Arm & Hammer Carpet Odor Eliminator -- Thoughts?

[whirlpolf]

never encountered any issues

Shake-N-Vac: No issues. Was used with:
Vorwerks VK 117, 119, 240, TKG1, Tiger 250
Kirby G4, G5, G6
Siemens super 1600
Lux D770 and Z325

Glade: No issues. Was used with
AEG Vampyrette K, Vampyr TK 4000 S, TK 700,
Hoover Ranger and Junior Dirtsearcher

On the other hand, the very own purposes given in their respective manuals WOULD have destroyed them:
Sanding wood with sander unit Kirby G4 (slowed down, ball bearings in turbo sander clogged - but could be restored taking it apart and cleaning it in an ultrasonic bath, then regreasing the bearings with a pressure gun).

Sanding a dry wall with sander unit of Kirby G3 (completely jammed and fried ball bearings, cement dust was NOT sucked off and away but killed the sander).
I do know that Kirby's turbo sander is made by Black&Decker, still that does not excuse Kirby: They tended (and tend) to be very vague on what you can do with it, also the sprayer gun is flamboyantly advertised of being capable of doing small paint jobs, along with gardening tasks like spraying plants etc.
Paint jobs? My a... all the best body parts, this was THE sputtering and splashing experience of the first order, "running noses" of paint the most harmless of all results.
Kirby, just keep it to what it is: A plastic sprayer for one or the other detergent or wax solution, no more.
And a sander as a massage kit? What is relaxing about lying down flat on your stomach, vibrations in your shoulders and a fire alarm siren in the center of your head? Tsk....

 

[super-sweeper]

you're right!

The Thunder (originally known as the VECTRON) was designed by S C Johnson wax in the early 1980s (fun times!). 


 


Niclonnic, I barely know what we're arguing about anymore. Let's end this with America got it's awesome and efficient Fantoms, and Britain got their colorful DC01s 

.

 

[fantomfan]

Well actually the Vectron was designed by Dyson himself!

If you look at the patent for the design of the Vectron (later becoming the fantom in 1992), you'll notice James Dyson is listed as the inventor. He designed it as a commercial machine for Johnson Wax in the late 80's (that is why the fantom/thunder/destiny/destiny pluses are built like tanks!) When Johnson wanted out on commercial vacuums, Iona was granted permission to continue to build the machines, but under "fantom", their own machine to sell. I am lucky to own an original fantom from the original owner in very good condition, that was bought directly through the infomercial's 1-800 number, on October 12th, 1994
(What a coincedence it was grandma's 61st b-day) for $348.67, probably about $500 in 2014 dollars. I have the reciept from when he bought it!

 

[super-sweeper]

lucky you!

I have two Thunders myself! I didn't know James designed it,I wonder if the inventor part was only about the dual-cyclones?

 

[fantomfan]

Dyson completely designed it

It seems unbelievable, but in his book "Against the Odds" , he talks about designing the machine. He said himself that it's later sibling, the thunder, had "horribly clumsy styling". He did NOT add the final pleated HEPA filter though. I believe that was an afterthought after fantom realized the dual cyclones could not filter fine dust very well, and they could sell filters for $80 a piece. It looks so out of place on the machine.

 

[super-sweeper]

who said,

You had to buy $80 filters? I'm getting along fine with a section of HEPA cloth bag! 

 


I find it funny Dyson calls the design 'horribly clumsy' after he designed it himself, the only difference being the exhaust filter!

 

[tolivac]

During a basement remodel years ago at a freinds house-his basement-used the Kirby sander on an adaptor with an NSS M1 Pig vac-no problems at all with the drywall dust-cleaned the unit out and it was fine!Used the shroud on the sander and the Pigs suction ran the unit well and collected the plaster dust.

 

[kirbylux77]

Multi-Cyclonic vacuums clogging

Well as far as I'm concerned, reading in the manual to pick up fine dust sparingly is basically an admission on Dyson's part that they know their cyclones eventually clog. They wouldn't be saying this otherwise....they are trying to prevent the cyclones from clogging & a expensive repair bill, resulting in angry consumers.

Also, I find it odd that Dyson say not to wash the cyclone assembly....they must be afraid a consumer wouldn't do a thorough job & let the cyclone assembly dry thoroughly & that there might be some "mud" in the inner workings of the cyclones as a result. With both my Bissell Healthy Home & Hoover Air Pro multi-cyclonic uprights, I have washed the cyclone assembly, let thoroughly dry & have never had any issues. With the Bissell, I will on occasion separate the cyclone assembly from the bin, take it outside & tap the tube that is the inner cyclone on the ground....usually a lot of dust will fall out that way. And periodically I have also used a canister vacuum, like an Electrolux or TriStar, & use the hose in blower mode with a crevice tool on the end to concentrate airflow & blow out the cyclone assembly outside. If you don't have a vacuum with a blower, an air compressor would work as well. Doing this 2 or 3 times a year, plus washing the cyclones once a year, I find is good preventative maintenance.

As to the HEPA filters clogging & carbon filters losing effectiveness, I have blown out my HEPA filters to extend their life & it works wonders....amazing how much dust comes flying out of the filters! And the carbon filters....who cares if they wear out?! You can buy sheets of carbon filter material & cut a new one, & it's dirt cheap, not expensive at all. The only vacuums this wouldn't work on would be the Miele vacuums, since their carbon filters are made of carbon pellets sandwiched in between fabric & permanently attached to the HEPA filter.

Niclonnic- If I was you, don't be so quick to throw that Hoover out once the belt is broken. You do say it's a good vacuum & cleans well, so why throw it out? Since it is a model from a popular brand & mass produced & millions sold, if you check around your local repair shops frequently it will only be a matter of time before you can find donor parts for cheap from a dead vacuum. Also, I would try modifying the "lip" around the cyclone shroud by trimming it with a Dremel, see if that helps to prevent the fluffy dirt from getting stuck up there. The cyclone looks very similar to the design the Hoover Fusion used, & the "lip" on the cyclone wasn't as big as on the Fusion. So I would think the "lip" on the cyclone assembly on yours could be modified without harming anything. I linked a Vacuumland thread below that has a picture of a Hoover Fusion so you can see what I am talking about.

Rob

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?8030

 

[niclonnic]

Interesting facts, Rob...

Another fact about picking up fine dust sparingly is to prevent the filter from clogging, which at that point will need to be washed more frequently (Dyson recommends washing every 6 months).

As for cleaning the cyclone assembly, I could use my Ridgid shop vacuum in blower mode with the crevice tool at the end, then blow out the cyclone assembly outside. I don't have an air compressor. But unfortunately, I don't have my Dyson DC07 anymore. My mom got it following my parents' divorce last month. However, she lives in a small apartment with no pets, so that "Animal" vacuum is too much vacuum for her. I'm thinking that a much cheaper vacuum would be better for her, so I'm researching.

As for carbon filters, Hoover sells carbon filters through their website. They claim that the carbon filter "may need to be replaced more often to maintain optimal odor absorbing effectiveness." Replacement carbon filters can be found here: http://hoover.com/parts/details/902404001/carbon-filter-t-series/
However, they're out of stock as of the time of this writing.

My Hoover Windtunnel is a great vacuum on carpets, but overall it just falls flat when it comes to hard floors, because you can't turn the brush roll off. Also, the hose is WAY too short, plus it comes with one short (12-inch) extension wand. So it's not easy to use on stairs.

Replacement dirt cups are still out of stock. Shame on you, Hoover! At least offer replacement dirt cups when you screw up on a design like this. Unfortunately I'm not willing to modify my dirt cup using a Dremel. The "lip" fits into a rubber gasket when the bottom door is closed. I'm afraid that modifying it would cause performance issues. Due to the broken hinge, the bottom door falls into the trash can every time I go to empty it. When that happens, I have to fiddle with reattaching the door to the bottom of the dirt cup, so I just twist the top part off and empty it that way.

At the end of the day, if you have mostly wall-to-wall carpeting and pets, this Hoover is a great choice for a lower budget. Just be aware of its limitations. It's not great if you have lots of hard floors and/or carpeted stairs.

Here is a link to a replacement dirt cup on Hoover.com.

http://hoover.com/parts/details/440003996/nla-dirt-cup-assy-lower/

 

[super-sweeper]

can't you just,

Unleash your inner redneck and duck-tape the flap on? You should be able to empty the canister from the top? 

 


Fine dust (ESPECIALLY carpet fresh!) Is about the only thing that can stop a Fantom. Kryptonite is to superman as carpet-fresh is to Fantom! Not to mention what it could do to the HEPA filter! 

 


 

 

[niclonnic]

Haha

I am no redneck! I hail from the Pacific Northwest. Yes, the bottom flap stays on when I set part of it into the non-broken side of the hinge, then push it into the broken side. Afterward, I just rotate the flap and press it closed. However, I can just empty the canister from the top. I've explained it a few times.

Looks like the carpet powder hasn't stopped my old Dyson! It just made a slightly different noise, and the filter got dirty.

Here are some pics of the dirt cup. Sorry about the quality, they looked great on my phone, but are not turning out well on the computer.

 

[cb123]

This will heal the squeal...

and leave everything smelling mulberry fresh!

 

[super-sweeper]

Calem,

I use that stuff! It works wonders when you sprinkle it in a Kirby's Sani-Scrapper pocket! 

 


Let's see how much longer that Dyson of yours lasts, then! If carpet fresh can bring-down the Mighty Fantom and it's Amtek motor, I'm sure it can't do WONDERS on your Dyson's (Insert off-brand Malaysian motor name here)!

 

[niclonnic]

Hey guys

Just wanted to let you know that I emailed Hoover last night to complain about my dirt cup issue. I asked them what I should do about it, and here was their response:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Customer Care Support Team at www.Hoover.com.

The item(s) you are inquiring about is currently on backorder status. Please call in to customer service at 1.800.944.9200 to place a backorder. Consumer backorders are the first to ship once the item is back in stock.

You may also check with local parts dealers for assistance.

Visit http://hoover.com/locator/ and enter your zip code for service/parts dealer listing in your area.




Sincerely,

Sue
Hoover Customer Care

1-800-944-9200
Monday - Friday 8am-7pm EST

TTI Floor Care North America
7005 Cochran Road
Glenwillow Ohio 44139

www.Hoover.com

 

[cb123]

Alex,

You too! Those little popcorn flavor fluffs are just about a curative for the common cold. Why, they can even remedy the most aggravating of odors...just put two loving spoonful's in your bag and a way we go. Truly, the best stuff I've ever used, and I must confess, it has no substitute. Now, I must also confess about a terrible experience, which happened now long ago and far away, and it is this: When that carpet powder hits those open bearings in them plastic vacs, and furthermore, you begin to hear a tooth chattering roar that you never heard before, and if this is the case, then go on ahead and make your peace with it, for it's not long for this poor, pitiless world. Just go on ahead and find a spot for it by the curb.

 

[sebo_fan]

I don't know if you can buy these in the U.S but SEBO in the UK make these handy capsules. One in a bag is all you need, but you can also place it any where inside the X/ Windsor bag area so that you can use it for the next bag. They can be used in virtually any bagged vacuum, though some brands like Miele warn using any capsule or powder that can damage the charcoal fitted filters.

See pic 1 for the SEBO capsules.

Pic 2 shows an American company called "Greenleaf" who have scented sachets that contain sand like scented powder. I never use the sand powder neat, but rather just keep it in the bag. As you will see from the photo, I keep one of the sachets tucked into the back pocket of my Vax VCU-02 upright, or as you may know in the U.S the model is from TTI like an Oreck XL, the Hoover Signature and other variations of that vacuum, of which Kirbyloverdan has shown on his threads of his collection.

Those Greenleaf sachets do last a long time in my experience and they have some lovely scents - I adore anything with cinnamon at times and this company make Cinnamon scented powder sachets as well as one called "Hope" which is like red berries and cinnamon.

The one that I have now is called "Classic Linen," and its a lovely natural scent that has a mix of male aftershave about it! It normally sits inside the back pocket of the Vax. Sometimes I even put the bag at the front of the paper dust bag inside the soft bag of this upright vac when the powder starts to weaken, months later (pic 3).

These are safer ways, in my opinion against using neat powder that can jam up motors as well as get into tricky cavity areas of uprights including hose mount joints, seals and any where in fact where the airflow is concerned, other than the dust bag.