Are Bag Check Indicators To Be Trusted?
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kirby
New member
i wold just rather use my dyson no bags to be woried about
Yeah, but in the long run Bagged cleaners are much better and more hygienic. If checking the bag puts you off a Bagged cleaner then you really can't be that interested in Vacuum Cleaners - No offense.
Does the Turbopower range have a screw to adjust the light, do you know ?
Does the Turbopower range have a screw to adjust the light, do you know ?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
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- Mar 27, 2007
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- 1,701
I've Never....
....Had a "Check Bag" indicator come on at all.
The reason is that I change bags on a time schedule. First of the month, all bags get changed. The bags never really "need" it in the sense of being as full as many people let them get, but I like maximum suction. It's also kind of nice to know I am not getting anywhere near putting stress on the motor.
All together now, class - "Bags are cheap! Motors are expensive!"
....Had a "Check Bag" indicator come on at all.
The reason is that I change bags on a time schedule. First of the month, all bags get changed. The bags never really "need" it in the sense of being as full as many people let them get, but I like maximum suction. It's also kind of nice to know I am not getting anywhere near putting stress on the motor.
All together now, class - "Bags are cheap! Motors are expensive!"
sebo_fan
Well-known member
The worst piston valve bag indicators I found were on the Hoover Telios and Arriane models - they were poorly made and when dust leaked from the bag, you knew about it when you glanced down and could see fluff under the window! I'm not a fan of the mechanical types but I am aware that several brands make different ones as to the seals that they put and in some cases like Hoover, not much sealing! AS JM does refer to, feeling the bag physically is a better condition IF you want to get the highest value out of the bag before changing it. I don't think it has anything to do with being a collector though - many people check their bags if they know they haven't bought more to stock up on.
I must point out though that being a long term Hoover fan when I was younger, I realised that some of the cylinders they made which came with the SMS lifetime fabric dust bag would show the dust bag indicator as being full - this was a big downside because half the time the bag wasn't full and it was the effect of the fabric being sucked in. Hoover also made that mistake with their "Pure Filt" dust bags realising that their machines with the higher wattage of 1700 watts showed a fairer indication on the bag full indicator than machines with 1200 watts or less. This was all in the days before they had synthetic dust bags!
I must point out though that being a long term Hoover fan when I was younger, I realised that some of the cylinders they made which came with the SMS lifetime fabric dust bag would show the dust bag indicator as being full - this was a big downside because half the time the bag wasn't full and it was the effect of the fabric being sucked in. Hoover also made that mistake with their "Pure Filt" dust bags realising that their machines with the higher wattage of 1700 watts showed a fairer indication on the bag full indicator than machines with 1200 watts or less. This was all in the days before they had synthetic dust bags!
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Personally JM, if I was up for buying another Hoover upright, I'd return to the original Freedom upright instead of going for the Greenray versions - Hoover charge £179-99 for that Freedom Greenray and you'd be getting a more modern filter system than the one fitted to the Purepower Greenray. That same 1200 watt motor was fitted to the Slalom I had and they were going for £100 last time I looked in Argos but they may not be on sale anymore.
alexhoovers94
Well-known member
Bag full indicators:
Really to be honest bag full indicator lights are better for telling an everyday consumer if there is a blockage, yes to us vacuum collectors it is clearly obvious that there is a clog but to consumers they don't care what the vacuum sounds like and the brushroll would still pick up some bits on the carpet for the user not to notice unless they use the hose however and no suction comes threw it.
The sebo bag full indicators are pretty acurate I remember mine being 3/4 full and there was not a high pitch (blockage sound) it just sounded like the airflow was restricted a little but the bag full light was flashing so i opened it up and had a look and the bag was almost full so I then replaced it.
My turbopower 2 has never really got that full yet to make use of the bag check indicator however i think it will only really work if I was useing it in high power because there isn't enough suction in the low mode to engage the bag check light, I would have to have a non autosense turbo 2 with bag check light or use my autosense in high all the time to really find out if it is accurate.
I think that the more suction you have from the machine the more sensative the bag full indicator light/piston will be as a more powerfull machine with alot of suction is trying to pull the airflow threw a nearly full bag hense the sensativity of a bag check light.
However like I said at the begging I think bag full indicators are more useful for telling you the machine is blocked rather than the bag being full.
Hope this helps,
Alex.
Really to be honest bag full indicator lights are better for telling an everyday consumer if there is a blockage, yes to us vacuum collectors it is clearly obvious that there is a clog but to consumers they don't care what the vacuum sounds like and the brushroll would still pick up some bits on the carpet for the user not to notice unless they use the hose however and no suction comes threw it.
The sebo bag full indicators are pretty acurate I remember mine being 3/4 full and there was not a high pitch (blockage sound) it just sounded like the airflow was restricted a little but the bag full light was flashing so i opened it up and had a look and the bag was almost full so I then replaced it.
My turbopower 2 has never really got that full yet to make use of the bag check indicator however i think it will only really work if I was useing it in high power because there isn't enough suction in the low mode to engage the bag check light, I would have to have a non autosense turbo 2 with bag check light or use my autosense in high all the time to really find out if it is accurate.
I think that the more suction you have from the machine the more sensative the bag full indicator light/piston will be as a more powerfull machine with alot of suction is trying to pull the airflow threw a nearly full bag hense the sensativity of a bag check light.
However like I said at the begging I think bag full indicators are more useful for telling you the machine is blocked rather than the bag being full.
Hope this helps,
Alex.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
The most accurate indicators of all were probably those fitted to the exhaust air duct on dirty-fan cleaners, like the Hoover Turbopower, Moulinex, and Hotpoint Universal. They required air to be blown onto the sensor part of the gauge (be it a switch or whatever) to activate the indicator. This would only occur when the exhaust air was under high pressure, like when the bag was full, and never when suction was restricted, like when using tools etc. The tubes for the sensors or the sensors themselves were located in such a place that a blockage was unlikely to occur after it, therefore unlikely to activate due to a blockage.
floor-a-matic
Well-known member
I change when suction is only 1/2 of what it should be with new bag/filter(s)
On the Electrolux 1205, I always leave the Automatic Control set to "Fine Dust" so the bag door opens when the bag is only 1/4 full.
Those old Luxes have dual-type (electronic & mechanical) bag check indicators; too bad the current Luxes are only electronic.
On the Compacts & TriStars, although they don't have ANY bag check indicators, I fill the bag all the way & still have lots of suction; but I change the bags VERY often.
On the Electrolux 1205, I always leave the Automatic Control set to "Fine Dust" so the bag door opens when the bag is only 1/4 full.
Those old Luxes have dual-type (electronic & mechanical) bag check indicators; too bad the current Luxes are only electronic.
On the Compacts & TriStars, although they don't have ANY bag check indicators, I fill the bag all the way & still have lots of suction; but I change the bags VERY often.
vacu-finder
Well-known member
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- Jul 25, 2011
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On some Vac's the indicator is a waste (bells & whistles) so to speak.
On the other hand All the Electrolux'S i owned the bag check indicator worked flawlessly all the time...
On the other hand All the Electrolux'S i owned the bag check indicator worked flawlessly all the time...
mieleforever
New member
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- Nov 1, 2011
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In my oppinion
I think that the "bag needs change" indicator is rather like one's car oil level indicator, when it comes on it usually is too late and there has already been some damage done to the machine. Rather just check it on a regular basis like checking one's oil and water on a regular basis.
Regards
I think that the "bag needs change" indicator is rather like one's car oil level indicator, when it comes on it usually is too late and there has already been some damage done to the machine. Rather just check it on a regular basis like checking one's oil and water on a regular basis.
Regards
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
I wish I had a penny for every time a 'faulty' Electrolux 330 or 345 was bought into my shop for repair, because the user did not know the machine would switch off with a full dust bag. I think it is fair to say that the people guilty of this oversight were probably not the original owners of the cleaners and may not have had an instruction book.
Another thing is the Electrolux Tango Z5001 had a safety feature where the bag door wouldn't close if there wasn't a bag fitted, so if the owner wanted to be "clever" and try to use it without a bag, they would probably think it had broken when the door wouldn't close. Better still, they'd probably break it themselves trying to force it shut.
Tut tut...
Tut tut...
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
The idea of not being able to close the lid of a cleaner without a bag is one which has come and gone over the years, with no apparent rhyme or reason. Personally, I quite like it. It seemed to start with the Electrolux Automatic cleaners which would not power up without a dust bag, and then the Electrolux 350 series had the bag indicator fashioned in such a way that it fell backwards without a dust bag and would obstruct the lid so that it could not be replaced. But over time many cleaners have had this idea. I think the AEG and Miele cleaners may well have done something along these lines. I just can't remember.
And thank goodness for that feature eh ? Or else many cleaners would have been used bagless and thus eventually clogged up and been thrown out to the bin men. I suspect most of them met that fate anyway, when the owner couldn't use them bagless and was too parsimonious to buy more bags.
They have now probably gone through many bagless cleaners and wish they had that old reliable bagged cleaner again... Oh well.
They have now probably gone through many bagless cleaners and wish they had that old reliable bagged cleaner again... Oh well.
vacu-finder
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- Jul 25, 2011
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- 330
In response to your question jmurray01.
On what Electrolux models was it that the indicator worked ?
The models AP100 and AP280 Canadian models.
Yes i had one act up, What happens usually is the plastic tubes get plugged with debris.
On what Electrolux models was it that the indicator worked ?
The models AP100 and AP280 Canadian models.
Yes i had one act up, What happens usually is the plastic tubes get plugged with debris.
