Ever repaired vacuums for local businesses?

[niclonnic]

So this afternoon, I went to Mignon's Café Bellis, which is a little café in downtown Sumner, WA. After finishing another volunteer job at a local sandwich shop, I went there to wait for a friend to get done so that my group could return to our school portable.

I sat down in the café and waited. Suddenly, out of the blue, Mignon (the café proprietor) asked me about a vacuum cleaner belt (she had already known about my vacuum skills).

The vacuum in question was a Hoover Windtunnel P.A.W.S. (Pet Approved Windtunnel System) from Costco. When I last heard it running, I suspected that it needed a new belt, because I couldn't hear the brush roll beating the rugs. I just remembered that when I came back this afternoon.

I then began my inspection. After removing the bottom plate (which was really simple, just flip two levers), the belt looked fine, but as I was turning the brush roll, it was slipping on the shutoff pulley (this was a brush control model). After reassembling the vacuum and plugging it in, I found that the brush roll spins at full speed when the vacuum is upright; however, when I go to vacuum, I can hear the brush roll slowing down and stopping as I push and pull the machine.

So this vacuum needs a new belt. Luckily, the part number for the belt happens to be on the bottom plate. I then relayed this information to Mignon, and she will buy new belts, either locally or online. Then I will come back to the café and install the new belt!

This came as a shock to me! Now, has anybody ever done repair work to vacuums at local restaurants or other public places?

 

[parwaz786]

Nope

I seen a few, like in a local pharmacy /chemist they had a Dyson DC14 origin with a broken belt taped onto the cleaner head, was shy to offer to fix cos a family friend worked there. It was not even two years old! One of the last DC14's to be made. They have a Numatic Hetty now! Shame

 

[ultralux88]

I do here at work all the time, but its very common working in a vacuum store.

 

[thevacuumman]

When I repaired vacuums before I started working at Fuzzy's Radiator. I repaired vacuums for the local cafés, the furniture stores, the theatre in Borger and the United Supermarkets in Borger.

 

[niclonnic]

Wow, Thevacuumman!

It's great to hear that somebody from my generation has had experience repairing vacuums for local businesses!

I'm sure those places appreciate your help!

 

[thevacuumman]

They did. I still do follow ups on all repairs I've done and they keep telling people about what I do.

 

[niclonnic]

The belts are finally here!

So I'm reviving an old thread here.

It took a few months, but Mignon managed to finally secure belts for this Hoover! One of my job coaches texted me a picture of the belts, and I was chuffed! So after finishing up work at the nearby Sabrina's Lunch In A Box, I walked across the street to Mignon's (accompanied by my buddy Kat). I spotted the belts and then set out to change the belt!

This was one of the easiest belt changes I've ever had to do. Firstly, this vacuum has an on/off brushroll pedal. It's not electronic, but rather a tensioner mechanism. I stepped on the pedal to release the tension on the brushroll and ease installation.

Next, I reclined the handle, turned the vacuum over and set the cleaner head on my lap, bottom facing up. I rotated the upper red latch counterclockwise a quarter turn, then slid the lower red lever to the unlock position. I then lifted out the bottom plate.

I took out the brushroll and the old belt. I then slid the new belt under the guide and around the motor shaft, then around the space on the brushroll where there are no bristles. I lined up the end caps and put the brushroll into the cleaner cavity. Because the vacuum was in "suction only mode," installing the brushroll was VERY easy, due to the lack of tension! The belt was resting on top of the tensioner pulley.

So I reattached the bottom plate and locked both red latches. This whole procedure only took a few minutes. Best of all, no tools were required!

Below I have attached some pics:
#1 is the package of belts I got
#2 is the underside of the vacuum
#3 is the old belt still on the vacuum
#4 is the new belt vs. the old belt. The new belt says "MS" on it
#5 is the new belt installed in the vacuum

 

[niclonnic]

Will it clean?

After installing the new belt, I deemed it appropriate to plug in the Hoover, turn it on and see if it works! I proceeded to vacuum the mats inside the café.

Well, the new belt did the trick! I could hear the brushroll spinning at high speed once again! The Hoover devoured everything in its path. In addition, it did a great job of grooming the rugs! I saw some nice lines.

Here is a pic of a now-clean rug. It's really dark, but if you look real closely, you can see the lines left behind.

 

[niclonnic]

One more pic

This is what the Hoover picked up from the rugs. I obviously didn't have a whole canister full of dirt, but what I picked up was pretty impressive!

Mignon really appreciated my help! Without me, this vacuum would've been a goner.

 

[rainbowvacfane2]

I have the same hoover

I boght it brand new from costco for $100 it's a great vacuum for pet hair it was my Daliy driver for a awhile then I got my Dyson dc07 the I got my sebo so the my new driver but I still love it it has a lot of power for a vac under $150 the tools it comes with are great as we'll I use them a lot all and all it's great for the price to bad they don't make it anymore I love the clolor and happy I got one while I could and yes I have fixed vacuums for local places before especially since I clean offices and if they have a vacuum I will always tune it up everytime I see it needs It

 

[hvrvaclvr]

Yes

My aunt texted me about two weeks ago saying that her vacuum at her Optometrist office was picking up. She has the Hoover T-Series that is the highest rated bag less vacuum by consumer reports. The filter was clogged and the belt was very stretched. So I washed the filter and replaced the belt. Then I schooled her on the importance of cleaning the filter regularly. She didn't even know there was a filter.

 

[dysonman1]

In the 21 years I had my vac shop, I fixed thousands of vacuums owned by other businesses. One Applebee's had a fork stuck in their CarpetPro. How many times did the bus boy have to run over the fork to get it stuck, just so he could say "vacuum broken" and leave early?

Hope you got paid well for your knowledge in changing the belt. NEVER do anything for free. Doctor's don't write prescriptions or operate on patients for free. We pay for their knowledge. Your knowledge is also valuable and worth money.

 

[hvrvaclvr]

I would never charge my family for doing stuff for them. . although she did buy me lunch at Wendy's for doing it, does that count?

 

[niclonnic]

Rainbowvacfane2, I have seen these vacuums at Costco. I have a Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet that I use as my daily driver. My Hoover makes the exact same noise as the red one in my OP! That was quite surprising.

I have fixed other vacuums for the job sites I work at on a regular basis. An Oreck XL had a scrap of paper stuck in the fan chamber. A Bissell Powerforce Helix was absolutely gross to clean out. Plus, a tiny pebble lodged in the brushroll caused it to sound like a chainsaw! So anytime I see a vacuum that needs work, I do whatever it takes to get it to work again.

The Bissell Lift-Off Floors & More Pet 2-in-1 stick/hand vac used at Sabrina's restaurant (seen in my profile pic) often clogs, due to the horrendous suction. Nobody there bothers to empty the canister except me, of course! So before going out to vacuum the hallway, I empty the canister, bang out the filter and disassemble the machine to check for clogs. And of course, I do the same thing after my job is done.

Occasionally, Kat, a waitress at Sabrina's (she's the girl with the glasses), uses the Bissell to vacuum inside the restaurant. She doesn't empty it after use, though.

Good on ya, HVRVACLVR! Have you realized that you and I have the same name and look almost alike? Funny thing is, I've tried schooling my mom on the importance of washing filters, but she refuses to listen! Plus, some people are unaware of filters in their vacuum cleaners. Dyson solved that problem with their Cinetic science.

Dysonman1, so far, I haven't been paid for my good deeds. I merely volunteer at the job sites I go to. Maybe I can get lunch at Mignon's as a reward for fixing the Hoover? Should that count?

 

[vacuumkid47]

I ended up...

fixing ours from Casey's, which they let me keep. The other one was at my school. They knew I run my vac business, so they tell me to come fix it when its broken!!! I even to get out of class early lol.

 

[niclonnic]

Amazing!

It's great to hear that somebody so young owns a vacuum business! You are so lucky to get out of class early.

I wish I could do that when I was growing up! Sadly, I couldn't. But somehow, my simple childhood fascination evolved into one of my greatest passions.

 

[vacuumkid47]

I can also....

fix the vcr's, DVD players, and their vacuums. I gave one of my teachers a Haan Steamer/Sweeper for Christmas. LOL

 

[suckolux]

I used to care for a Windsor? L shaped head commercial for a big kitchen store, huge areas of flat commercial carpet. It was not cared for and did not pick up much. Kept it going and gave them a spare Eureka to use too. Store gone now, but the whole family keeps me going on repairs, mostly cleaning filters!!! and belts

 

[human]

Never for a business I wasn't employed by

I've made some minor fixes to vacs we use at the Tuesday Morning store where I work part time but I was on the clock doing it. I also assembled a brand new Dayton commercial floor polisher we got in to strip and wax our floors. Somebody else had opened the box and gotten intimidated, so left it for another person (me) to do. Putting that thing together was the easy part. Actually using it was intimidating to say the least.

Come to think of it, I did help my high school electronics teacher replace the carbon brushes in an old canister vac he had. I don't remember the brand for sure. I think it was a Kenmore but it could have been a Eureka.