More on hoses
I’ve found numerous situations where Electrolux’s were sold brand new with different hoses than what would “seem” correct for that model. I believe when the factory would begin a color change they would equip the models with whatever color hose material that still remained. I’ve found it to be more common on the lower level models for the hoses to not match than on the upper level models. This may be because Electrolux did not change the lower level models coloring at the same time as the upper level models. For example…A model AF and a model R both are the identical colored machines with the model R being the lower level “economy model”. But the model R was not produced until during the run of the model G, so model R’s ended up with model G colored attachments and hoses. My friends Mom has a model AF. Her AF came brand new with a model G colored hose. An older friend of mine who I cleaned for during my teen years had a November 1975 purchased teal model L. This was during the Golden Jubilee run which was the top of the line. The hose was the Gold colored hose with the cream colored handle. I’ve even seen some of these Gold hoses with teal handles (non electric). Her power nozzle was the pn-2 with the Golden Jubilee 50th anniversary sticker on it. The hose was non electric, the external hose wire wrap was teal and her attachments were also teal. The power nozzle sheath was the pn-1 style teal.
So moral of the story here is….color matching wasn’t always a priority by Electrolux themselves and many machines were boxed up and sent out from the factory with what we might consider “mismatches”.
While it is fun today to match everything up…I also find it fun to see machines equipped with the variation.
How would you know then if the variation was the “original” equipped with that machine from the get go you might ask? That can best be assumed by observing what hose and tools are equipped with a particular machine…and if they are any one the ones from the machines directly before, during, or immediately after that model…likely it could qualify as a proper equipped mate, even though the color may not match the intended primary color for that run.
Another example is a friend’s Mom has a final Gold model L which was produced up until and including during the year 1979. Hers came equipped direct from the factory with an electric pigtail hose in the Olympia cream and brown colors and the power nozzle is the Olympia brown cover. But Gold model L’s also came with the white Super J colored hoses and the silver Super J PN-4 power nozzle.
Another example is a neighbor growing up. She had the teal model L but the Olympia colored power hose and silver PN4 which was from the Super J era. Now on hers…those may have been replacement parts over time…not sure.
My Grandmother’s teal model L had the teal electric hose with the early direct connect handle in teal. She had the teal electric telescopic wand with hers and the pn-1 with the quick snap elbow verses the spring tab elbow.
My Mom’s model L was primarily “all color correct” with the teal electric hose with chrome handle and the pn-1 wand and sheath with the pn-1 teal power cord which did get replaced as the insulation on that cord wore out so the new one was gray. Then the hose wore out so it was replaced in 1984 with a Silverado era pigtail hose. In 1984 no machines were being produced that used the pigtail hoses but since the Silverado was the color8ng of the time, the replacement hoses they made for the models that needed the pigtail hoses were the Silverado coloring right down to all the plastic parts. In 1987 the teal pn-1 finally was just finished…the brush bearings were heavily worn and while it still ran and cleaned…it needed a new brush again and it seemed much more enticing to upgrade by purchasing a new power nozzle which was the jade colored pn6a that went with the Diamond jubilee. The power nozzle wand system including shear was also elected to be replaced as well at the time because it would upgrade to the “direct connect” system since she already had the new hose handle which was designed for the direct connect system or the pn-1 hanging cord system and now Mom wouldn’t have to deal with having to plug in the power nozzle sheath cord into the hose handle anymore. Just this past summer we replaced the gray Silverado average pigtail hose with a late version genuine vinyl pigtail hose because the Silverado era gray hose was leaking terribly. I still have it in her basement, but it does leak badly. The rubber inner lining dries out and crumbles or separates. It basically was a long rubber string like a rubber band spun around and around. Not sure what fastened the rubber together but on so many of these hoses when that inner rubber material begins to delaminate it’s then allows air through and also ends up in the air and dirt path of the hose which then ends up collecting or trapping large debris or builds up lots of fuzz then the hose starts clogging.
The vinyl hoses are made completely differently, including the wiring system and last so much longer. It’s not to say that a genuine vinyl hose won’t tear at the stress points (usually at the machine and handle ends) but they just hold up at least twice as long as the vinyl ones.
I have a model XXX that was my Father’s Mother’s. My Aunt who lived with her all her life had the vacuum after she died because she inherited the house and all belongings. In 1983 we had to replace the genuine hose with a new one and it got the Silverado era gray hose. She passed away in 1984 unexpectedly at 57 years old and I took the vacuum and rarely used it and stored it in a “Diamond Jubilee” Electrolux box. I basically have never regularly used the vacuum, but do pull it out from time to time every so many years. The nice practically brand new condition gray Silverado hose is shot. It is stuck in the curled position and when I gently unwrap it I can hear all sorts of crackling and bits of that rubber inner lining material come spilling out of the end…or if I run the vac with the hose and flex the hose as I’m using it…bits of the hose get sucked into the cloth bag and are there when I stole the machine and empty the cloth bag. It just seems the rubber inner material all dried out over time. Unfortunate. The vacuum was stored in a climate controlled area for many years but still it dried out. Such a shame because it looks brand new!
I’m not sure how some of these old hoses never managed to dry out like mine did but the reality is somehow this rubber manages to deteriorate in most cases.
I will say that my model E fabric coated hose is made differently. It has a harder inner lining that feels almost like some sort of cloth like tape…sorta like old duct Dale type material. It does not leak, but I can say that the inner dimension must be slightly smaller because when I use that hose versus a new vinyl or plastic one, the tone of the machine is more strained and the suction at the hose handle isn’t as good as the vinyl or plastic hoses. I think though that these were more apt to end up with the creases in them and end up ripping internally at the crease and leaking at the ripped crease. I believe the hoses were made in this early material style until and through the model G era then the construction was changed with the introduction of the 1205 to that new rubber band like spun together material on the inner lining. This new style was less apt to end up with the creasing problems that plagued the original design which would cause clogs and eventually internal rips and leaking.
What I’ve always found it’s that it is very important to not sharply bend the hose at any point especially at those high stress points of flex near either end. So many people will stand the wand up, hose attached and stop and lean on the wand or the hose handle end and bend it sharply, or store the vac all assembled with the hose bent sharply at the vac end and at the handle wand end and that severely shortened the life of these hoses. Electrolux always recommended that the hose be store over two hooks about a foot apart. Or a wire coat hanger bent upwards at the ends could also be used to hang the hose without sharp bends in it.
The Lux of Switzerland S115 currently uses a woven hose. It is the same machine as the Aerus Lux Platinum sold here in the US but sold in Europe and runs on their power system. The hose and all attachments and the power nozzle are different than what Aerus sells the machine with here in the US. I am really curious as to how this hose is made and how well it might hold up. Not sure if there are any other machines out there in the works that use woven hoses…but thought you might like to check out the Lux S115’s woven hose of today. Link is below.
Jon
https://www.luxinternational.com/product/s115-vacuum-cleaner/102
