Advice replacing or repairing a nearly indestructible Sebo

[avic]

Hi All,

first post.

we have a 15 years old Sebo C3.1 which is used daily and was still going strong until about a year ago when we had to replace the telescoping wand.

today the hose stopped powering the powerhead. no power at the handle.

I took the handle apart, cannot fix it, not enough extra wire to reattach to the ring.

a new hose/handle is $85

yet I am concerned about the ET-2 powerhead, which also shows signs of old age (the button is stuck and it is difficult to turn on/off)

I've have done a lot of small fixes through the years mostly other broken wires, etc.

so I suspect that it might be time for a new vacuum cleaner.

what you do think? a new hose? Or a new vacuum?

thanks,

-avi

 

[eurekaprince]

Hi Avi,

Over the years I have learned that power nozzle canisters can easily develop problems with the electrical system that sends power to the carpet nozzle. So I prefer to have two vacs that are lighter and simpler to us: an upright for carpets and a canister to clean everything else. Keep the Sebo canister as a suction-only cleaner and invest in a good carpet cleaning upright as a companion to the canister. Just my thoughts....

 

[compuvac]

I'd suggest getting a new replacement hose and taking the power head to your local vacuum store to get it serviced.

 

[mieles5380leo]

I would keep your machine and just spend the $85 for a new hose. A tune up is a good option too. It’s a lot cheaper than a whole new machine. Though if you were to get a new machine keep the Sebo you have now because things are built really poorly lately even more so in the past few months. Sebo’s are still being built really well though.

 

[kirbylux77]

Avi, I would say it's time to replace your vacuum. Sure, you could buy a new hose and $85 isn't a lot of money to spend. In fact, it should be DOUBLE that price for a electric hose for a German made canister vacuum. The powerhead doesn't need to be tuned up....those Sebo powerheads are very easy to open up, and it sounds like it just has dirt built up around the switch and it needs a good cleaning, that's all.

However, when you say this vacuum has already had multiple small wiring repairs and it's 15 years old, it's not worth it. I remember reading or hearing somewhere that Sebo builds their vacuums to last between 10 to 20 years, and their direct German competitor, Miele, claims their vacuums are designed to have a 20 year service life. So it's definitely reasonable to assume this vacuum would be coming close to the end of it's useful life, and it would become a money pit needing even more work.

The ONLY WAY I would suggest getting a new hose for the Sebo is if you take the whole vacuum in and also have the motor serviced with new carbon brushes. I would also suggest having the technician inspect the circuit board and make sure it's in good condition. I have heard from a local repair shop it is possible to bypass the boards if they did fail, but obviously you want the vacuum working as intended by the manufacturer. I would also suggest buying the Sebo K3 canister as well, the hose on the C3.1 would be compatible with it, so that way you not only have a good replacement vacuum but you will get your money's worth from that hose since it will likely outlast the C3.1 itself.

Rob