Arkay vacuum Model #5105 by Apex Electrical

[froyden]

<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">I need help either finding a replacement hose for my Arkay vac or suggestions on what I can do to repair the "repair" that was made to mine.</span>


 


<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">At some point in the past, someone replaced the hose tubing with white vinyl tubing and apparently glued it in.   The Arkay was supposed to have a black, cloth-covered, rubber hose which was factory glued into the hose couplings.  The coupling has a "plastic sleeves" that you're supposed to turn after inserting the end into the cleaner.  That action is supposed to produce a "positive, air-tight seal. "</span>


 


<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">I do have another hose from an unknown machine that is the correct color and type, but my friendly local vacuum repairman says it would be impossible to remove the white vinyl tubing and even if you could, it would be impossible to glue the black tubing in place.</span>


 


<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">Something about that doesn't sound right.  Afterall someone already managed to remove the original tubing and put that white one in its place.</span>


 


<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">It is an Arkay model 5105, made in the Sandusky, Ohio factory of The Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company.  It originally sold for $98.50  from Hub Vacuum Stores (New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee) and there's only three things that it originally came with that I don't have. 1) the box 2) the hose tubing and 3) a small can of moth ball crystals.  (I have the original document "folder" and the cardboard caddy with all the tools.)</span>


 


<span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">I don't really want the mothball crystals. The box would be nice, but I'd just store it.  So that leaves just the hose.   It works fine with the white hose, it just looks so wrong.</span>


 


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[this post was last edited: 3/20/2014-01:33]

 

[collector2]

Your repair man is full of BS. Its not that hard to remove the ends. Just do it carefully. And make sure you put some tape around the ends of the donor hose before you cut off the other ones so that the woven covering doesn't unravel.

I have the same machine under the Connor name and I changed the hose on it. (I made the kit in the picture incidentally)

 

[froyden]

Thank you...

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">Thanks for the information, my husband still refuses to believe it can be done, and now he's talking about selling it. I tried explaining to him what that white vinyl would do to the price even if we do sell it. He just doesn't believe it would make much difference to a buyer. I feel that even if I was successful in replacing the hose with one of the proper size, type and color, that it would still negatively affect the price, but, perhaps not as badly. </span>


 


By the way, other than the hose, the machine hasn't been messed with at all... I haven't even wiped it down.



<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">Oh well. I think your repair turned out great. Do you mean that you actually made the cardboard caddy? or, did you find all the attachments and put them together? It's a gorgeous machine, and knowing that they were made under more than one brand gives me hope. Here's a pic of the attachments from the Arkay, note that they're not all on the caddy. Plus there's an attachment for cleaning blinds sitting on top (it's pretty dirty, but it has a box of replacement rollers).  Can you tell me what that accessory is that is in the center of the middle shelf of the caddy... the shape is sort of odd.  I suppose I could check the "manual." Just thought of that, it was just yesterday that I carefully opened it up (not as many pieces as I thought), I put it all in plastic sheet protectors and copied it, so now I feel comfortable actually reading it.  If you or anyone would like a copy, let me know and I can scan it in and email it.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;">I've got another pic that shows the hoses, I'll post that below.</span>

[this post was last edited: 3/21/2014-19:05]

 

[froyden]

The hoses

I don't know how well this shows it, but the black hose is the one I was going to use as a donor.  You can see how just plain dumb that white vinyl looks.


 


Unfortunately I don't really recall what machine the black hose came from (I found out yesterday … senior moment I guess).  I need to go back and get that name because there's a couple of the coolest tools I've seen in the accessory bag that the black hose had been in.  They're primarily black steel, the crevice tool is almost completely flat except where it attached to the hose.  The flat part is maybe ¼″<span style="font-size: x-small;"> × </span>2″ or so and probably 8-10″ long.  (I might see if I can use it with one of my machines because it's the first crevice tool I've seen that actually looks like it would fit in a crevice.)  Plus, I figure if the tools look that cool, what does the vac look like?


 


I do have a question.  How did you loosen the bond between the original hose and the ends?  Maybe if I can give him some concrete information about doing the repair, he'll change his mind.


 

 

[collector2]

Hi again

Yep I made the cardboard kit from pictures. The accessory that you asked about is a vaporizer. You put the hose on the exhaust, put moth crystals in the vaporizer and blow the vapour into a closet to kill moths and protect clothing in storage.

On the plastic hose, a heat gun used carefully will loosen the solvent. You would probably have to cut the ends off the other one. The picture is a bit small but it could be a premier hose.

Doug

 

[froyden]

Thanks Doug,

I'm a dunce.  I just assumed that the "spray gun" was the "demothing tool." I think I mentioned earlier that I have the original documents that came with the Vac. We'll, I stopped being lazy and read the section about the attachments and sure enough you were right.  I know it's not the document folder for your machine, but if you want a copy, just let me know.


 


Thanks again for your help.  I'll let you know what machine my donor hose came from as soon as I get time to go over to the other house.  (We're in the process of moving and all of that is over in the new house.)

 

[collector2]

Would love to have a copy of the manual - my email is [email protected]

Thank you
Doug

 

[nosatathome]

Apex

If you are still looking for parts, I have a vintage Connor that I am looking to donate to a good cause.

Contact me at [email protected], and look at my thread posted today offering this vacuum to anyone who would appreciate it.