My New (Old) Rainbow!

[eurekastar]

I finally broke down and bought a Rainbow E Series off Ebay. Before using it, I changed the motor filter, HEPA filter, separator, and the brush strips on the brush roll. It seems to have been well cared for too. However, I was a little surprised to see so much fine dust in the exhaust port behind the HEPA filter. The power nozzle didn't even have a scratch on it, although some of the small decals on the vacuum unit itself are coming off. Over all, I would say it's in very good shape.

 

[eurekastar]

My first impression is very favorable. The power nozzle seems to do a great job on carpet too. I vacuumed just three rooms (one with carpet) and pulled all this junk up into the water bath. It was pretty thick too, so I'm thinking I might need to get a 4 quart basin for it.

 

[eurekastar]

Bleach?

Would it be a good idea, when rinsing out the basin, to use a little bleach in one of the rinses? I was vacuuming up dead bugs.

 

[dwhdarren97]

The fine dust could have been caused by infrequent emptying of the water pan by the previous owner. We all know through common sense that water or any liquid can only absorb so much before it dries up. Just figured I would say this before someone started trash talking the Rainbow

 

[mark40511]

Agree - that AND cleaning the grooves of the separator. If these two things are not done, dust will get into the fans and onto the hepa.

It looks like you have a one speed. I'm guessing you just got one used from someone just selling theirs, and not a vacuum dealer on Ebay who reconditions them?

 

[eurekastar]

It is a one speed. I bought it from someone who is a reseller, but he didn't recondition it beyond doing some superficial cleaning. I saw a video on Youtube that gives step-by-step instructions on disassembling the E Series, so I plan to that this weekend in order to clean out the fan chamber and the fans. The HEPA filter was pretty dirty too.

 

[henry200]

Your picture of the water pan after cleaning 3 rooms illustrates well how dust was escaping the water bath.  When the water gets that thick with muck it can't trap the dust any more.  It's a shame there isn't a way to incorporate a signal alerting the user when the water needs to be changed.  Lint, hair, and heavier debris will sludge-up the water quickly.  When using a Rainbow I change the water after each room or every 15 minutes or so.....and that's in a relatively "clean" house with no pets and no wall to wall carpeting.

 

[mark40511]

Yes. In the 80s, my grandma had a Rainbow and we often would let the basin get thick with crud because we didn't "think" about it. I think most people will probably do that. I don't know? I know it wasn't until the LATEST Rainbow that Rexair actually stated in the user guide to change water before it gets too thick and clean the separator frequently. Never before did they mention changing the water in any of their manuals. But it is common sense if you think about it. I have no idea WHY we didn't change the water as we should have. God knows what the fans must have looked like in my grandma's machine. I even remember putting Pine Sol in the basin for scent when she ran out of the Rexair scents. I don't even remember it foaming at all. She had it ten years with no issues though before a Kirby dealer talked her into buying a Kirby, and she told me she regretted it and wished she had her Rainbow back. Nothing against Kirby; I like Kirby. I just remember her telling me that.

Best thing to do is change the water with each room, then after a while you won't have to change it as often.

 

[eurekastar]

Changing the water frequently makes complete sense to me, especially when vacuuming the entire house. It's clear to me now how dense debris and sludge in the water prevents effective filtration. I guess I'll tear it down this weekend and clean out the inside too. Funny thing. The power nozzle seems like it is brand new. I'll bet the previous owner had a lot of solid surface floors.

 

[joshdonnell]

I

Have the same model, i didnt change the water . My didnt ever did to slugy

 

[floor-a-matic]

I change the water after each room (when I vacuum AND dust the ENTIRE room); after a quick vacing the floors only every 1/3 of the house.

The manual says "Change the water every 15 minutes under normal household conditions," and "DO NOT clean too long with ONE filling of water." Even the D2 manual states that message.

btw, I just got a Chrome Dome D today.

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?16074

 

[eurekastar]

Erik

Your new Chrome Dome looks great!

 

[floor-a-matic]

@eurekastar

You should NEVER let the wster get too thick like the 2nd pic shows! But you've seen how thick the water gets after vacing with a Rainbow even AFTER vacing with an ordinary bagged or bagless vacuum.

Leaving the water to get thick can also smell up the Rainbow; & the fans can get dirty, & motor & bearings get rusted.

 

[eurekastar]

@ Erik

Yep. I tore it down to clean it and service the motor. It was filthy on the inside. The fan washer was rusted onto the armature shaft and wouldn't come off easily. I ended up ruining the fan in order to get that darn washer off. So I had to order a new fan and washer too. They should be here on Monday so I can get everything back together.  <span style="background-color: #999999;">The moral to the story:  Change the water and don't leave the unit on the water basin when storing.  </span>

 

[ralph123]

Another warning - don't loan out your Rainbow - unless you really trust that the person will take proper care of it. I was at my local Rainbow store getting fragrance as gift, and a couple had brought in a filthy Rainbow that their daughter had borrowed. There was mud under the HEPA filter. It was an expensive mistake.

 

[mark40511]

The first year I had my rainbow, before I had purchased the extra long 14 foot non electric hose and my reason for getting it, I fell off a ladder 5 foot from about four steps up, holding my rainbow in one hand trying to clean up high. You should have seen it, in mid-air falling I refused to let go of it. I landed on the floor, the rainbow landed on me. Luckily the water wasn't dirty because I had just changed it. But still the fall caused shaking as you could imagine. I left it running to dry out anything that could have possibly got sucked into the motor. If that water had been dirty, I'm sure it would have been a mess, though I remember, even with that fall and all of that force, checking the water level in the basin was still on the proper fill line, so I don't think anything water got into the fans. I've heard that you can turn a rainbow upside down with a basin full of water and the water will stay in the basin, but I don't DARE try it. I wonder if that's true?

 

[floor-a-matic]

@mark40511

DON'T ever try that trick! A few yers back, when I sold Rainbows, I once turned the Rainbow upside-down wneh running & the water spilled all over & got into the motor.

Why didn't you get extra wands & clean the high places while standing on the floor? Its safer than climbing up ladders.

I'm unsure about going back to selling Rainbows again?

 

[mark40511]

Because I live in a house with vaulted ceilings and a few high flat areas that collect dust and then there's also two ceiling fans in the house. I don't mind getting on the ladder now since I don't lose balance holding a heavy vacuum

 

[eurekastar]

@ Mark

You must be quite the acrobat and protecting your rainbow too!  That reminds me of my Junior High Band Director.  If someone fell while carrying an instrument, he'd walk over and ask, "Is the horn ok?"