Bag Change after 8 and 1/2 Months

[mark40511]

I had to do an Amazon vine review and take pictures for the review of some generic HEPA type A bags (10 pack) that I received...so I thought I'd share since I already had the pics for the review. These HEPA bags never cease to amaze me... Look how clean inside the chamber is.. this vacuum is over 6 years old now...it's spotless in there. I just wiped the outside down after changing the bag... these bags are not as big... but fit in the chamber much better... anyway... I hope they filter as well..I guess we'll see. I still have a full pack of the cirrus bags... which are only $12 for a 6 pack...and those are the ones I've used up until this point... these were FREE so if I don't like them... I'm tossing them. The other bag was pretty full and puffed but it still had life left in it...but I just went ahead and changed it... I LOVE THIS vacuum combined with the 12 foot hose and tools that I use with it...I use it a lot

 

[panasonicvac]

Glad to hear you're still enjoying your machine. I like that Cirrus is similar to companies such as SEBO where they've been making these machines for so long where I shouldn't have to worry about tracking parts for them, you'd basically keep running it forever. I think it was in the late 2000's when I first saw these but I'm pretty sure they were introduced in the mid 00's. Anyways that being said, those generic bags look like the same ones that Tacony gets for their machines. They definitely are good if they are made by the same company.

 

[mark40511]

I don't think it was Cirrus in the 2000s.. I think it was several different other brand names made by the same company who makes these now...little has changed with them I think...so yea, parts are ridiculously easy to find... I'm sure these are chinese bags...I really have no way to knonw how good they are until I use them for a bit...I will say I've never used a HEPA bag with a gasket whether it was generic or not that didn't filter really well...

 

[panasonicvac]

Cirrus has definitely been around in the 00's, I first saw them in person from my old local vacuum store before 2010. You are correct that there are other brands they were sold under as before. Even that's still the thing today but no one else has done it longer than Cirrus.

 

[mark40511]

Gotcha... I had literally never heard of them until I got this vacuum... it was only after that I understood who made them and other different vacuums.. I guess I thought in the 2000s... they were called Bernina, Dustcare, Evolution... I didn't realize Cirrus was a name for a vacuum back then...they barely EVER change... Like I could still get basically the same one as I have now brand new (LOL

 

[blackheart]

Horray for Hepa

Hepa bags are a wonderful thing and i'll put them in any machine that can take them. Keeps your airflow for longer, with less dust escaping into your vacuum.

 

[panasonicvac]

I wish Kirby was still selling HEPA paper bags. Kirby is one of the only few vacuums at least for direct air machines I'd use paper over cloth bags. Mainly because the problem with portables unlike central vacs are the smelly odors coming out while you're vacuuming. And no matter what I do to get the odors to go away, it just wasn't really quite worth spending the extra on cloth bags vs paper if they're going to be changed out more often for me. So the HEPA paper bags from Kirby I really liked cause there was less dust coming out of the bags, almost as good as the cloth bags. Still loses more airflow than the cloth bags but they're right about the time I'd change them out anyways because that's when they become too smelly for me.

I also wish Lindhaus had cloth bags available on all of their machines, some are still using paper which honestly they're one of the only few vacuums at least for bypass machines I wouldn't mind with using paper over cloth bags but I'd prefer using cloth bags instead. Because I'd rather have barely if not no dirt escaping where I wouldn't have to dismantle the whole machine down versus Kirby where I just only take the outer bag off and wash it without disassembling the rest of the machine. In fact just yesterday I had a couple of NSS M1 PIG machines serviced and I only washed the outer bags in a big commercial washer besides one of the bags getting a new handle sewn on. That's it, not to mention I had to have one of the hoses ordered for the PIG. I wouldn't have needed to open up the motor unless if it had been a bypass machine because that's what I would've done if a disposable bag ripped or got put on incorrectly.

 

[mark40511]

speaking of paper bags: Get this one - I have an electrolux Epic 65 canister I keep in my laundry room for lint. That's all I use it for. I've had it for YEARS. A long time ago I bought like a box of 100 4 ply paper bags on Ebay (which I still have tons of them..I've maybe used 1/2 of them (if that) at this point. At they aren't even genuine OEM I don't think. My point is... this is the ONLY paper bag I've ever used on a vacuum that doesn't seem to leak. Maybe it's because I'm dealing mostly with dryer lint? Sometimes I'll use it for other things but most of the time it's just to keep the laundry room clean... I don't know of it's the way those bags fit in the chamber or the gasket or whatever... but they don't leak at all and if they do... it's VERY little. Granted, the chamber is a dark color so it probably masks the view of any dirt...but I can take a cloth and wipe it out and it's staggeringly clean.. so I don't know.

 

[panasonicvac]

I was just on Cirrus' website today and I've noticed something, apparently they're now offering lifetime belts as an option. That's a huge upgrade for Cirrus and other models that ESSCO has made! The only Cirrus upright that doesn't offer a lifetime belt is the C-CPU4T since that's a Tacony made model. Despite that, I'd still buy the C-CPU4T over any other Cirrus uprights. Or even better is the CleanMax CMP-T that's currently $311 from Home Depot and some other sites, that's ridiculous but in a good way! I remember when the Carpet Pro CPU-1T was like $250 or less and that was in my opinion the best budget upright ever, now the CMP-T is my new best budget recommendation.

 

[evolutionclean1]

Panasonicvac

Will those extended life belts fit my commercial Twin Energy upright? The aftermarket BU2 belts just don't last at all and start to slip heavily after very little use. I'd love to get a higher quality replacement as it's still an excellent performer all these years later!

 

[panasonicvac]

I'm not sure

This is all brand new stuff so I don't even know what the dimensions are or what they look like. If I were to guess, they might be similar to the Oreck lifetime belts. I'd have to see cause I have a Cirrus CR89 and a Bernina 6500C that both need new belts anyways. Such a shame though that Tacony has discontinued the CleanMax CMPS-QZD and all of their lifetime belt clean air models. It was such a game changer for the metal bypass uprights cause replacing rubber belts is just getting old nowadays. This is where I really appreciate the SEBO Automatic X models that I think perfected the metal bypass uprights (if SEBO did in fact got the basic design from Panasonic) who offers true lifetime belts, I've yet to see one break.

 

[mark40511]

What? They have lifetime belts now?

Ain't that the truth!!! This Cirrus is the FIRST vacuum I've ever had where I could noticeably tell I needed to change the belt... and this is on berber! I think with good belts I can get a year... give or take...I was told if I buy a pack of belts to keep them in the refrigerator... which I do. LOL I guess that extends the life of the rubber. Belts are so sketchy because you don't know how long they've been sitting there in the package waiting to be sold. Having one less thing to worry about would be great.

 

[panasonicvac]

This came from the CR79 specs chart

Again the only upright that doesn't offer this is the C-CPU4T since that's a Tacony made model.

 

[evolutionclean1]

Nothing wrong with

Some trial and error, they're inexpensive so if it doesn't end up working right I won't be out more than a few bucks. I'll have to check if the shop carries them or can order one in

 

[mark40511]

update

I had to come back to find this thread instead of starting a new one.. I experienced something today that I've never experienced before with a bagged vacuum...

Ok, so if you read above, you'll see I got these new HEPA bags a while back...Today I started my vacuum and I was vacuuming along an entire room, then I needed to pull the wand out and there was zero suction... NONE! Not even a little.. but the vacuum sounded normal... I was like WTH? I mean, if a bag clogs you usually get reduced suction, but not zero airflow/suction at all... I literally had no clue what to do but change the bag... While this was happening, I felt plenty of air coming out of the HEPA...So I took off the "generic bag" and put on a new bag and everything worked as normal? Does anyone have any clue what happened here? All bagged vacuums in the past just slowly start losing suction... I think maybe the generic bags aren't as good as the Cirrus bags...but it did keep the bag chamber clean...I'm just so confused this was such odd behavior for a vacuum...

 

[kirbylux77]

Mark, I can tell you EXACTLY what happened - the pores in your HEPA Cloth bag became clogged and plugged up with fine dust. That's why you had no suction or airflow, yet felt tons of air coming out the HEPA Filter.

For anyone reading this, here's a tip - every time you finish vacuuming, take the bag cover off, give the bag a good vigorous shake, and put the bag cover back on. If you're cleaning a really large area, halfway through, turn off the vacuum, shake the bag, put the bag cover back on and finish vacuuming. If you do this, the vacuum bag will allow the cleaner to retain it's suction and airflow MUCH LONGER, and you will be able to fill the bag at least 3/4 full before it ultimately needs changing.

Devin - "Keeps your airflow for longer, with less dust escaping into your vacuum". Sorry, I have found that NOT to be the case! Yes, they do eliminate dusty bag chambers. And I ALWAYS suggest to anyone looking to replace a cleaner because someone in their home has allergies, to try putting a HEPA Cloth bag in first and see if that makes a difference for this very reason - with a HEPA Cloth bag in a vacuum, the only dust left in the air is the carbon dust from the motor pretty much. As for allowing the vacuum to keep it's airflow and suction longer than a paper microlined bag? Nope, they still allow a vacuum to lose it's suction just as quickly as with paper microlined bags.

The ONLY HEPA Cloth bag I have found that TRULY allows a cleaner to retain it's suction and airflow as it fills is the Miele GN, FJM, U and KK HEPA Cloth bags. You can fill those bags till 3/4 full without having to do that trick I mentioned above. And when you look at the bag, it's quite obvious why - LOTS more filter layers! 9 layers of HEPA Cloth material, versus 3 or 5 layers for other branded or generic HEPA Cloth bags. It's the reason why I will adapt any cleaner I own, when possible, to use these bags. And in fact, the ONLY new cleaners that will come into my collection, with the exception of Aerus Electrolux cleaners, MUST be able to use a Miele bag.

As far as I'm concerned, the Miele Airclean bags truly are revolutionary, and when they were introduced in 2010, they completely changed the playing field amongst their competition. I can only imagine how much better all vacuums will perform when the patent on them expires and other manufacturers start producing 9 layer bags of their own.

 

[mark40511]

Hey Kirbylux thanks for letting me know. I was so puzzled..and I hadn't vacuumed anything crazy... just my normal neat freak vacuuming...and just 2 days ago when I was done vacuuming, the suction was strong... only today for it to be totally gone today.... Oh well... I guess these generic bags' pores probably clog more quickly than the cirrus ones.... as you could see from above, I went 8 months and still had suction/airflow