Filter Queen Pet Odor

[wkand]

Please help, and thanks for a fabulous forum!

I am new to this forum, and have a Filter Queen Majestic of 2008 vintage that smelled great when I got it.However, the power head motor went bad in it, and I failed to clean out the holding tank after last use. It sat for 2 years with old pet dander in it. Now, with a new head motor, washed out bowl, new gen u wine FQ cone, new round black filter, but not a new foam donut filter, and no activated charcoal cone, I still smell dog!! Bad!

I'm thinking I need to scrub the whole thing out with tomato juice! What do you fine forum members think?

I could not find a relevant thread, so my problem must be rare.

Thanks in advance!!!

Walt Anderson

 

[durango159]

I sell Filter Queens

Hi Walt,

Did you buy this machine brand new from an authorized dealer during a demo??

If so your Filter Queen Distributor or Health-Mor may be able to help you. They should be coming out about twice year to look at your Majestic. They clean it, check it over and can supply with you with any filters needed. You are just outside of the 5 year Full Warranty. Acting quick they may still help you completely free. The current market model has a lifetime service policy, I'm assuming yours did too, but you'd have to check your paperwork assuming you bought it brand new!!

If you purchased this online or second hand then you have NO WARRANTY or service policy with any HealthMor distributor. I would try some Lysol Disinfecting Spray on it. I don't believe that harsh scrubbing will do you good and you'd want to be careful soaking that you don't allow grommets holding intake shoot in place to rust. Remove Gasket from the dirt tank and that can soak separately. Replace the exhaust filter located in your scent chamber on top.

Depending on what you picked up, your odor could be all throughout unit from power head to wand to hose. Did your power head get completely cleaned up upon motor replacement. Wash agitator brushes and housing. A disinfecting multipurpose cleaner like Lysol MultiPurpose Spray works good for this. Look down wand and look for any residue in there. You can spray Lysol into wand, rinse and allow to dry. You can spray multipurpose cleaner and some water into hose. Swish hose around and rinse. Hang over a railing to dry for a while. Once semi dry you can attach hose to BLOWER port on top of housing and air dry hose remainder of way.

Cleaning parts a few times may help. Any households with pets, tobacco use and heavy dust I definitely recommend the MediPur carbon Charcoal cone!!! That is an odor absorbing cone. Also use Filter Queen water based scents in exhaust cap.

Again, no harsh scrubbing and scouring, you want the chemicals to do the work and using enzymes to kill any odors.

 

[jade_angel]

Pretty much everything recommended above, plus change out the donut filter and the blower cap pad (which does serve as a filter of sorts).

I have an FQ 95x (late 80s) that I bought from someone who had obviously smoked lots of both tobacco and marijuana (and sucked up the ashes), and who had dogs, and who used phony filters... It ponged pretty bad when I got it, but after cleaning just about everything with Windex and alcohol, and swapping out all the filters, the stench was gone. Just to be sure, I also soaked a few cotton balls in vanilla extract and sucked them up along with some sand to remove any remaining stench. Worked like a charm, that it did.

I also used a similar procedure to get wet dog odor out of a Simplicity upright.

 

[ultralux88]

I use ozone to depderize vacuums. I've got one of those air cleaner ionizer things that makes ozone and I keep it just for this. We also have one at work. Sometimes even after washing everything the odor will still be there because plastic being porous will absorb odors and slowly release them, so if I have a stinky vac that still smells after I service it I let it suck ozone thru it for a few minutes until the exhaust smells of strong ozone and nothing else for a few minutes. Then the smell is gone and since the ozone kills the odor by chemically destroying it it won't ever come back.

 

[durango159]

You should know that Ozone is bad for you!!

UltraLux88, if you do this you should wear a mask or have it in a garage. Most of those Ionizers have been banned. Ozone concentrations in your home have been found to be quite dangerous to your lungs and health. Is it really worth that over a vacuum stench???

 

[wkand]

Hi all. Thanks a million for the great responses. Don't worry, I have no intention of doing any actual scrubbing. I am well aware of the consequences on plastic parts.

The tomato juice thing was meant as humor as well. Guess I need more emoticons! LOL

I had not thought about pet dander in the hose and metal pipe! Great suggestion as well.

Durango159, the machine was purchased by my mother in law in Reno NV, I have the paperwork somewhere, but I'm 800 miles away, so I'm on my own. Good to know that the dealers are expected to support the product.

Two last questions,
I don't see any fasteners exposed on the chrome top or black plastic top parts. How do I remove the foam donut?

Also, the top cap doesn't appear to have anything resembling a filter, except a felt circle. Is that what you meant by a filter of sorts? I will replace that as well. When we got the machine there were a few pieces of black muslin cloth stuffed under the top, I assume this was for the scents during the demo.

 

[durango159]

Yes, the felt in the exhaust cap, should be replaced.

What foam donut are you referring?? Are you talking a motor insulator? I wouldn't touch anything around the motor. I see no need to have to go up into there. All I'm suggesting is as follows:

All parts cleaned and sanitized: Wand, hose, power head, dirt container
New cellulose white cone, new Medipur charcoal cone, new premotor filter, new felt carbon exhaust filter in exhaust cap area!! Older machines before the 2003 75th Anniversary model had a white or felt looking donut like felt filter in the exhaust cap. You just twisted the metal lock and replaced it.

All of those filters would be included in a Genuine Filter Queen 6 month filter supply pack, with exception of Felt exhaust filter which would sell separately for around $1.

 

[rugsucker]

Filter Queen

To remove 'foam donut' remove for 3 screws under blower cover.Then carefully lift top of motor unit,with clamps unlatched, and remove filter.You could then run vac only and see if removing this filter removes odor.Then add hose and later add wand and attachments and see if odor returns.This might identify the part that needs most cleaning.Much good information above and as you will find the FQ is a great vac with much suction,little noise and quality attachments that can clean anything in your home.Good luck and happy (odor free) vacuuming.

 

[ultralux88]

Seems every time I mention ozonating a vacuum someone gets concerned, but there are some things to consider. The most important is how temporary it is, and that ozone itself depleats very rapidly. Ozone is very commonly used in various industries to remove odors and also to disinfect things as it does kill bacteria as well. I don't really worry about this because I only need to do this a few times a year and it's such a brief run that I guarantee no harm will come to me over it. The dangers are in prolonged and continuous exposure, not occasional and very short times of use. Also until the machine is fully deodorized the ozone won't actually come out the exhaust, the way ozone works is that the ozone molecule comes into contact with the odor causing gasses or whatever and a chemical reaction breaks down the odor molecule and the ozone, so once used the ozone is gone. Ozone is also not a stable molecule so given a few minutes and the. Ozone will decay into air anyway.

 

[wkand]

Thanks folks! I still do not see how to remove the white donut, which some parts suppliers call a motor noise suppressor. It is most visable after removing the ring which holds the attachments, through the slots in the chrome top.

Removing the three screws under the blower cover only creates about 3 1/2 inches of space around the blower output nozzle, not nearly enough to remove the donut which is about 8 inches in diameter. The motor definitely doesn't lift off. If I flip the motor over and remove the cone that supports the paper cone filters, there are no visible screws or other fasteners. There is a small rubber ring under the lip of the chrome. I don't want to damage that but I tried gently rolling it back to see if I could spot a retainer. No luck.

 

[super-sweeper]

Hey you!

I took apart a majestic back in my day, so the cleaner's wiring is likely interfering with your filter replacing!


If i remember correctly, you should be able to release the switch's wiring by un-screwing the toggle switch with a pair of pliers by lifting up the switch pedestal? that should enable you get some clearance. the motor on the Majestic I had lifts out?

 

[jade_angel]

Can you take a photo of what the motor unit looks like after you take the filter support cone off?

There *should* be three screws under there that can be unbolted to separate the top and bottom of the motor housing, but maybe there aren't on the newer models.

 

[rugsucker]

lifting off motor cover

Removing the 3 screws does release motor cover.You should also pull off,from rear to front,the rubber switch pedal.It is good to be gentle and careful but if the side clamps are released the cover will lift off but may appear 'stuck'at first from time it has been against rubber and possible dirt/debris.Be a little less gentle and lift up slightly to see how wiring is placed.Do not disturb wiring or switch but do look at cord where it goes into outside of cover to see if any cracks may be developing.If so,remove plastic Heyco nut around cord with pliers and move cord about an inch inside cover to have a new place to wear.