BOL Hoover Celebrity on eBay

[fan-of-fans]

Seller says it doesn't work, wonder what's wrong with it? Could just be switch? Not a bad price if it could be fixed. Looks in good shape, just needs cleaning/polish. Has wand and floor nozzle too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-HOOVER...99e384662ad612781fb16b154&pid=100675&rk=4&rkt

 

[repairman]

Hard to say without seeing it. The problem could be a dead switch, faulty power cord, or maybe the motor has gone south. Those switches are NLA, but I'm sure someone here has one. I might even have one laying around somewhere.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I love that cleaner.

Have it in almost every color. So simple: like a flattened Connie.
But, that's just me.

 

[huskyvacs]

I seen that. Amazing shape and really nice buy, but shipping cost is too high for me.

A vacuum will never not turn on unless it is not getting power to begin with. It might buzz or hum or just immediately blow, but it will never just not do anything. If the cord had a short in it, it would explode the cord or blow the breaker at the short, so that rules that out.

The only other thing is the contacts in the switch could be dirty or bent out of true, not hard to do since the toggle switch is in a bad spot prone to damage. I have a 45 year old Leviton light switch at my front door, and the switch that powers the light is worn out from so many decades of on/off flipping, and I have to jiggle the switch or hit the wall with my fist to get the light to turn on after I flip the switch and the light fails to turn on.

Dismantle the switch and clean up or put the prongs back into place and should be good.

There's Celebrity II switches on eBay, which although not original, would suit just fine for testing or replacement if need be.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hoover-Cel...819690?hash=item4216c4862a:g:kFQAAOSwR2RaB3IL

Notice for the Celebrity II they changed the switch to a rocker style and not a protruding toggle switch, so I bet this was a common fault with this vacuum.

 

[fan-of-fans]

If the carbon brushes were completely worn down I suppose it might not work and at the same time not making any sounds.

I'm almost guessing the switch. It's too bad those toggle switches don't come up on eBay often. I need one for my Constellation, its switch is all loose and won't shut off the vacuum. I've thought about taking it apart to see if it's fixable. I've also considered seeing if an ivory toggle light switch could be made to fit the opening without modifying anything, which I don't want to do.

That rocker switch listed as a Celebrity II switch I'm not sure was ever used on a Celebrity as an on/off switch. My Celebrity has a switch that looks like that, but it's red and is used to switch from high to low, not on/off. I have seen it used on some later UK Constellations (early 80s) era as a power switch so maybe it was used here as well.

Some newer flat Celebrities used a push button switch with a foot pedal in front of it. I believe that rocker switch

 

[fan-of-fans]

Notice this apparently later model has the pedal with push button under it.

It also has one body colored cord hook, whereas the other has two white ones. It also has plastic wands instead of aluminum.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HO...2420476599463b06fa79e605&pid=100675&rk=8&rkt=