Sanitaire Sc886 Vs. Kirby Sentra

[Sanifan]

Instructions...

Thanks for the description, Trebor. I know what you are saying with 98% certainty, but this really is a case where a picture is worth a thousand words.

If I am getting it correctly, you are drilling one 1/8" hole on each of the two walls that form the air intake channel. Each one located half way between the front of the respective wall (a point starting at the edge brushroll opening, near either the very left or very right side of the vacuum), and the back of the respective wall (a point just before the opening of the fan chamber). If the vacuum were standing upright, the holes themselves are situated 1/2" up vertically from bottom edges of the air intake chamber walls.

My description may be confusing, as well, but maybe it helps.

One question: would drilling the two holes at the front, right through the rubber bumper, be more effective as the extra airflow would then come through the front of the brushroll instead of behind it?

 

[kirbyloverdan]

I would think

it would be better to drill holes in the fron of the Nozzle .

That is where rainbow and Tri Star and Patriot have their holes for the air flow .

But not through the bumper .

 

[trebor]

I don't know...

if the drilling of the holes on the front would improve performance or not. This arrangement seems to be quite effective. The additional air seems to carry the debris loosened bu the brush roll right into the fan. There is almost no debris in the nozzle plate, even when vacuuming heavy sand.

The modification is done surreptitiously, the customer never knows, and is better off for it. The belts last longer, and because the carpet is held up and shaken, it gets cleaner.

It all started with a customer being very disgusted with her 677, when she previously was quite happy with it. She had recently had very thick plush carpet installed. The belts were burning up quickly, and it was hard to push. Raising the nozzle to #6 did not allow consistent contact with the carpet. I had heard of drilling holes in the nozzle before on Riccars and similar vacs, so I thought "What the heck?" It worked. I just told the customer I made a small adjustment for her luxurious carpet. I found out later that it was done frequently, and seemed to improve performance and belt life. I wonder why it is not a permanent change to the mold.

 

[powermate1970]

Trebor........ GOOD GOD!!!

I am dense!!! LOL I'm drilling into the "wall" of the air chamber/tunnel! If I'm thinking/figuring right, the holes should be almost right above (with the vac upside down) the rugplate fasteners, only in the air chamber wall. Am I still "dense", or have I got it?

 

[Sanifan]

Front of nozzle...

Dan, if not through the bumper, then just above it?

I haven't looked too closely, but I don't see any holes on front edge of my Tristar CXL turbo brush. Just that weird switch on the top that says: low, normal, and high. I understand that it adjusts a port to let more or less air through depending on the carpet's loft. Is that the hole you were referring to? Or are you referring to the later model power nozzles?

I guess one reason not to go through the bumper: don't you slide the magnet bar between the bumper and the body? If so, the magnet bar would obstruct those holes.

 

[twocvbloke]

On the Tristar PNs, the holes are in the rugplate, rather than the plastic, at least they are on the in-house made PNs (the 2-101 (Geared belt) and 2-102 (Flat belt) models) rather than the Eureka-made PNs...

You can see the design in this parts breakdown PDF file:

http://www.tristarvacuumscausa.com/pdf/parts/EX_20_Powerbrush1.pdf

 

[trebor]

OK....

Turn the machine upside down and remove the plate.
Look at the shape as a large upper-case 'T'. The center of the cross of the 'T' is where the fan chamber is located at the bottom of the stem of the 'T'

The brushroll fills the nozzle cavity, (the crossbar of the 'T') and the belt goes around the roller and extends down the stem of the 'T' to the pulley on the fan You are not going to drill into the walls of the stem of the 'T' surrounding the fan chamber.

The long edge of the nozzle is along the bumper, (the front)

The opposing edge, (the back, or the edge nearest your feet when you vacuum) has three distinct divisions, 1)left edge to the wall of the fan chamber, 2)the opening of the fan chamber, 3)and wall of the fan chamber to right edge.

Not in the long upper edge of the nozzle opening where the bumper is, and not in the walls that extend down to form the fan chamber, but in each side of the crossbar of the 'T' (sections 1 and 3) in the back side of the nozzle opening you are going to drill a 1/8 in hole, 1/2" away from the edge of the nozzle opening on a vertical axis.

I tried constructing a diagram using the keyboard symbols, but the server wiped out all the spaces. Sorry. I don't know how to make it any clearer.

 

[twocvbloke]

"Sorry. I don't know how to make it any clearer. &#3

A doodle in MS Paint?

 

[Sanifan]

Got it...

It's clear, at least to me. The holes go into the two short walls behind and parallel to the brushroll. The walls that form the bottom of the "T"'s crossbar.

So you drill the hole exactly in the center of the respective walls? Any offsetting left or right, closer to the intake nozzle or to the outer edge of the vacuum, or would it be exactly centered in the wall surface in question?

I will try it this weekend.

 

[powermate1970]

OMG!!!

It's been a REALLY LONG WEEK! LOL You drill a hole in the "wall" directly behind the brushroll, 1/2 inch down from the rugplate.(when rugplate is attached) One hole on each side. Thank-you Trebor for bearing with me! lol I can't wait to try it.

 

[trebor]

Sorry I have slow to reply but I have been...

drinking and partying, Ahem, I mean working my ass of for my employer, in New Orleans.

I have never tried positioning the holes other than centered, or equally spaced on each side. The nozzle distributes air flow pretty equally, so the small boost provided by the holes is enough to keep the fan turning, which keeps the brush spinning, and the spinning brush transfers torque back to the fan to keep it turning. The spinning agitator allows the nozzle to take in more gulps of air as the carpet is pushed down and sucked back up. It is such a small change that makes such a huge difference.

 

[trebor]

So how did the modification go?

Has anyone drilled the holes? What is youir opinion of performance before and after?

 

[Sanifan]

Despite the will and motivation, I have not found the time to modify it yet. Hopefully this coming Monday or Tuesday. I'll post here once it's done!