Has anybody owned this carpet cleaner, and if so, is able to offer a fix for this issue? My dad bought this machine new from Walmart back in February of 2012, so it is now 10 years old. I used the machine in both full-sized and portable modes extensively at my old house with wall-to-wall carpeting. However, after replacing the carpets downstairs with laminate, I stopped using the Lift-Off nearly as much as I used to. The house I'm at now has laminate downstairs with some area rugs, and light gray carpeting upstairs. My dogs aren't allowed to go up there, but my cat is. Because of that, I haven't justified a reason to use the Lift-Off up there. I have a Bissell Pet Stain Eraser PowerBrush, which is a cordless machine that has supplanted the Lift-Off for my pet accident needs.
Every time I'm done using the Lift-Off, I go overboard with cleaning the whole machine out. First, I fill the clean tank with hot water only, and then spray it out using the upright and/or portable modes to flush out the solution lines. After that, I empty and rinse out both tanks, then let them air dry to prevent the growth of mold, mildew and bad odors. Whenever I use the machine in full-sized mode, I use a Phillips screwdriver to remove 11 different screws, enabling me to remove and rinse off the nozzle, end caps, belts and brushrolls. This rigorous routine is what has allowed me to make the machine last for years to come.
But nowadays, the machine has progressively showed signs of its age over the years. Namely, the clean tank has turned yellow, and the hose has ripped open right by the handle. The tank's operation is unaffected, but I've had to use packing tape on the hose to get full suction out of it. But the tape can only do so much before I have to reapply it. I know that replacement hoses exist, but they look difficult to install, since the process requires disassembly of the portable spot cleaner.
Anyway, onto the main issue. I was using the Lift-Off in portable mode to clean my couch, and although the solution was spraying well, it was also dripping from the hose, making my hand wet. I also found that the machine would leak solution out of the bottom (where the solution line connects to the upright frame), making small puddles on my laminate floor where the machine sits. This makes me paranoid that I'm either going to get shocked or have the motor go out on me. I wouldn't want to use this machine on carpet or in a car if it leaks like this. And I don't know if a replacement hose would be worth it in this situation.
Also, whenever I spray solution through the hose, some of it also gets suctioned into the dirty tank. I unscrewed some screws from the hose end to try and inspect the solution tube on it, and it looks fully intact. But I noticed a crack on the 4" tough stain tool where the solution sprays out of.
This suction issue also applies to full-sized mode. Whenever I pull the trigger and push the machine forward, the solution also gets to the nozzle and suctioned into the dirty tank. I looked at the nozzle and saw what looks like a long scratch on the bottom. But I did see some stripped screw holes where the end caps attach, so maybe that's causing the issue? I previously used a screwdriver, but after a long time I switched to using a drill, so I'm wondering if that has made the screw holes worse. I found that the solution was spraying out unevenly from the bottom.
This issue doesn't adversely affect operation in both modes; the machine still pulls out a lot of dirt nonetheless.
Is there a way to fix this? Or should I just scrap this machine and seek out an alternative? For the record, the motor, heater and brushrolls still run perfectly, and the suction is still strong. I removed the tape from the hose to show how bad the rip is.
TL;DR My 10-year-old Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner is leaking solution through the hose as well as onto the floor. It is also suctioning up some of the sprayed solution through the hose and floor nozzle in both modes.
Every time I'm done using the Lift-Off, I go overboard with cleaning the whole machine out. First, I fill the clean tank with hot water only, and then spray it out using the upright and/or portable modes to flush out the solution lines. After that, I empty and rinse out both tanks, then let them air dry to prevent the growth of mold, mildew and bad odors. Whenever I use the machine in full-sized mode, I use a Phillips screwdriver to remove 11 different screws, enabling me to remove and rinse off the nozzle, end caps, belts and brushrolls. This rigorous routine is what has allowed me to make the machine last for years to come.
But nowadays, the machine has progressively showed signs of its age over the years. Namely, the clean tank has turned yellow, and the hose has ripped open right by the handle. The tank's operation is unaffected, but I've had to use packing tape on the hose to get full suction out of it. But the tape can only do so much before I have to reapply it. I know that replacement hoses exist, but they look difficult to install, since the process requires disassembly of the portable spot cleaner.
Anyway, onto the main issue. I was using the Lift-Off in portable mode to clean my couch, and although the solution was spraying well, it was also dripping from the hose, making my hand wet. I also found that the machine would leak solution out of the bottom (where the solution line connects to the upright frame), making small puddles on my laminate floor where the machine sits. This makes me paranoid that I'm either going to get shocked or have the motor go out on me. I wouldn't want to use this machine on carpet or in a car if it leaks like this. And I don't know if a replacement hose would be worth it in this situation.
Also, whenever I spray solution through the hose, some of it also gets suctioned into the dirty tank. I unscrewed some screws from the hose end to try and inspect the solution tube on it, and it looks fully intact. But I noticed a crack on the 4" tough stain tool where the solution sprays out of.
This suction issue also applies to full-sized mode. Whenever I pull the trigger and push the machine forward, the solution also gets to the nozzle and suctioned into the dirty tank. I looked at the nozzle and saw what looks like a long scratch on the bottom. But I did see some stripped screw holes where the end caps attach, so maybe that's causing the issue? I previously used a screwdriver, but after a long time I switched to using a drill, so I'm wondering if that has made the screw holes worse. I found that the solution was spraying out unevenly from the bottom.
This issue doesn't adversely affect operation in both modes; the machine still pulls out a lot of dirt nonetheless.
Is there a way to fix this? Or should I just scrap this machine and seek out an alternative? For the record, the motor, heater and brushrolls still run perfectly, and the suction is still strong. I removed the tape from the hose to show how bad the rip is.
TL;DR My 10-year-old Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner is leaking solution through the hose as well as onto the floor. It is also suctioning up some of the sprayed solution through the hose and floor nozzle in both modes.
