Calling All Electrolux Service Experts! Electrolux 1205

[compactelectra]

In reducing my collection I gave a Lux 1205 to a friend with attachments and a PN2. I didn’t have a good electric hose to go with it so he ordered an aftermarket electric hose from EBay. The hose is now jammed in the machine and cannot be removed. Has anyone come across this problem before? I’m thinking about opening up the bag door from the back and see if I can tell what is catching and causing this problem. I’m thinking one or both of the electrical contacts are caught but not sure what the problem is. I told him not to force it and asked for the machine back to evaluate the problem. I have a lot of Lux experience but have never heard about this problem before. Any suggestions from our Lux experts? I’ve written to Tom Gasko for his expertise.

 

[jo]

Perhaps the clips that hold the hose in are not retracting enough and they could end up getting bent further out if pulled too hard on without being retracted.. it’s more likely it’s this instead of the electric contact clips.

Once you get the machine back, you can take the bag doorks decorative outer cover off by unscrewing it from the inside of the bag door and then perhaps you’ll be able to see inside the metal part where it is catching. It will only come off some as it is wired to the check bag light so might have to undo that as well for better access.

You might ask your friend if the hose was hard to insert first or did it just go right in...if it was difficult and tight to insert, it may just be stuck from a tight fit and need a decent pull with both buttons thoroughly pressed in.

I always prefer to get either used or new GENUINE parts. Also, the sidekicks don’t work properly with some of the generic hose handles. If you can get the hose off, I suggest c9mtacti g the person or company it was purchased from and ask for a refund as it is faulty and this should not happen.

If I think of anything else, I’ll post again but that’s all I can think of at the moment.

Jon

 

[compactelectra]

Tom Gasko Got Back To Me

In my experience Tom is a master vac repairman. I’ve seen him work. Here is his response.


 


”<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> I have run across this problem before. The machine end fitting is not made to the American tolerances.   What I have had to do is stand the machine on its end, and press down, inwards, toward the machine.  At the same time, squeeze the two buttons. You may even have to rock the hose back and forth, but eventually the buttons will press in and you can remove the hose.”</span>


 


<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thanks Tom!  We’ll try it.  Hmmm.  Makes me wonder about using aftermarket hoses on these metal body Electroluxes with integrated electrical contacts.  

</span>


I’ll let you know if this works. 

 

[thevacomaticiec]

were is the response

 

[thevacomaticiec]

glad it worked a just seen his response.

 

[air-waycharlie]

Fred,

I had this happen when I put a bojack hose on one of my older Luxes. I did exactly what Tom described and it worked. You just have to go slowly and I turned it up on the end and held the cord winder end between my feet. I was able to see using a flashlight and really small flat head screwdriver, (like the kind used for eyeglasses repairs), that the prongs from the electrical connection were sort of pinned in the opening.

Tom's verbiage describes it best in that the tolerances are incorrect. Some bojack hoses were more difficult than others. I learned this through trial and error and by very careful when attaching. Since then I've steered clear of bojack Lux hoses for the most part.

If you can find a genuine used Lux hose on ebay that will work it might be better for your friend. Maybe someone on this site has one for sale. If I remember correctly the hose for the J, Super J, Olympia or Silverado should work.

 

[human]

I have two aftermarket hoses with the original style connector and one with the newer style connector. One of the original style aftermarket hoses came with my Diamond J and it connects and disconnects quite easily. I think I got the other one super cheap on eBay and while it's more of a pain, a little finesse seems to beat brute force every time. I have no trouble using a Sidekick with either of these hoses.

I have nothing with which to compare the new style hose as it is the only one of that type I have. It was connected to the Diplomat LX I rescued from beside a dumpster a few weeks ago. It appears to be made by the same manufacturer as the hose that came with my Diamond J. Both have pistol grips nearly identical to my OEM Electrolux hoses except for having an on/off switch and a sliding suction control instead of the OEM twisting control. The only other observation I can make is it's more difficult to connect and disconnect than the older style hoses but I will allow that part of this may be that I haven't yet fully developed the muscle memory for it. Also, it just dawned on me as I was writing this that I've never tried a SideKick with this hose. I'll have to give that a try sometime soon.

 

[marks_here]

Yes the aftermarket hose

For my Ultralux Classic would not release the sidekick, I finally had to put in in a vise, and with my leg holding the work bench from falling over I got it unstuck. Never again after that did I try using that but the other attachments work fine with it, other then the suction release slide won't stay shut it works ok.

 

[bikerray]

Some of the generic hoses I've seen have a problem with the electrical contacts sticking too far out and getting stuck in the contacts in the front door. Sometimes you have to take a paperclip or something to get the contacts in the door away from the contacts on the hose to get the hose out.

 

[jo]

Sheesh!

Don’t think I’ll be getting any generic hoses for my Electrolux’s. I did get one once and it seemed to be fine and gave it away with the machine to a friend. I wasn’t all that fond of the handle end which was supposed to be similar to the original. I tried to put an original handle on it as I had an extra but nope...it wouldn’t fit, the generics are different in the way they fit on to the hose...generally annoying.

 

[louvac]

Pertaining to the after-market hoses...

Guys, there is nothing wrong with the after-market hoses. I prefer them to the poor quality of the older Lux cloth or saran hoses that were lined with rubber which obviously did not stand the test of time.

The after-market hoses like Tom G. said, differ because of manufacturing tolerances which cannot be detected with the naked eye. However, the after-market hoses are better made and a sheer joy to use compared to the older OEM hoses that were so short and stiff and were always crawling up your leg while knocking figurines off the living room end tables, and coffee table.
Yes, some after-market hoses will be difficult to remove from the machine, but rather than fight with it, gently work it by pressing the side buttons and wiggling it to release it. Over time the nibs will wear in. Sometimes a little silicone lubricant spray inside or around the buttons will be beneficial.

Another tip here: I have had luck with using 0000 (quad grade) steel wool to clean the port opening as well as the machine end. This reduces the friction between the moving (swiveling) parts. Waxing the machine end with car wax or even furniture polish also helps. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with the electrical contacts though.

In general, squeezing the buttons hard while gently wriggling the machine end usually does the trick. Also, I would imagine filing the “ears” lightly with a metal file may also do the trick.

But, don't sell yourself short by avoiding the after-market hoses. Overall, I've had good luck with them.

 

[compactelectra]

Well I’ll Consider This A Lesson Learned

My friend who is fairly handy tried Tom’s suggestion with no success. He’s dismantled the hose (now trash) and still can’t get it out. I’ll take the machine back here and hopefully extract the hose end without damaging the machine. From now on it’s only brand new genuine Aerus hoses for me!

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

Idk but he the hose isn't made for American tolerances. If you pay attention to that sentence something pops up. The hoses for the vacuum are not made in the US. It it's not US England hoses would fit better. Idk but that statement probably answers the question.
Les

 

[compactelectra]

Success!

Got the machine back to see if I could get the hose end out.  My friend had already done major surgery including the removal of the catch tabs so I suspected it may be catching at the electrical contacts. Wanted to be careful not to use too much force and possibly damage the electrical contacts in the machine.  I slightly bent the hose end by the contacts on either side and gave a good tug with a pair of pliers and Voila! Out it came.  




I was a bit nervous about trying my brand new Aerus hose on it but did and it works like a charm. Again, lesson learned, genuine Aerus hoses only from now on.

 

[air-waycharlie]

Hey Fred,

Way to go and stick with those genuine Aerus/Electrolux products! Glad it worked out for the vacuum and your friend.