Electrolux Model 1521 powerwand runs even when the vacuum is off

[semiret]

New member here. I have an Electrolux Model 1521 vacuum that we bought new back when I had hair.

It has run flawlessly up until about a month ago. Here's what happened:
- With the vacuum plugged in, but the switch turned off, the powerhead would run. It had never done this before
- When the vacuum was switched on, the powerhead would continue to run, (like it was supposed to)
- The same day, the vacuum quit working altogether.

Took the vacuum down to a local repair man, who replaced the vacuum motor.

The vacuum now works fine, but I am still having issues with the powerhead.

I am thinking this is a wiring issue that happened just before the vacuum motor burned out. I am hoping this issue didn't cause the motor burnout.

I am rather handy, but have no wiring information so am hesitant to dig too far

I need some help troubleshooting this.

Thank you in advance

 

[madman]

Possibly the switch?

 

[compactc9guy]

Wires cross inside possibly

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Wiring was mixed up so now the power nozzle leads are connected to power, without running through the switch

 

[paul]

Welcome to Vacuumland.

The Electrolux Corporation model 1521 was changed and upgraded over a decade—from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s. When these occurred the company used different colors and/or model names to identify them. Different models of power nozzles were used, too.

If you don't know the model name of yours and want more info., post some photos of it and the power nozzle on this thread.

Btw, the specs of the tank (main motor unit) are on the inside cover of the bag door, and the power nozzle's specs are on the bottom. The serial number is on the tank's stabilizer (5-digit production number in between a 2-letter series).

Electrolux Corporation is now called Aerus LLC, so if you have an Aerus store in your area you may be able to get some NOS parts for it such as a replacement switch or brush roll; although aftermarkets are available, too.

 

[dysonman1]

At some point the two top wires that connect to the cord winder were reversed in position. I have accidentally done this when repairing machines. You only have to switch the position of the top two leads and all will work correctly.

 

[semiret]

Thank you all. I've added a couple pictures that hopefully will help identify what I have.

On the inside of the bag cover, it says:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Model 1521

On the bottom of the power nozzle, it says:
- POWER NOZZLE
- MODEL 1692

The serial number on the tank stabilizer (the front wheel?) is M02223G

One other thing. I was not very clear about what happened. I'll try again
- We were vacuuming as normal. Vacuum was ON and the power nozzle was ON
- Turned the vacuum cleaner OFF, and the power nozzle stayed running
- We then unplugged the vacuum from the wall
- When we went to run just vacuum (power nozzle not connected), the vacuum motor would start and stop. Within an hour of acting like this, the motor quit altogether.

So I believe the problem with the power nozzle has something to do with wiring or a switch. However, this cause happened on its own. Before anyone was inside it.

I have tried following the wiring with an ohm meter to maybe get a clue to where the problem is, but since I don't know what is normal, I don't have much confidence.

Sooooo, I came to the brain trust.

Thank You

 

[semiret]

Sorry - I'm a new member can can only post a message once within 30 minutes.

Dysonman1 - I was typing my response at the same time you were adding your suggestion, so you did not know that the problem happened before anyone was inside. However, I tried swapping the leads as suggested anuway, but no luck. So I returned the leads to their original positions

I've added a picture of the cord reel to show the leads. This is the way they were originally and the way they currently are

Thank you very much for the suggestion. I would not have known to try that or what happens when this is done. I will chalk this up to my education

Steve

 

[kirbylux77]

Steve - Question for you. Has anyone ever opened up the bag door?

You say this vacuum was running fine up until a month ago. On your Electrolux UltraLux, these metal tanks made from 1968 to 1994 had only four places where the wiring & connections were made: The bag door, power switch, motor & cord reel. The majority of the connections are made directly inside the bag door. At the bottom, there is a wiring harness with three wires that leads to the switch, motor & cord reel to make the rest of the connections. The switch & motor connections only have 2 wires on them, so impossible to mess those up. If you already tried swapping the cord reel wires, that leaves only one possibility - the bag door connections.

When you open the bag door to change the bag, you will see a plastic pole that contacts the cardboard bag collar when you close the bag door. If you take the plastic cover off on the inside of the bag door, you will see that pole activates a contact switch with three wires connected to it. This is part of the Automatic Control system which shuts the vacuum off when there is a full bag, if that pole isn't depressed by a bag being in place the vacuum will not run. There are also a few wires connected to the metal hose connector on the bag door. This has the contacts inside that make contact with the 2 metal prongs on the hose connector which power the hose, wand & powerhead.

What I am willing to bet is that someone, at some point in time, opened up the bag door & tried to repair the vacuum, & when they put it back together they put the wires in the wrong connections. Take your ohm meter & check all the connections inside the bag door. It might also be a good idea if you can find another metal canister & look to see exactly how it is wired inside the bag door. The Diamond Jubilee, Marquise, Grand Marquise & metal UltraLux canisters are all virtually identical inside with respect to their wiring & layout, so any of those will do.

Hope this helps you out & you can get your Electrolux canister back working normally & cleaning your home.

Rob

 

[semiret]

I thought I would use Dysonman1's suggestion and go a step farther.

I checked the continuity between the plug and the connections on the cord winder.

My knowledge of AC current has some holes in it, so please don't laugh too hard.

- I tested the wall outlet with a voltage detector (Greenlee GT-11). I have voltage at the little plug and none at the big plug. So, I would think that the big plug would be the common wire
- I then tested continuity of the cord winder.
- I have continuity between the small spade on the plug and the white wire.
- I have continuity between the large spade and the black wire.

Although swapping these wires on the cord winder did not solve my problem, it seems to me that the continuity test was backwards.

Shouldn't the small spade be connected with the black wire and the large spade connected with the white??

If so, I will go ahead and swap these wires.

However, I need some help on my next step

Oh, BTW, I have an Aerus dealer in Eugene, about 100 miles away. I called them yesterday morning. No one was there, so I left a message. No answer yet

Thanks
Steve

 

[semiret]

Kirbylux77

Except for when the motor was replaced last week, the last person in the machine was an Aerus repairman in Salt Lake City. We would take the machine there once a year for a maintenance checkup. It has run fine until now

I opened up the bag door - picture included

I have continuity between the white wire on the cord winder and the white wire on the hose connector. This connects on the right side

I have continuity between the black wire on the cord winder and the black wire on the hose connector. This connects on the left side

This continuity exists whether the bag door is open or closed. It also exists whether the vacuum switch is on or off

Is this continuity with the black wire correct? Doesn't sound like it should be

Steve

 

[human]

I had a similar problem with a slightly older Electrolux Silverado, which came to me as a basket case last fall and I resurrected from the dead last spring. In taking it apart, I disconnected the wires on the cord winder and reconnected them in what I thought was a logical manner with the two white wires on the double connector and the black wire by itself on the single connector. This appears to be how yours is wired in reply #7 above.

With it wired that way, the power nozzle wouldn't run when the vacuum was turned on but would run when the vacuum was turned off. By swapping one of the white wires to the single terminal and the black wire to the top of the double terminal, everything worked fine. Try that and if it doesn't work right, then swap the two white wires and see if that does the trick.

I've included a link below to the thread I created to document my trials and tribulations with the Silverado. In reply #7 of that thread, there is a link to a site that shows a teardown of a Diamond J, which is the next model older than yours and the next model newer than mine. As someone else has already mentioned, it's nearly identical to yours. The photo of the wires on the cord winder in that tutorial is incorrect as evidenced by the numbers on terminals and the wires. Wires 2 and 3 are clearly on the wrong terminals. This is what threw me when I wired mine up initially because I focused on the colors and not the numbers.

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?38054

 

[semiret]

Human - Thanks for that link. I read it with great interest.

I hesitate disconnecting the double white wire connection because they are very tight and appear to have been that way for ever. I looked at the colors very carefully, and I don't think either is grey. One might be a very light brown

also, this problem with the power nozzle just recently started, all by itself. No one had been in there. The motor was replaced shortly afterward, but it was after this problem with the power nozzle started

Upon further experimentation, I found out that the power nozzle will even run with the bag door open!!!

Does anyone have a wiring diagram??? The closest I have found is a diagram for a 2100 which shows a yellow wire going from the cord winder to the hose.

 

[semiret]

I just finished an experiment.

I
- Unplugged the power nozzle from the hose
- Plugged in the vacuum, but did not turn it on
- Checked for voltage across the power nozzle connector in the hose
- I got 120 volts

My question - should I have 120 volts with the vacuum turned off??

I've attached a picture because I know I am not describing this well

Thank You
Steve

 

[human]

No, you should definitely not have 120v at the hose handle when the machine is turned off. You've got a dead short somewhere.

 

[semiret]

Even through this problem with the power nozzle started before anyone was into the machine, the more I learn from everyone here, the more I am beginning to think that this must be a wiring issue.

I have not seen any burnt connection or crossed wires or anything else that might have happened on it's own to account for what I have been finding.

So, it looks like I have two ways I can go
1) Disassemble the machine and draw up a wiring diagram for the way it is today. I will follow that link Human provided. That machine looks just like mine, with the exception of mine does not have the vacuum line on the cord winder. Hopefully by posting that diagram, someone could see what the problem is. Such a diagram would also be of help for others.
2) Change the wiring at the cord winder. I currently have 2 white wires on the incoming current side (small spade on the plug) and 1 black wire on the common side (large spade on the plug). The 2 white wires are connected very tightly and I did not want to try to take the apart too aggressively. The machine does work now and would hate to bust the connection

On further thought, I think I'll try taking apart the 2 white wires first. That would be the fastest experiment. If that does not work, then I can do the disassembly.

Thank you

Steve

 

[semiret]

Good Afternoon.

Here's a status:
- I separated the two white wires (one is actually kind of a yellowish light green. Connected the black wire and white wire together to one of the cord winder connections. Connected the yellowish light green wire to the other.
Result was the power nozzle did not work. Tried swapping the connections on the cord winder, but still no luck
- so I took apart the machine and have come up with a wiring diagram. This is as it was before I tried moving things around.

One thing that jumped out at me was the black wire went directly to one side of the hose, the white wire went directly to the other. No wonder it always ran

I cannot fathom how this happened!!! Someone, somewhere HAD to have been messing around

The diagram is as the machine was when I started. The only change I have made is I swapped the black & light green wire at the cord winder.

I need some help.

Thanks
steve

 

[semiret]

OK - I need to talk a little electrical theory here.

Using the wiring diagram above, I tried the following combinations of wires at the hose winder

Terminal 1 Terminal 2 Vacuum Nozzle
- light green white did not run ran with on/off switch
- light green black ran did not run
- black/white light green ran did not run
- white/light green black ran always ran even with vacuum off

I did not try black/light green on term 1 with white on term 2 because the white wire is the one with the double connector

Also, these results were the same regardless of which terminal they were on

judging by the diagram, I would have thought that test 3 (black/white on term 1; light green on term 2) would have worked because of this thinking

- with nozzle off, current would flow thru green wire to motor, thru grey wire tho switch, thru red wire to bag door switch, thru black wire to cord
- with nozzle on, current would flow the same path with the addition of flowing thru the white wire to the cord.

I am absolutely positive that no-one has been messing with any connections within the vacuum

I am at a lose with what to do and will sleep on it. sometimes I get some new ideas in my sleep.

In the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions on what I should try next//

Sorry for the long post

Steve

 

[dysonman1]

Have you hooked the two motor wires to power to check and make sure the canister motor actually runs?