Brushroll Bearing Lube:
I always use silicone lube on brushroll bearings, because silicone does not attract dirt the way oil and grease do. What I use is liquid silicone, often sold as tyre shine in auto parts places. I have had people tell me that silicone will not saturate a bronze bearing the way oil will, but I've never had the first speck of trouble as a result of using silicone. I break my power nozzles down quarterly for preventive maintenance, doing the following:
1) Remove any strings or debris from brushroll (I also remove strings whenever I see them whilst putting the PN away after use).
2) Wash brushroll in warm soapy water, then towel-drying it, then sitting it upright to finish drying in the open air. I never lay the brushroll down on a flat surface to air-dry it; this flattens the bristles. When the brushroll is dry, the bristles are straight again, much more like new.
3) Brush and vacuum all dust and debris out of PN housing, top and bottom halves.
4) Clean brushroll bearings carefully, looking for impacted dust and for strings wound in the bearing. I then use mineral spirits to "wash" the bearing; I put some mineral spirits in a Dixie cup, put the bearing in, and swish it around vigourously. I then allow the bearings to dry.
5) Check the belt very carefully for wear and cracking; replace if needed.
6) Lubricate the brushroll bearings with silicone.
7) Reassemble PN, checking the belt tension to be certain the belt hasn't stretched too much since the last replacement.
8) Test-run and correct any faults in my work.
On my TriStar, I also use silicone on the rubber elbow of the PN, to help it remain flexible.
I don't have nearly as many PN problems as I used to before starting this regimen.
