Shag carpet and Powerhead don't mix ?

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Mike81

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Jan 23, 2015
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I have question for the vacuumland members.
Do you use powerhead/upright with the brush bar for the shag type carpeting?
I have found that even the midsize Miele SEB-217 (no height adjust) powerhead will tear some fibers off from the long pile shag carpet. After vacuuming I often found long fibers in the brush bar. I don't longer have those type of carpeting for that reason.
So how to properly clean the shag carpet?
 
Hi Mikko,

I have found that you really need an upright that allows you to adjust the front wheels very high in order to let the brush roll "tickle" the fibres. A classic fan-first upright is best (a Eureka Dial-a-Nap or Rugulator, for example) because you really don't want the power of a 12amp motor (1440 watts) sucking the shag rug into the brush roll chamber. A weaker 4amp motor is just fine to get enough air-flow to move the dirt out of the shag carpet fibres. Our Eureka Vanguard 2083 was excellent on shag as the working end of the motor head could be raised to just the right level to let the Vibra-Groomer brush roll agitate without bogging down on the carpet. I don't know if a similar Sanitaire/Electrolux upright with a 7amp motor would be good - may be too strong for shag.

You could always attach a classic "shag rake" tool to a canister...not sure how effective these are in actual removal of dirt, though...:-)
 
Thank for your answer.
My problem is just what you said. Because my powerhead don't have height adjust, carpet fibers are sucked into the brush roll chamber. It causes extra wear for the carpet. Also ph is very hard to move because it sink to the carpet. Reducing suction will help, but it also means less cleaning power.
Turbohead is far more easier to move, but it has noticeably less suction (tiny suction hole for the turbine).
Some turbo heads also bug down on the high pile shag.

So height adjustment would be crucial improvement.
 
Mikko

From your video, it looks like you would be needing the Wessell Werk EBK360 SoftClean powerhead. It is a full size powerhead, much more powerful than your Miele SEB217, has height adjustment, & most importantly it's designed for these new "Soft Carpets". Since the Miele & this one are both Wessell Werk designs, it should work with the wand you use for all your vacuum tests. Which by the way, definitely like your YouTube videos, you are very creative! :-)

Rob

https://centralvacuumstores.wordpre...rend-warrants-new-powerhead-from-wessel-werk/

http://www.centralvacuumstores.com/...eads/wessel-werk-ebk-360-soft-clean-powerhead
 
If that's the shag pile, I would just use suction only floor tools OR the highest brush bar setting like the old classic Hoover uprights used to have. Any brush roll on close contact might just snag the pile and pull it out. Since that Miele PN doesn't appear to be doing that you can certainly hear the strain of the pile on the brush bar, which in turn may weaken the belt long term.
 
kirbylux77
Thank you about comment about my Youtube videos!
I have been "dreaming" about the Miele SEB-228 ph. It seems to be same ph as Wessell Werk EBK360. It has much bigger roller brush and heigh adjustment. I would have to order it from outside of the Finland and it seems to cost about 200 euros which is very expensive, but it certainly would do the job much better and fit my wand.
My SEB-217 (after modification) has good agitation on the low pile carpet. It actually make particles dance on front of it. Watch my latest agitation video.

sebo fan
Yes SEB-217 is overworking on the high pile shag. Once it shut down after long time period vacuuming the shag pile.
I once had high pile black carpet and it was worrying how much carpet fibers was stuck to the roller.
I wash just wondering if my Electrolux turbohead might still be better for the shag. It doesn't bug down and it fared quite well in my rice picking up demo against SEB-217. What it lacked was grit removal.
Good straight suction nozzle seems to do OK and it doesn't strain the pile.
But again powerhead with height adjustment might be the ideal solution.

sptyks
That Kirby shag rake attachment looks very innovative!

Picture shows how much carpet fiber was stuck to the roller after one thorough vacuuming.
However carpet was nylon type.

mike81-2015082218591203699_1.jpg
 
Just noticed that Wessel-Werk Soft-Clean EBK 360 has one clever design element.
"No Sealed Suction – To eliminate the chance of a powerhead locking onto the dense carpet and damaging the fibers, the Soft Clean EBK360 is designed with suction release holes along the bottom of the powerhead"
This locking onto the carpet is my biggest problem with the SEB-217.
Maybe I should do the same modification to my powerhead. And if I want to go back just tape those holes shut?

mike81-2015082221053201884_1.jpg
 
Im pretty sure this is the same high end PN available for Miele cylinder vacs. It may well carry that claim of not being to suck up rugs etc but I'd be at two minds about that. Looking on the underside here points to a fully opened brush roll with no carpet grids fitted.

sebo_fan++8-23-2015-10-50-20.jpg
 
A old fashioned shag rug

Is truthfully cleaned easier with straight suction, preferably a deep channeled nozzle, shag is so loosely woven that air is drawn thru it very easily.
 
Well it can be, if you have tight material backing and not rubber. But the method isn't new - I remember the local Hoover retailer in the town used to show people how to vacuum rugs like turning them over and running a Hoover upright with a beater bar over the top of it. The only flaw is straggling threads that can get twisted up into the brush roll, either breaking the belt in the process, or actually allowing the rug to go threadbare.

I know that won't happen with every vacuum as well as every rug. But at the same time as you're beating the dirt out of the carpet, by the time you've lifted the rug off the floor, the dust flies up into the air again.

As I suggested before, the best way to clean shag pile is suction only floor tools. Makes a lot more sense when a suction only floor tool protects the fibres and suction alone with just a little static agitation removes dirt with kindness.
 
Seems like straight suction is the best way to vacuum a shag rug. Slow passes with overlapping and if possible from different directions (y)
 
I once tried an alternative like a hard floor tool with parquet bristles, but it really made no difference and in actual fact took twice as long to vacuum given resistance of fixed long bristles versus stitched in rug pile and a tendency to move dust around rather than the central channel picking it all up.
 
Panasonic in the link with powerhead that have "air invusion technology" is great idea. I just would like to see option to close those vents. But great still.
I have problem with powerhead locking onto the carpet. Especially small rugs are pain to vacuum if I don't open the air release valve located in the handle.
 
I have a dense shag pile, well is is shag or plush or clasified as both? IDK.
BUT, the carpet is so thick, that the wheels of the vacuum dig into the carpet more than the head and so the head gets raised up slightly and is crap at cleaning. DC25 and DC14/DC04/DC07/DC33 clutched models suffer most with this.
 

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