Metal mesh shrouds on bagless vacuums

[niclonnic]

I'd like to have a discussion on my Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off vacuum that I got for Christmas.

I started off by vacuuming the stairs in lift-off mode. Then I vacuumed the carpets upstairs in upright mode, and had to empty the canister once. At the end of my session, I went to clean the cyclonic separator, which has a metal mesh shroud that tends to get tangled with long hair.

So I twisted the top of the canister off to access the filter, and it was pretty dirty, as the vacuum is not multi-cyclonic. Fortunately, it's washable, but I haven't noticed a decline in performance yet.

I lifted out the cyclonic separator, and touching the metal shroud sent a NASTY shock through my finger, causing me to throw the canister down on the floor. Luckily, it didn't crack. I have never been shocked that hard by a vacuum cleaner before.

I understand that any bagless vacuum is good at static electricity. The fact that it's winter just exacerbates the shocks, due to how dry the air is. I have used other bagless vacuums, and they don't really give me shocks.

I am NOT trying to start a bagged vs. bagless debate, but metal shrouds can be potentially dangerous if you decide to clean them. Has anybody else had this happen with metal shrouds on bagless vacuums?

 

[huskyvacs]

Oooh, I get shocked all the time at the supermarket when I touch the freezer door handles. I don't recall getting static shock from vacuums so far, but I have had dirt and hair stick to my hand and arm with some cheaper bagless vacuums. I think it's the glossy finish plastic, it's so slippery that it collects a lot of static energy as well as a lot of manufacturers stopped using metal sole plates for the vacuums, which helps ground them from static.

A good trick is to use the back of your hand to touch it first, then you are discharged and can grab it. This is the first I have heard of this happening before with the mesh screen.

 

[johnsmith96]

Dyson v7

I'm currently in college algebra right now haha, bur figured why not comment lol. So my v7 has a very fine metal shroud, thankfully you don't need to take it apart, it's actually very efficient. And the dirt eject makes it so I never need to touch anything. I just smack the top a few times to shimmy the fine dust loose inside the cyclones. I get shocked by shopping carts all the time.

 

[kirbysthebest]

I am actually confused why it would deliver a shock

Even from static electricity, I can't see how a metal shroud inside a plastic bin would be grounded to allow the discharge of the static charge.

 

[johnsmith96]

Dyson v7

I'm currently in college algebra right now haha, bur figured why not comment lol. So my v7 has a very fine metal shroud, thankfully you don't need to take it apart, it's actually very efficient. And the dirt eject makes it so I never need to touch anything. I just smack the top a few times to shimmy the fine dust loose inside the cyclones. I get shocked by shopping carts all the time.

 

[rolls_rapide]

That's the problem - the plastic canister with the whirling dust and air is generating a high electrostatic charge, and storing it on the metal grid. Basically it becomes a capacitor. Sort of like a Van De Graff generator.

Dyson once commented on how they looked/tried metal in their clear bins, in order to try to earth the static charges. It only made matters worse.

Our long discontinued UK Hoover Turbopower Junior/Softbag cleaners with the metal handle, also built up charges on the handle. Hoover had the handle linked to the neutral side of the mains supply, by means of a resistor.

 

[kirbysthebest]

That's interesting

My Hoover React has a metal shroud, but i've never had any problems. Then again, i havent stuck my hand up the dirt container either. I will be more careful when I do. I am assuming that the charge is stored in the grid, and it is actually the hand that is completing the circuit to ground. Is that right?

 

[niclonnic]

Rolls_rapide

That's some interesting info! My Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind, which I refurbished and am trying to sell, has a thin metal shroud, but I've never been shocked by it. It is on the inner cyclone assembly, which lifts out of the top, just like the Bissell.

The Cyclonic Pet Hair Spooling System used on my Bissell allows the dirt and debris to fall right into the trash, so there's no need to reach in and pull the stuff out by hand. But like I said, long hair gets wrapped around that screen. I've decided to wear rubber gloves when handling the screen from now on.

My Dyson DC07 Animal, which is now my mom's vacuum, has an aluminum wand, and I've been shocked by it on a few occasions.

Starting with the third-generation Dyson Ball vacuums (DC41 and onward), the canisters on them have a metal shroud, as opposed to the plastic one on earlier models. In addition, the wand is no longer metal; it's now plastic and lacks a handle, which I think is a step back.