vacuum back. I may have to try the 3-in-1 Oil on it sometime.

Below is a pic of the underside. This Hoover has a nice, aggressive brush roll! It sounds angry when I vacuum carpets.