How loud should it be?

[97widerider]

Sorry to keep going on about the Royal but I have one more topic to discuss. My Royal is very loud. I have a 1988 Kirby Heritage and the Royal is considerably louder. No strange noises, just very loud. My wife asked I do not vacuum when she is home.

Sound right?

 

[lesinutah]

Hey

That is right. It's all aluminum 10.5 amp motor metal fan. This is a commercial grade vacuum. They are known as screamers. The all metal has nothing to muffle sound. Kirby has amodel enclosed fan. They try to dampen noise. This vacuum is meant to pick up everything in it's path. The motor and fan is highest amperage ever made. This is like a street rod. Drive when wife is gone.
Enjoy
Les

 

[huskyvacs]

Les is correct, these are commercial grade machines, so noise levels are not something they have to adhere to, as they were never made to be used at home. If your model has a beater bar, a lot of the noise is likely due to that thumping over the carpet, that can make a lot of noise.

If you have not serviced the motor yet, based on how dirty parts of the vacuum were in your photos, and the fact that Stuart Little had deceased within it, it likely could use a good bit of lubrication to the motor and replace the nasty gummy grease and make sure the bearings are good.

If you can find some videos from cleaning companies or janitors on YouTube of them using Royals, that should be how they sound, as their vacuums are usually kept in tip top shape.

 

[superocd]

Not all commercial machines are screamers...

Sanitaire 7-amps (both old style and new style motors) are pleasant sounding. I went from a 12 amp Bissell PowerForce bagged machine to a SC886 7 amp a year after my wife and I bought our house and it is a world of difference in every way, including sound. The older 6.5/7-amps are slightly better sounding than the newer 7 amp Sanitaire motors in my opinion.

I've never used a 10 amp Royal - though I do have a 4.5 amp one from 1988. I have to say that it cleans really well for 4.5 amps, a 10 amp might just take up the carpet, lol. My old Royal sounds pleasant too, the way a vacuum should sound. Older (pre-G) Kirbys have a soothing lull too (I too have a Heritage II from 1988, along with a Sentria I and Avalir I), the new ones aren't as pleasant sounding but not annoying either.

My wife's new Dyson Ball Animal 2 surprisingly isn't as annoyingly high pitched as I'd expect from a bypass, bagless mass-marketed machine, though there are a few Dysons out there that sound like a $39 Dirt Devil, my aunt Kim's Dyson upright from 2006-2008ish being one of them.

 

[97widerider]

A lot of the noise is from the brush roll. When I lift the front up while on, it’s loud but not like metal clanging, just a deep bellowing rumble. The brushroll is brand new and is in correctly. The plate is on correctly as well. The vac store did comment that Royal cheapened their brushroll and he doesn’t like them as well. My new brush roll does not have the metal discs on the side and the bristles are not replaceable. Maybe that’s it.


The squeaky wheels don’t help either. I heard that is their trademark sound.

I still love the vac and the suction is off the charts so no regrets

 

[suckolux]

I assume this brushroll has the height adjustment like my older one? New ,do you have it on the highest setting?

 

[lesinutah]

Hey

Behind fan spray a little pb blaster. Back bearing spray there too. Spray sides of brush roll.
To gauge how much is brush roll take off belt take out belt brush roll and bottom plate. Only thing in chamber is belt cap. The bottom plate hits brush roll etc. You probably notice alot quieter and you can vacuum probably well. You actually have higher cfm with no brush roll. 140 cfm you can vacuum any area and might be quiet enough to vacuum whole spouse is home.
Sanitairre and other commercial vacuums have alot of space from fan which s facing floor and housing around it is lots of plastic. This has literally 1/8 inch of biggest motor in metal upright. I know 12 amp.riccar is different. This is direct air. . If there is a food chain this is t rex. Your dealing with straight beast. I'm not saying it's the best vacuum but power it's top of food chain.
Les

 

[fairfaxclass]

I find the current model Royals, both Commercial and Pro-Series, to have an awful rattle, especially when reversing.  I'm not sure what causes it.  I've held any loose part I could find to see if I could make the sound change to no avail.  The old 7 amp machines are smooth and quiet though. 

 

[97widerider]

It’s the brush roller, no doubt. As soon as it hits carpet you can hear a rattle and it is absolutely installed correctly. When I tilt it back, it just as a normal deep bellow sounds, sounds good.. I didn’t hear it in the video though. I will try to upload a video in my next post.

Kirby has their weird scratching noise from the transmission and Royal has their weird noises I reckon.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

My Three Pre-1995 Royals

These all have the non-drop-in motor with the carbon brush access caps on the sides of the motor housing.

They are, in order of age:
1985 Royal 880 (4.5 amp)
1987 Royal Prince 786 (5.4 amp)
1994 Royal Preferred Collection 9100 (7 amp)

~Ben

 

[suckolux]

Lucky here I guess, older 7 amp, so quiet

 

[lesinutah]

Quiet

I have a 1977 3 amp. It's the quietest vacuum and it's not close. It really cleans amazing. The brush agitation makes it pick up well. It's no rug sucker but adjusted to the right height.
Les

 

[sptyks]

Royal Rattles...

This is just an FYI...


 


I own a 2008 10 amp Royal Everlast 8300. Although the motor is loud, (this is normal for this machine) there are absolutely NO rattling sounds of any kind while the machine is running or just being pushed across the floor with the motor turned off.


 


 

 

[broomvac]

Loud is normal. My 10-amp 1020Z makes ear protection a necessity even though it doesn’t have any problems. Honestly, I would be surprised if your vacuum has bearing issues. Both ends of your motor are supported by robust ball bearings. The ones in my 1998 1020Z are still healthy.

By design, these vacuums just completely lack noise insulation.

 

[97widerider]

Tried to upload video, ain’t happening. Oh well, I’m ok with it anyway. The vac store that sold me the brush roller told me he has never known a bearing to go out in the drop in motors and the brushes are made to last life of motor. They unofficially marketed them as the Titanic of vacuums. Don’t know if that’s good or bad lol.Once they go he said within seconds the motor can blow. Older models with replaceable brushes aren’t that way. He said it’s the design of the springs that hold the brushes and how they make contact with something or another.