Lux 5000 bagfull light comes on for nothing

[quebecois]

Hey all! A friend of mine bought an Aerus Lux 5000 automatic (US model) 15 years ago or so and has had no problem since last week, the light that usually comes on when the bag is full started to act funny.

It comes on even when the bag is new, what could cause this? He'd like me to fix it for him.

I haven't seen the machine yet, so I have no picture to put here for the moment.

Could it be as simple as just the dial on top is turned way too far on the left so the machine is too much sensible to any tension on the hose end?

 

[quebecois]

Edit: I talked to my friend on the phone a few minutes ago and he told me no matter what is the position of the dial, the vacuum stops working as soon as he connects the flexible hose on the machine and the bag light comes on.

 

[madman]

As you have not seen the machine yet, is it possible it just has a blockage?

 

[dysonman1]

There is an air tube that runs from the automatic control all the way to the front cover and connects on the other side of the bag fill tube. The hole that communicates the bag fill tube and the air tube has a clog in it. You'll have to use a stripped bag twisty tie to push through there, after removing the air tube, which will clean it out and the machine will work properly.

 

[kloveland]

I would also check the bag valve as mentioned in my previous post. When you pull out the valve stem make sure both O rings are there. I've circled them for you in the picture below. The bottom o ring should not come out of place when you remove the valve stem (knob) from the valve.

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?26026

 

[quebecois]

Thank you guys, it'll surely help. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I have the machine in hands.

Madman: I told my friend there could be a blockage in his hose, but he answered that he ran something all the way up and down the hose and it's all ok.

 

[quebecois]

Kenny: what you call an o-ring in this post is the same part you called a seal in your previous thread, right? There isn't a seal in addition to two o-rings, right?

 

[quebecois]

I brought the machine at home late yesterday evening and I couldn't resist to take it apart to know what is the culprit.

It ended up it was the valve: the little plastic lip that retains the upper o-ring is broken.

I put a spare valve from an AP-100 in, and it works like a charm ! I'll post a few pictures later today.

 

[quebecois]

Here are a few pictures of the machine itself (very clean machine, by the way), and of the plastic retaining lip broken in four pieces laying in the valve body. Last picture shows where the pieces were before they broke apart.

 

[quebecois]

I put this picture just to show you another way these valves can break...

I just pulled it out of a Diplomat with a bad motor and a broken rocker switch, thinking I could use it on another machine but I won't .

 

[madman]

Nice!

 

[quebecois]

These valves are very poorly designed, it is obvious the thin plastic lip will break sooner or later, rather sooner considering the plastic they used is a bit britlle and this lip is way too thin.

It looks like the valve of the AP series are made of better plastic in the 70's.

Thanks to all for the help ! It made the fix pretty easy.

 

[quebecois]

Tom, is that what you were talking about in reply #3 ?

 

[kloveland]

I fiqured

It was the valve. I have three plastic canisters and all of them had bad valves. With the plastic broken as shown in your pics. Glad you got it fixed!