Kirby Skips / Hops on carpet...

[vacfanatic]

Anyone else have this issue with any of their Kirbys? I just traded in a used Sentria which had a metal base pan, for a new 2009 version with the polymer base pan. The new Sentria skips pretty bad on my carpets if I move the cleaner too fast. The old Sentria didn't seem to do this, granted it was a tad bit heavier with the metal base pan and did not have a Hepa Cloth bag in it. (I had not been using the Hepa Cloth bags as they are a bit more pricey and I had a load of the Micron Magic Paper Hepa bags around).

I did a test to see what the issue is, and it's just the type of carpet I have apparently with the increased performance of the Sentria vs the Diamond Edition I had.

It seems that with the increased airflow with the Hepa Cloth bag / Sentria setup, the skiping and hop is pretty annoying to say the least . I did cut the bag collar on my older Micron Magic Hepa Paper bags that I used on the Diamond and the problem nearly went away on the new Sentria, but there was still a tiny bit of the hop here and there. The Diamond used to do it every now and again though.

The "solution" I'm going to have to stick with for now is switching to these Hepa Paper bags, will reduce performance. Not sure by how much tho... Sigh.

Guess I'll just have to rip out this 2 year old carpet and get something Kirby Compatible? Fat chance of that happening!

I think the transmission on this Sentria is just really touchy - increased nozzle suction locks cleaner tighter to carpet, transmission gives more push, nozzle gives and cleaner moves forward, transmission lets off a bit, then nozzle locks again, causing the cleaner to jerk. Repeat rapidly, and you get the idea. Grrr....

Solution? Please?

Pic of my type of carpet below... and Max when he was "new in box".

Andrew

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

My G5 does that on my really flat carpet... it bounces and I have never figured out why. If I change the way I push it so it goes with the direction of the grain it doesn't seem to do it as bad.

 

[kirbyman89]

My Sentria doesn't do that because I swapped the transmission for that very same reason with a G4 transmission that I took out of my Diamond Edition. So maybe that's a thought. Good luck though

-Adam

 

[kirbykid63]

Take it to a kirby center!

This problem could be caused by the slide bearings being gummed up. Or you can get a kit which has slightly larger gears that will slow the pull down enough to stop the shuttering. anyhow I would take it to kirby they will know how to fix this.

Richard Groski
ney2youvacuums

 

[vintagehoover]

The Sentria was bought brand new like two weeks ago...surely it shouldn't have slide-bearing issues yet?!

 

[riccarlover]

I used to have that problem on our berber...

TILL I bought the tough Diamond brushroll. The problem dissolved! Every now and then my G4 does it still.
Clayton

 

[tolivac]

Try readjusting the nozzle height-you may have to go up one more notch.I have two new Sentrias and their transmissions-one of them esp is sort of funky.It may need the slide adjust.I use the Filtrete cloth bags in my Kirbys-and no skipping-my carpets are very deep cut pile.A Kirby dealer and I made a Kirby "skip" on my carpet if the nozzle was set to close.Sometimes the "one extra click down" on the nozzle height may not apply to all carpets.The Kirby man asked me if any of my machines skipped-I told him no.He was saying some of his other customers had the problem.

 

[vacfanatic]

Height Adjustment

I've got mine set to the same depth that I've always used my Kirby G series - from it's highest position, I do 5 clicks. On the Sentria, this is Carpet Height #2. I did try #3 (4 clicks from highest), but the nozzle does not always agitate the carpet in spots on the carpet at that height.

Maybe I can try setting the brushroll to #2 or #3 to compensate for going to height #2 to #3... I'll try that and see how that works.

Thanks!
Andrew

 

[kirbysthebest]

Here is my assuming

With the filterette bag you are getting better airflow, hence the machine is hugging the carpet tighter.

Do you adjustments by sound instead of clicks. Adjust all the way up, and start the motor. Lower the nozzle one click at a time until the motor changes tone, then go one more click.

You may also be on track with adjusting the brush to #2, but if it doesn't need this adjustment, you may put undue wear on the brush and belt.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Now I'm being a smart-alec

Kirby Skips / Hops on carpet...

Maybe you can teach it to swing and sway and next year it can try out for dancing with the stars.

 

[ncovert]

If it hops or skips...

That means you're going against the nap of the carpet. Reverse the direction of the machine and it shouldn't do that.

 

[marks_here]

That was happening to mine

until I got a different brush roll for delicate - berber carpets. It no longer skips & it doesn't snow plow potato chip pieces to the wall. The carpet looks better & i'm not replacing the stretched out belts too. Hopes this helps some.

 

[kirbyguy]

Its the brush roll. Marks is right.

The bristles on the Sentria brush roll are really stiff. I had the same problem until I switched to the delicate bristle brush roll.

No more nozzle bouncing.

 

[pr-21]

I have the same problem....

My G Series Kirby's do that and it is against the grain when it happens. The stiffer brush roll does make it worse, but I like how it grooms. I also have this problem against the grain with a few power nozzles as well.....If you change direction it will quit. My Sentria II is on the #2 position, which corresponds with the motor change and one more click.


PR-21

 

[marks_here]

Thank you . . I thought

for a moment something wasn't right because my mother's G4 moves smoothly across the carpet, then I switched rug nozzles and that's when ***DINGDINGDING*** that's what they did different. The bag is now filling up properly and I don't feel anything left on the carpet after I vacuumed. I got her a new Sentria I (she didn't even notice it's a new vacuum)with a soft brush roll & it works great. She did say it sounded louder then her G4 but other then that OHHH i'm trying to train her when to change the bag & not let it get almost to the top full. They need to come out with a book on "How To Raise Your Elderly Parents". Take care ya'll!!
Mark