Bissell Big Green Clean machine

[columbus]

Hey there Guys.

In an attempt to help an elderly lady from church, I gave her a WAP Aero wet n dry Vacuum cleaner, for this big green clean machine. Her brother took it apart, and when assembled again, he found that there were parts he forgot to put back. HAHAHAHAHA I know the feeling thus did not bother to assemble it but sent it in.

He took off the hood and somehow the blades of the cooling fan of the motor chewed her vingers when she tried switching the machine off. haven said that, a guy called Wimpie who is the manager of sales and parts at Verimark, South -Africa who sold these machines blessed me with an used but as good as new hose and two extention tubes, which the machine needed.

I had it serviced and collected it today, and had a good round at the crowd working there. Haven downloaded the manual off the net, I have studied them all in order to find out how the filtration system on this machine operates, and how to install it.

My interest lies with the machines prior 1990, hence water filtration is not something that makes sense but, I was eager to learn.

With the search I have asked fellow collectors in South-Africa if they could give me an indication as to water level, which way up and how. To my disappointment it seems that south-Africa breed a strange kind of person, who as long as you praise and send and buy and pack together things of interest to their collections, they will not give you a hint or the slightest help in understanding thee concept. The best answer I could find was Yeah, I own quite a lot of those........... and the water filtration system???? No oh the water filtration system is rubbish.

It truly disappoint me that people can be so selfish in knowledge, and yet as a fellow collector not a competitive business will not make money out of it, and yet let me know in a suggestive manner that even after studying developments diagrams etc, from models the what doo you know any way.

Please please Please help and please no help from the South-African crowd. Here is a picture of the machine, and with collection the technician was not in the office and no one could explain to me how to use the water filtration system.

Thanks to a friend Heinrich who xplained to me the basic system, I found that there was still this bowl with a hole that could not be accounted for. Does this fit in with the water filtration? does it act as a water float? is there a water level mark? Do you use the water filtration for all 3 situations, wet, Dry and extraction cleaning?

Please if someone can shed some light on the subject.

Many Thanks
Adrian

 

[blackheart]

Huh....

I've had two of those now but i've never seen that cone-ish thing before. I can tell you that grey filter is for dry pick it it would go around the ball float cage, but i've never heard of them having a water filtration system to them until now.

 

[ralph123]

Could you show a picture of the underside of the motor (i.e. top part)?

bissell does have a newer machine (http://www.bissell.com/big-green-complete-deep-cleaner-vacuum/) that uses water filtration and filters to trap dirt, but the model you have (and I had many years ago),uses a grey cloth bag and an optional paper bag over the cage for dry pick up. For wet pickup, there was a ball in a cage that floats. that is, for water pick up, you take off the cloth bag.

For carpet cleaning, you add hot water and detergent to an opening on the back side of the machine. There should be a piece that lifts up and can be used as a measuring cup for detergent.

good luck.

 

[kirbysthebest]

I have an older model (purchased in 1992). It too has the ball cage in the center that shuts off the suction to prevent overlfow when wet cleaning or wet pick up.

Mine did not have a water filter usage, you used the gray bag thing over the ball cage to use for dry pick up.

Two tanks for wet applications a clean tank and a dirty pickup.

Very reliable machine. Had to replace the pump about 10 years back, only repair ever. Hose did crack and was replaced about two years ago. I now have a Hoover Spin Scrub, but still use the BG when cleaning the basement carpets, furniture, and cars.

 

[columbus]

Thank You guys for your insight.

I am trembling when making another statement on dates, as I do not lnow what I am talking about, hence, the water filtration system was a package you could purchase from Verimark, at the end of the range, probably south-African patent, yet again on speculation not fact.

All the manuals I have downloaded, gives me a thorough, explanation, of the ball and cage scenario. I did not receive the manual with the machine and approached the importers if you want who so called still service the machines. I was told that the machine is ancient and only good for using as a doorstop. Hence with the understanding that I shall purchase a genesis hausmeister. This did not happen as I was already miffed with their pathetic customer services.

No one person exactly knows how and why this upside down dome/dish with a hole should or how it fits.

It soes fit in precision into the watercollection tank in the bottom, and receiving most of accessories, I was told that this model did not make use of the float and cage, hence the manual on this model number says cagefloat and ball.

This is an exercise I am not particularly getting fond off, however, this is what I have and need to know, I have purchased a Bissell ProHeat turbo 2X Model 9400-E from makro a year agao, and found that a great machine. NOT A BACK BREAKER. I love it and It helps me keep the light coloured Carpets in my house clean at half the gym workout, and extracts the dirt, simultaneously giving it a good scrub with 2 roller brushes, keeping the water warm, and increase it to 25 degrees Celcius.

Thanks for all your replies, I am waiting in exasperation, on a solution to this riddle.

Many Thanks
Adrian

 

[columbus]

Thanks Ralph-

Thanks for the url thread to Bissell. I have expedited that option already, and found that the big green clean machine in question, was sold by the Verimark Pty Ltd group, at the time. Since then the TEVO group took over the Bissell range and stock no parts, nor service on the older machines, lets dace it not as if the machine is 100 years old, but a mere 8.

Verimark has decided to sell their machines under the name genesis, hence from there the hausmeister, genesis mini max,etc. Thus this Bissell sitting between the past and the future, I find it a true pain in the ....... no information, no spares, no nothing.

Once you phone up TEVO who sells Bissell they say it is tooo old and was sold by Verimark, Phoning up Verimark and getting into my car and set off a 62 km trip to find Sorry we did sell the machine and were agents for this specific model hence the machine is absolute.

AND I JUST WANA KNOW ABOUT THE FILTRATION SYSTEM AND THAT DARN cone thing.

IF I EVER consider purchasing or even looking at a big green clean machine again, .Please shoot me. Make sure that I am DEAD

Adrian

 

[fan-of-fans]

Here in the states these machines were big in the 90s and I always wanted one. We also had similar concept machines as a Ryobi made Kenmore and the VAX was offered but not long. I especially liked the big green model because it came with the wet and dry vaccuming attachments. Unfortunately other than the new water filtration model Bissell has, canister deep cleaners are uncommon any more. We did have these big greens again recently under the Rubbermaid name as a commercial model.

The new upright models do a good job I agree and add the scrubbing action, although Bissell did offer a big green with PN as well.

I don't know much about the water filtration, to my knowledge they all used bags or filters, but maybe things were different there.

 

[ralph123]

That version of the big green is quite different from mine. Just guessing, I would assume that the water would have to be deep enough to cover the big disk in picture 3. Unless the dirt hits the water it would be sucked into the fan. Clearly the Bissell doesn't have a separator, so it needs some other way to run the dirt into the water. You might try filling it to where it just covers the big disk. Best of luck with your Bissell.

 

[ralph123]

That version of the big green is quite different from mine. Just guessing, I would assume that the water would have to be deep enough to cover the big disk in picture 3. Unless the dirt hits the water it would be sucked into the fan. Clearly the Bissell doesn't have a separator, so it needs some other way to run the dirt into the water. You might try filling it to where it just covers the big disk. Best of luck with your Bissell. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about water vacuums will chime in.

 

[columbus]

Thanks Ralph-

Dear Ralph-

Knowledgeable you are dear friend, and has called a few points that has made sense and I definitely will try.

As far as collecting the old models 1940's onward go, I study the history the designing diagrams, developments and strengths and weaknesses. That is extremely interesting to me, hence the later machines, I am not as clued up with. Yet call a name like Hoover, Electrolux, Hitachi, etc. from the 60's-90's and I can tell you what year, colours, where the rating plate Watts, how many RPM Rounds per Minute, fan style, dirty or clean air which is pretty basic stuff length of hose, dimensions scheme of hose, attachments ( included and optional extras), how and who imported, price level, models in the range. Why a 2 identical machines, models colours etc. one has a black furniture guard and the other a brown/tan guard, Which cord designs, type of cords used, The reason why in certain uprights the cord hooks were placed diagonally at 90 degree off centre and others inline one above the other at a 180 degree deviation. measurement of suction, and as little as much as in the 70's onward Electrolux had those terrible nylon weaved rubber lined hoses, each model as the Z302/ Z310 Z315 S1000 and even the upright Z 500 series also Z 165/170 each had a distinctive characteristic that differentiated them from the next model in the same range comparing the identical machine with a machine that was launched 3 years later. Why and how many rows of bristles there are in the replacement brush strips and why the rows was increased and at what length. WOW that is a mouth Full.


Hence WHAT DO IKNOW, I am merely an accountant, not a VACUUM CLEANER ENGINIEER.



The most recent machine I own is an upright Electrolux, heap filtration, and then an AEG A 4009, hence always and forever cleaning the filters.

I prefer the models like my Kirby's having a paper filtration bag, when it reaches its level tuck and chuck.

As far as water filtration goes, maybe I should after spending a considerable amount of money on the service, get an old wheelbarrow, fill it with water, stick the machine in there and have a sign made that clearly reads " Use only when having a power Search....""" Just joking.

I have come thus far, to give up in the search to the information, I may find out and let you know.

Thank you soo much for participating in the search to a solution, hence keep on watching, as I would love to share the findings in this WATER FILTRATION with you.

Sorry for the cloud break not aimed at you. Thank you so much for all your assistance.

Many many Thanks
Adrian Smith
Bedfordview
Johannesburg
South-Africa

 

[jkkl]

Hi Adrian. My name is Jaco from Somerset West. I am stuck in exactly the same place you were months ago. Got a BGCM in working order from a friend and for the life of me can't figure out the water filter system...
Did you ever figure it out?
Really hope you reply after so long!
Best regards!
Jaco