Electrolux model F

[detroitdirtbag]

Hello, new here. I’m trying to restore my mothers Electrolux model F vacuum. I need a few parts, thought I might get lucky here. I need the original braided hose, 1 Front rubber bumper, switch , cord reel. I can’t seem to find a parts vac. Any help would be awesome. I’ll see if I can attach pics.
I just bought 2 alum tubes, but they have the wrong finish on.
I have the owners manual, and all the attachments.

 

[jo]

You’ve hit a good place

That’s a great Electrolux. I have the same model among others.

Are you attempting to use this with a power nozzle? It doesn’t look like yours has the port for it, it would be a little outlet with a rubber door on the side of the top trim, from the pic you included it’s hard to tell if it has it because the dusting brush may be obscuring it from view. It’s usually on the left side of that top trim as viewed in this picture.

For a hose best bet is to get a rubber or plastic one. Available on eBay or hescos.inc. Has some generics at a very reasonble price for a plastic or rubber non electric one. Just make sure the end that attaches to the main unit is identical as there are many different ones. If you need a power hose you’ll need a pigtail electric hose but they are hard to come by and there tend to be more used braided ones available. The braided ones were prone to failure by disintegrating from the interior out so while it may look good, it could be bad and there’s no way to tell until it’s in your possession and do the hose test. The way you test is by first running the vac with no hose and covers the suction port with your hand and feel that there should be virtually no air coming out of the blower end when you do this and also note the tone of the motor at this time. Next attach a hose and cover the suction end of the hose handle with one hand and feel if there is air coming out of the blower port, and also compare if the time of the vacuum sounds as strained as it did without the hose, if there is a air, and a lot of it coming out of the blower port and the tone of the motor isn’t as strained, the hose is leaking and sucking air through it’s length. The rubber and plastic hoses don’t have this issue.

If you are interested in going direct to the dealer you will need to locate your local Aerus dealer. Website is aerusvacuums.com. The name changed from Electrolux to Aerus in 2003 so the company still exists. They may be able to help you with some parts you want and also check out rvavacuums.com and Rayks son has a lot of experience in restor8ng the old models so you may want to contact him as well to get the bumper and switch if Aerus tells you they are discontinued. Some aftermarket companies make generic parts for these vacuums and that may be the only option for the switch.

The wands were made in both aluminum and steel over the era and my AF (as the model is typically called) had the steel ones which are heavier duty but also heavier. Any wands will do nicely that are Electrolux and it appears you have a set of mid 80s aluminum ones and they should be fine...the mid 80s aluminum had a more frosty type finish to them.

Not sure if you need a cord halo..one is not shown on the vac in the picture, they are inexpensive and screw on around the blower port. There is a screw hole on either side.. It is for standing the vacuum on its end to change the bag and also to wrap the cord on for storage. There was also an optional cord winder for this model..model 2 has the direct plug in cord on it and it screws on in place of the cord halo.

eBay is a great resource for used parts and model AE, and model G used the same switch. Model L, R, E, AE, use the same cord halo.

Bumper may be hard to find, I had one long ago that had them, but my current one wasn’t equipped with them.

eBay is your best bet for parts. Look up vintage Electrolux followed by the part you want. The more general you are the more you might find what you want because not all sellers list by model letter or proper name of the part as they may not know it.

Let us know if you have more questions. I’ve done a lot of work on many models including the AF so should be able to help you get what you need.

Jon

 

[detroitdirtbag]

Hey thanks. Yes, I have the cord winter, but the recoil is broke. I also have all the attachments, manual and receipt. It was just over 100 in 1959. I can post either if you want to see.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

Here’s a few pics. The hose does leak where it spins. There’s a gap in there.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

I just figured out the switch, just the gray plastic rocker I need, I put a new cord on a t the vac works nice.
If someone has a rubber bumper and the gray rocker switch, it’s all I need.
The rubber part in the flip brush has a separation, another one would be nice, but this one works. One in the tan would be nice, this one was replaced to teal at some point.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

What is the gray dial for on the front?

 

[detroitdirtbag]

I found this bag, from the 70’s, I remember my mom buying it to save on buying bags. A reusable Dirt Bag, It almost ruined the vac, her Electrolux fancy rep/ repairman yelled at her, lol. Dirt was going rite through into the motor.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

I just bought 2 flip brushes on eBay, I won’t need all the parts, any one needs any I’ll have some Extras, some in teal and tan.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

[No message]

 

[jo]

Automatic control dial

The dial in the front regulates the sensitivity of the automatic control feature which pops the bag door open and shuts the cleaner off to signal you to check for a full bag. The machine constantly monitors the suction provided by the cleaner on both sides of the bag, before and after it, as the bag fills with dirt suction will be reduced as the dirt clogs the pores and the bag door will pop open when there is a significant imbalance of suction before and after the bag caused by the bag filling with dirt. A lower number setting makes the system very sensitive to a small loss of suction from a minimal amount of dirt in the bag and a higher number allows it to tolerate a higher loss of suction before popping open.

Fine dust such as powder, ash, and plaster dust will clog a bag’s pores very quickly causing a loss of suction even with the bag not full...and conversely, a bag full of pet hair doesn’t cut off much suction at all and could be stuffed before popping open. So if you need to vacuum fine dust you’ll need a higher number to complete the job without the machine continuing to pop open and for a job with coarse dirt such as pet hair you’ll want a lower number to make sure it signals when it’s full so you aren’t over packing the bag.

For an average home dirt usually 3 is a good number but I usually set my machine on 1 or 2 when I put a new bag in and when it pops open, if it’s not full enough to change I select the next higher number and close it and continue vacuuming until it pops open and is full enough to change the bag or I feel the cleaner has lost enough suction that warrants I put a new bag in to restore suction to peak. I like to use a lower setting for carpet so I insure I have the best suction always for carpet that it is not compromised by the bag filled. For hard floors the machine works well even at reduced suction so I will tolerate a higher setting which will allow for less suction efficiency as the bag fills so I can put more dirt in the bag.

Basically the dial adjusts how quickly the automatic “Check bag” feature occurs. Lower number advances its operation to most frequent and a higher number “retards” it’s operation so you can continue cleaning even though suction is getting blocked off by the dirt accumulation in the bag and fit more dirt in the bag.

It is recommended not to stuff the bag, but rather change it when 2/3 full to allow for good air flow to keep the motor cool and not run the machine at a strain due to blocked suction from a filled bag. The highest number 6 is really just if you are vacuuming fine powder and need to get the job done without it stopping, and then you should change the bag and reset the dial to a “regular” lower number when done.

Your manual should have a page explaining this but it doesn’t really tell you exactly how it works, just how to set it. It doesn’t tell you if it’s adjusting suction or not. It’s actually monitoring the cleaners suction at all times when it is on. Some people think it adjusts suction but it does not, it just allows the machine to operate at a higher amount of suction loss (Inefficiency) due to the bag filling with dirt on each higher numbered setting.

The nice thing is that this system is a constant performance monitor to constantly monitor the machines cleaning efficiency and signal when it is diminishing by the bag filling with dirt which depletes suction.

The first machine this system was introduced on was the model LX and it did not have an adjustment dial and people were going through too many bags too quickly, the addition of the dial allows the user to tweak the automatic control to their specific needs or composition of dirt in their home and also make an exception for a special job such as fine powdery dirt so one would not have to use a bunch of bags to get that type of dirt job completed.

A hint: if you do need to clean fine dust, setting your machine on 5 or 6 is ok for the job and if it pops open you can take the bag out and flick the sides or shake the bag down and reinsert, this will restore better suction as it will clear the bags sides of the powdery dirt and allow it to pile at the bottom of the bag and allow more of this dirt to be added to the bag.

I have one I use as a shop vac and on these types of jobs I usually do that to help restore the bags suction so I can get the task completed without having to change the bag. Sometimes I’ll do this 2 or 3 times before I change the bag but if it’s popping open on 6, it’s time to just change it for sure as running the machine in this state could wear out your motor prematurely.

The cordwinder can be rewound or if the spring coil has broken a new one is available from Aerus. The biggest thing you must pay attention to is that the spring be wound on a few times around so that when the cord is fully extended it doesn’t get pulled off the spool but not so little that it hampers the rewind strength. It takes experience to roll up a cord reel spring and assemble the whole thing and once it’s wound it has to be installed onto the base carefully and held to not unwind while doing so. The cordwinders contacts and raceway tracks should be cleaned and adjusted for good contact.

The switch yes has a rocker cover and a mechanism under it. Rumor is the mechanism is discontinued but I’m not certain of that for sure. The mechanism is pretty sturdy and can be cleaned if spark residue has built up.

You may want to search ebay for a model F for parts...it’s possible you may get some that way.

Looks like you have a plastic hose which should give you good suction performance.

The original rug and floor tool with the model AF has the cleaner switch on the side end which makes turns on the gleaner bar on the rug side of the tool which helps to pick up hair and lint better it could stick on loop type carpet or loop upholstery so on those surfaces it should be switched off which exposes a smooth side. The carpet side of the tool generally shouldn’t be used on hard surfaces but if it is the gleaner should be switched off as it could be damaged on the hard surface or damage the hard surface itself. I keep mine off unless it’s needed then switch it back off once I’m done with the task needing it. The rubber bumpers sometimes come available on eBay but sounds like you got an entirely new one.

Jon

 

[detroitdirtbag]

Hey thanks a lot for all the info, I will look into getting the reel fixed, Yes, I picked up 2 flip brushes, one with a perfect tan rubber bumper on it, one with real, It has a teal insert now, I’m almost sure that and the teal rubber part didn’t come on it and was replaced, if I it was tan, what color should the melal part in the center brush side be? Tan or teal?
The rubber hose is prob from the 80’s. I remember when it went. We had duct tape on the old one for years.
One of the front rubber bumpers on the front is missing. I’ll keep an eye out for those, the other side is tore as well, so I’d like to find 2
Plexi cleaner and a tooth brush took of years of dirt off all the plastic parts, that’s all I use on plastic, I found that out cleaning up car interior plastic.
My mom loved this vac and would have been delighted on the work I’ve done to it. Now the Vac just gets a retired life, I have race deck floor in the garage, now it just does that and it’s a conversation pc with the car guys.
I’ll post up pics of the flip brushes when they come. I will have some extra parts from the 2, leme know if any here needs parts.

 

[jo]

Color schemes

The light cream wirh teal is a model G, model R and white model L color scheme. The metal part for the bristles would have been turquoise like a model G body.

The all cream or tan colored flip tools are from the 1974-1982 golden jubilee, superJ and Olympia eras with the metal bristle holder either in light blue metallic, gold metallic or brown metallic respectively.

The elbows for the Golden jubilee and super J were metal and the Olympia version in 1980 began a change to plastic. To tune up your rug and floor tools spritz the elbow swivel part with just a quick squirt of WD-40. And spin it around and wipe off any excess with a paper towel. You’ll be amazed at how nicely the tool will work by this little trick. An Electrolux service man showed me this back in the mid 80s as well as some other places to lubricate such as the hose swivel handle and inside the track where the hose attaches to the bag door. Just a wipe of WD-40 or silicone spray is all you need to make things move like new. Lubricate the swivel wheel underneath and the back wheels too. The ball bearings and the ball bearing tracks too on the inside of the cord winder.

The correct coloring for a model AF flip over rug and floor tool would match the machine in the beigey gray with the bumper being in cream and the metal bristle holder would be beigey gray too. I have one for mine and can take a picture and post for you. Also the design of the rug side was different from the updated style that has the single suction slot, the first style had a double slot.

The model R cleaner was also the identical colors to the AF but the attachments I believe we’re the cream and teal because it was the lower line model during the model G era which was after the AF.

Those bumpers for the bag door are rare as they are exclusive to the AF and not all AF’s had them at all. They are nice to have but I think will be a challenge to get and you might want to contact Ray’s son at rvavacuums.com to see if he has any. Those will prove to be your biggest challenge.

The cloth dust bags are ok if there’s no holes but fine dust could go through....for household dirt they are ok. Though they clog quickly and cause suction loss much more quickly than the 4 ply palate bags feom the late 80s to early 2000s which really work nicely. Plus when the automatic control engages and pops the door open with a cloth bag some dirt often dumps on the floor because the whole system is cyclonic and the dirt actually accumulated up near the bag door first but the center where the dirt comes in stays clear. The bag fills over time accumulating the dirt up near the top of the bag and then down the sides usually leaving the bottom clear. This occurs this way on paper or cloth bags.

My Dad uses older Electrolux’s In the basements of both of his homes because he does a lot of woodworking and has a lot of sawdust to clean up so we have cloth bags in the basement machines so we can just dump them into a trash can. To properly clear a cloth bag you should put it gasket side down on a piece of paper or the ground d and hold it at the gasket then shake it and wait for the dust to settle then carefully lift the bag off. Or if you have another vacuum you can suck the dust off the bag cloth. Periodically hold it up to the light to check for any holes.

To clean your motor you can take off the top and switch and unscrew the top and bottom screws to remove the back end of the cleaner, the. Using a compressor and the air blower attachment, blow the dust out of the motor getting in all the nooks and crannies. Do this outside. You’ll be amazed at how when you are done the motor will look like new. I just did it to mine a few months ago for the first time ever and was amazed. Removing built up dust helps the motor to run cooler and last longer. Clean the gasket between the back of the cleaner and also blow out the back of the cleaner air baffle writh the compressed air too. There’s is a felt part in there that will no doubt be dusty.

The rubber hose actually looks like it is not all that old, it is generic and looks very similar to the ones sold today so it might be more recent.

Growing up my best friends mom had and likely still has an AF. She never changes anything. Hers is a little later version like mine with the model G Turquoise colored braided hose. Her tools matched the cleaner base colors. I believe her crevice tool was teal. Mine didn’t come to me with a crevice tool and I’m not sure what color the originals would have been, likely teal...I haven’t seen any from that era in creamy tan, those were started in 1974 with the Golden Jubilee and continued until 1982. The old teal ones were a harder plastic and sometimes cracked unlike the cream Tan colored one In your picture so perhaps your Mom got a new one at some point.

Forgive any typos. Using my iphone and the autocorrect often messes things up. Hopefully you understand if the wrong word or typo got inserted.

Jon

 

[jo]

Genuine AF rug and floor tool

Here’s pics of my AF rug and floor tool in correct matching coloring. The darker main part has yellowed a little over the years, but this is the correct matching coloring and as you can tell it matches the dusting brush upholstery tool coloring combination.

Note the difference in the rug side design, the air opening in the center is wider and the channels going to either side are narrow with that blocked out section in the middle on either side. I’ve never tested which design does a better job but I imagine the newer design made an improvement for more even suction along the whole width of the tool.

Jon

 

[detroitdirtbag]

The owners manual says model F, what’s AF?

 

[jo]

Look on the bottom

The bottom of the bag door underneath it says model Automatic F. Electrolux showed it as either F or AF. F would be the original intention. Previous to the model Automatic F there was an Automatic E and an E. The E did not have the automatic control and was the lower level model of the E series. So after the AE it seemed normal to call the Automatic F the AF for short and that’s how it got to be sort of nicknamed the AF. I think the Electrolux chart shows it as the “AF“. During the F series, the model S for “Special” model was the lower level model of the two but was colored in a light bluish gray with a white bag door and white back end and no cord reel or cord wrap halo.

Jon

 

[jo]

Colors not always consistent

Also, the colors of the tools and attachments supplied with every machine were also not always consistent. It really depended on what the factory was producing at the time. Usually the attachments were colored to go along with the current top of the line model and paired with the lower level model even if the color was different. Since the top of the line models and lower level models did not always share the same color scheme and years in production often the models that were sold at the end of an era had mismatched attachments. For example, my Mother’s Blue Model L from 1972 had all color correct everything. However a neighbor who I ended up cleaning for had a Blue Model L she bought in November 1975 and it had a gold Golden Jubilee era colored hose and also a Golden Jubilee chrome power nozzle with white bumper and those were the colors it came with as a brand new unit. The combo dusting upholstery tool and crevice tool, flip rug and floor tool, and external hose wrap wiring and power nozzle sheath were all the blue color. I’ve seen other inconsistencies on machines that were sold new with different colored hoses or attachments here and there so it is possible the rug and floor tool with teal bumper and turquoise metal bristle holder was the one supplied with your Mom’s vac when new as Electrolux may have changed the coloring for the new model G soon to come out and had depleted the model F colored ones and so hers got the new color combination one....Looking at your picture of the receipt it looks like your Mom purchased the F on December 19, 1959? I put a question mark because I’m not sure that’s a 59 or 57 for the year. But based on the production run of the F from 1957-1960 and the G coming out in 1960 it’s likely your Mom’s may have just come equipped with the tan and teal rug and floor tool if they had transitioned the coloring of those to the G colors already by the time her machine was being produced and already discontinued the F colors for the rug and floor tool and depleted the F colored Supply. You can probably make it out better than me from the picture. Usually the bumpers don’t wear out that quickly nor the entire tool to warrant replacement and it would have had to have been replaced by 1967 which was the end of the teal and tan attachments so I’m willing to bet the rug and floor tool is the original that was supplied with the machine even though it was colored incorrectly. During the run of the F the design of the carpet side of the rug and floor tool was also changed to the newer single suction channel about a half inch wide all the way across design. They may have changed the colors at that time as well if they knew the G colors were going to be changing.

There are some People on here, including the creator of the site, Charles Lester (Electrolux137) who know far more than me and also some people who worked for Electrolux long ago and know much more than me. My knowledge comes from my observations over time and also these members who have helped educate me even further with their vast amount of knowledge.

Jon

Jon

 

[detroitdirtbag]

The factory rep that sold her the unit was a church friend. I hated going over there when I was little. Lol.
I remember it going in for service through the years. We had loner Electroluxe vac’s till it was fixed.
I found a guy on line, he said he can restore the cord winder. Terry, in ILL. Anyone here ever use him?
Yes, it looks like Dec 19, 1959. Mr York was his name.
On the bill shows a garment bag, filter, N spare tool, .87¢. Lol $109.21 for all.

 

[dysonman1]

That's so sad. In December of 1959 she could have had the power nozzle. It was available and would have made a world of difference.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

Where would you plug that in at?
Was the orig power cord tan?