Is it bad to use a antique vacuum as a evey day cleaner?

[kloveland]

Yep.

Asbestos there’s no harm unless it’s disturbed. I’m pretty sure I have asbestos tiles under my carpet. My home was built in 1967. If left alone it’s fine. It’s when it becomes airborne is the problem.

 

[electro]

I agree with John. I don't have a collection and I don't rotate. I just keep using the 3 old machines from my family. They still work great and no dust with their Air-Way bags. What I enjoy is how quiet their motors were even the 66 Air-Way will still lift the braided rug off the floor.
My family Hoover is in need of some gentle servicing and it will be ready to go again. One of the vac collectors has graciously offered to help me get the Hoover serviced. It is 47 years old. With the new hepa bags,it too does not leak dust.
So I guess for me I am going to keep on using my family's old machines.

 

[gregvacs28]

Asbestos that is not disturbed is fine, such as those solid tiles under the carpet or cement-asbestos siding that is kept whole and painted. Even asbestos tape on furnace or air handler ducts that is whole and taped over to hold it in place.

You want to avoid using things that are flexible and frayed inside your home because that is when the particles become air-borne.
It's just common sense.

Asbestos curtains and carpeting that contains it you'd want removed ASAP because there's no way to avoid them fraying.

A vacuum with a fabric bag, either on outside or in the bag compartment, OR that has a fabric/woven hose and has a fabric wrapped cord, I would find HIGHLY suspicious not only because the bag and/or hose is flexible, but because when the vacuum is running it is actively blowing air through the fabric and blowing particles out into the air. A fabric hose you're putting your hands all over and getting the asbestos directly on yourself. Same for the cord.

For those too young to remember, there have been entire houses and buildings that appeared fine from the outside but were condemned because they had been so heavily sprayed with asbestos insulation when we didn't know any better, that they were a health hazard and were demolished.

After the world trade center and other buildings collapsed in 2001 it was discovered that they had tons of asbestos sprayed in them and if you look at the videos you'll see all this gray/white dust that inevitably covered the area. That was a combination of cement and asbestos. Two terrible things you don't want to breath. That dust no doubt floated and covered miles.

Coincidence that since then deaths in that region of NY has seen spikes from lung cancer and other such issues? The statistics prove it, not me.

And anyone who's paid attention to remodeling shows knows that asbestos abatement is something that's expensive and time consuming.
Same goes for lead paint removal.

Oh, and if you happen to find any 100 year clocks or other appliances or parts thereof that mysteriously glow in the dark without being plugged in...... avoid. We can talk about radium if you want.....the radium girls.

But heah, no one's going to stop any of you from using any vacuum you choose. It's your health. There are over 7 billion people on the planet already so if we loose some from failing to heed warnings...... I guarantee you it will happen.

We were warned of these things in the 80s.
The warnings don't disappear with time. It's not a passing trend.

[this post was last edited: 1/22/2020-23:22]

https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/handling/

 

[lesinutah]

Wow

They had a Nationwide effort and it was massive and swift. There is no loose asbestos lying around. If the house had been bought sold refinanced or anything it wouldn't have asbestos.
Kirby Hoover and other vacuum companies wouldn't have old vacuums on display with any possible minute chance it was an issue.
The issue would be if some knucklehead chopped up and start munching on an ectrical cord.
There is no harm.
In California where you get cancer if you get out side your car and knock on the car three times. It's California proposition 59. It's on every Honda if you don't believe me read up it's true.
If these baby killers are on the loose in California where it rains cancer what do you think they would do if there was any chance it could happen. The tree huggers would have a bonfire burn everything.
So Greg do you eat asbestos cords, do you live in a house that has Ben condemned, do you make your vacuum bags out of cancer I mean asbestos.
You don't none of us do. This farse idea is fine down the rabbit hole. Just let the asbestos go. We're not dead and not going to be.
Asbestos buscuit? There tasty.

Les

 

[gregvacs28]

Experience

I speak from experience and exposure.

I was unknowingly exposed to asbestos and ended up getting a benign hip tumor when I was 12 in 1979. It was creepy. I wasn't even the one who noticed it.

I had this baseball sized protrusion growing on the back of my hip bone.

Fortunately it was surgically removed and like I said, it was benign. All I have left is the 6" scar where they had to enter.

 

[lesinutah]

1979

I'm sorry about your tumor.
I'm just trying to get across you have a fear justifiably so.
You got the tumor 41 years ago. Billions maybe trillions of dollars have been spent on disposing of asbestos.
I hope you get over that trauma.
Les

 

[gregvacs28]

Les, It's always amusing, and perhaps human nature, when a situation is unfolding or happening, those that are in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">middle of it</span> with their hands <span style="text-decoration: underline;">deep in it</span> render a gibberish response.


 


denial runs high.


 


I've lived long enough to see it again and again.  I've probably even done it myself.


 


A wife asking a fallandering husband when caught with his pants down and actively engaged with his current trick what's going on: "honey, it just happened.....it's not a big deal.....who.... who's here?  I don't know....."


 


 


 


 

 

[madman]

My god, you really do have asbestos-phobia.

Greg... did someone seriously tell you that you got a tumor on your hip because of asbestos exposure? I'm sorry to tell you this, but they were mistaken. Especially given that you believe a *carcinogen* caused a *benign* tumor... on your hip. Not in your lungs or internal organs. I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Please do some more research on the topic. Asbestos isn't even really a carcinogen per se, as it's chemically inert. It causes lung cancer because its fibers are sharp and barbed, and get stuck in your lungs, and your lungs develop a bunch of scar tissue and eventually cancerous tumors.

Not benign hip tumors, I'm afraid.

Of course, now I understand where you're coming from, you want to protect other people from what you thought had been a danger to you in the past. But it's important that you go about it in a way that informs and educates other people. And not to cause them to have an irrational fear about something they don't fully understand. Your current way of talking about asbestos is like: "this thing will kill you, and it's everywhere, avoid it like the plague." Whereas when I talk about asbestos, I inform, I say "this is what it is, this is how it works, handle it like this." As I just explained a second ago, the process by which it causes lung cancer.

Also, don't attack Les over this. He's always speaking gibberish! That's not evidence that he's wrong or in denial or whatever. Let's not go down that road.

Just as an aside, I have no intention of licking the radium off of my vintage clock dial. But just as with asbestos, I've educated myself on the topic. I know what it is, what it does, and under what circumstances it is a danger. And because I know it and understand it, I do not fear it. And that's kind of how everyone should look at it.

 

[bikerray]

WOW do you ever go outside? Are you worried about lead, radon, sunlight causing sink cancer? Do you live in a bubble? If you're worried about any risk in life do you seal yourself in a baggie? There could be dangers in plastic as well.

I intend to enjoy what I do and collect what I want and not worry about any of this.

Now go save a koala and donate to help Australia, I have.

 

[4501933ho]

Specking of odd smells from old appliances

Old tube radios and TV sets have a weard smell I know this because I collect old radios and some of them contain aspetos and radium

 

[bikerray]

Anyway back to the thread at hand, I use my vacuums but I do plug them into a variac just as a precaution so if they were made to run on 100 to 110 I set the voltage at 110, if they were made for 115 I set the voltage for 115, if the vacuum is new it can handle 126 V AC. I just don't want to burn out the motors with excess voltage.

Here's a picture of my Hoover Special model 102

 

[4501933ho]

I had my 450

I had my hoover 450 on a vareac for the first cupel runs until the brushes wore in but should I keep runing it on a. Vareac because it is rated at 100-155-105-120volts ac or DC and I'm looking for a dust tool set for it ?

 

[gregvacs28]

As for<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> the smells</span> of older appliances, I don't know exactly what it is but I suspect it was the type of oils they were using.  I've noticed it particularly on motors and motor windings. Everything has some type of oil or coating on it.  I think in the 70s they started adding a subtle scent to the oils.  Even plastic items will have a form of oil on them.


 


I wouldn't describe it as musty but it's interesting that letting it air out, perhaps letting it sit in the sun, helps to dissipate it.


 


A relative worked at a community museum and they were always getting retro stuff donated.  A lot of stuff from the 40s and 50s.  They had this jukebox from that time period someone donated and it had fabric wrapped wire inside.  


She asked if I'd look at it to see if it would work.  


 


I wanted to look inside before plugging it in.  Make sure there was no blaring problems that could easily be avoided.  I took the back off and there was the smell.  There was also a few mouse nests in the bottom which is a different smell.  Anyway, it looked OK, but sure enough, plugged it in and some of the wires stapled to the side started melting off the fabric covering with little sparks as it went along.  It didn't even blow the fuse.  I quickly unplugged it.  I didn't want to ruin it.  


 


I can still picture and smell my mother's 1950s/60s Pencrest sewing machine and the smell.


My great grandmothers automatic ironer from the 50s and opening it up and there was the smell.



-


-



bikerboy-- "Anyway back to the thread at hand..." Where did you go? No one else here left.  Did you have a mental lapse?


And for the three mooks (The three stooges) here who are apparently immune to good sense health advice and feel the need to protest in the most predictable way, remember, you can go out and ruin your health all you want.  My words aren't apparently meant for you.


 


You may not be concerned about helping other members who have concerns and you may not care about your health, but I care.


 


Just as I have before, I will continue to warn innocents of these legitimate concerns. 


If you don't like that than <span style="text-decoration: underline;">YOU</span> have more than one problem.  


 


"A phobia of asbestos"   ?  


Yes, you should.  And lead paint, and radioactive paint, and walking in traffic, and drinking toxic chemicals.... and so on.


If you don't than seriously, there is something wrong with you. 


.


 


Collecting artifacts from the past is fine when proper precautions are taken to protect yourself from known defects with them.


 



https://www.cnn.com/style/article/radium-girls-radioactive-paint/index.html

 

[bikerray]

The reason I said back to the thread was because we seem to be wandering off of vacuums and on to peoples phobias. So, no I didn't have a mental lapse.

 

[madman]

Yeah, there's no need for name-calling, Greg.

I'll admit I had a hand in derailing this thread, though.

 

[luxz80]

Is there asbestos in old vacs or hoses ?? Never heard of that before. Or is this not true??

 

[bikerray]

Only if the vacuum was used for sucking up asbestos, otherwise No

 

[luxz80]

Good to know. Not sure why the subject came up in this thread.

 

[madman]

Because Greg.

 

[huskyvacs]

Hey bikerray, how does your old Hoover do on those tiny throw rugs? I have been looking for a good old vacuum that can clean them without eating them, aqnd having just bought my second 700 series Hoover I never really seen many people cleaning with them in day to day life. Pretty much every modern vacuum I have is a PITA to vacuum small mats and rugs.

I have a bunch of Electroluxes too but none of them are operational right now.