Silverado hose help

[radiowonderland]

So sorry for hijacking the wrong thread!

Recap: I posted my broken hose handle; turns out it's generic, not genuine, and I got great advice from you all.

Will respond to Jon's kind comments/suggestion tomorrow.

 

[gregvacs28]

Please pics of your complete vacuum so we can advise you if it's genuine.

Electrolux canisters were generally good, but the original hoses were woven, stiff, and prone to leaking so having generic replacement like you have was better than the original.

As I said previous, I've purchased and had good luck with this hose.

There are other hoses available but its advisable to get one with a switch on the handle.
You won't find a new original hose because the don't make them anymore (which is good) but you might find a used one.

 

[jo]

I do believe Aerus still make the hoses for this series

It is likely Aerus still makes the hoses for this series, this series was made through 1997 at least and also the commemorative edition model used this hose as well. It would be best to confirm this with your Aerus dealer. As I mentioned my Mother recently got one for her nearly identical Olympia model. An older style hose that used a pigtail wire may no longer be in production but I have yet to verify that directly from Aerus and is irrelevant to this thread.

While yes the generic hoses do have the switch, again, from what I’ve seen and experienc3d of generics, the plastic quality is not as good, the specs and tolerances aren’t as good so it could have issues with fit on either end they generally won’t last as long. Just look at what happened already to yours...a perfect example of the lesser quality of the generics. I have many genuine Electrolux hoses on vacs in our family...all the genuine rubber ones have so far lasted close to if not over twenty years as some of them were purchased when they first changed to rubber hoses. And these machines have seen heavy regular weekly household use.

Post a full picture of the vacuum and all of its attachments, we can tell what’s genuine and what is not.

Jon

 

[jo]

@gregvacs

Keith: You should know that Electrolux themselves converted to rubber hoses in the mid to late 90s...so genuine rubber ones are available which are better than the generic rubber ones from my experience. While yes, the Silverado was originally supplied with a genuine braided hose, in no way am I suggesting he seek out a braided hose for the machine, but rather a genuine rubber one as opposed to a generic rubber one which he has had already and it has failed. Your last response seems to infer that the genuine are all the woven braided material which agreed was prone to deterioration from the inside out causing suction leaks.

Jon

 

[radiowonderland]

You folks are continually amazing

OK, many pics!

I think I'm being convinced to buy a new Aerus/Electrolux rubber hose. There's a tiny bit of play in the junction between my generic hose and the main unit so that when I actively push it in, the suction is slightly stronger. I'd like better precision in the seal for that suction.

Except for the hose, and maybe the long beige sleeve (that's the close-up, pic #2), I think I'm all genuine here.

But will you indulge me a couple more observations, about which I'd treasure your expert opinions?

**The Off/On/Reset switch on the power nozzle is hard to operate. I don't know that I'll ever need to actually, even with a genuine, switchless, hose.

**The Cleaning Selector on the main unit is supposed to rotate from 1 to 6, right? Some part of mine is offset by about 1, so that the range is from 2, past 6, to 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1). But I've never seen this have any affect. Does it have something to do with adjusting the trigger for popping open the bag door?

**Finally, the motor will age, slowly, or eventually, right? Is there a metric I can use to know when to replace the motor?

Thanks so much, kind people.

 

[suckolux]

Everything looks original to me with the exception of your hose

 

[jo]

Second that

All is genuine here except the entire hose.

If you don’t have anything else I will send some pics of some accessories you may like to add to complete your Electrolux.

The cleaning selector should be 1-6 but some work may have been done on it before you got it causing the alignment to be off. It adjusts the sensitivity of when the bag door pops open and shuts off the machine signaling a loss of suction due to a full...or clogged bag. 1 is most sensitive to a minimal loss of suction..6 or beyond in your case would be a maximum loss of suction before it stops virtually allowing the bag to become packed which is not recommended...if all is working right. I can give you more detail on why you would want to change the setting later but a median setting of 2-4 works for most people and is recommended by Electrolux. It does not adjust the suction power of the machine, just the sensitivity of when the automatic shut off/bag door opening occurs.

It’s pretty common on your power nozzle...PN6A...to have the switch be a bit difficult especially towards the reset position. If you had to reset it, switching it to off and back on again does the same thing. But usually switching it to the off and on positions works ok for the most part. Basically the reset is a “momentary” spring loaded off switch whereas off is the switch held in place in the off position.

Motors on these are excellent and can last many years...your machine was made from 1982 through 1984. Aerus may be able to tell you the original sale date if you give them the serial number which is on the bottom on the front swivel wheel sled base...starts and ends with a letter.

The motors may start to make a whine or grinding sound when first started or shut off when the bearings are starting to wear but this can be intermittent or just continue to get worse until the motor won’t run at full speed, then you can consider replacement of the motor and there is someone out there who actually rebuilds these motors.

That power nozzle is virtually almost identical to the power nozzles Aerus sells today on their new machines in its mechanical style...just the design of the cover has changed. It is one of the best cleaning and most durable power nozzles and automatically adjusts the height with each forward stroke and resets it on each backstroke. That’s why it’s called automatic on the top. Omni flo on the cover refers to the fact that it was developed to allow airflow from all sides of the suction opening to allow for front and edge cleaning and proper airflow to prevent it from sticking to carpet. A vacuum when stuck on to something essentially stops working, continuous airflow allows for the best performance and earlier models were not as good in this regard. The power nozzle is from the Diamond Jubilee era, the next model after the Silverado. I purchased an identical one for my Mother in 1986 or 87.

The wands look original and there is a metal wand inside the plastic sheath of the upper part. The wire inside it is replaceable when it is disassembled.

Almost every part of this machine is designed to be serviced.

I see you have the genuine dusting brush/upholstery tool...it is one of the most favorite tools out there. I’ve seen many people who have other brands using these with their vacuums as the Electrolux uses a standard 1 1/4” diameter wand in the vacuum cleaner industry. The adjustable wings can be replaced as well as the bristles..An Electrolux rep taught me how!

You may wish to add the two steel or aluminum wands and a flip over combination rug and floor tool to your set...along with a sidekick mini power nozzle...it makes the unit even more versatile and the wands and flip over rug and floor tool were originally equipped with your machine, but likely a previous owner kept them when they passed the vacuum on.

The Silverado is regarded as one of the best Electrolux models ever made as the motors are all metal and everything is the most advanced before more plastics got introduced in areas they shouldn’t have been. There were significant improvements made since 1968 when the same series similar blue 1205 design was introduced and by the time the Silverado came out making the Silverado superior to most of the models of the same general design before it (Olympia, Super J, Golden Jubilee and 1205.). Only the braided hoses which lasted 10 to 15 years were improved upon much later by changing to rubber.

Electrolux was intended to last 20 to 25 years but they are proving to last far longer.

Where did you acquire the Silverado and how long ago?

Jon

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Jon's case holds water...those were indestructible cleaners. I would second getting the genuine replacement hose, Aerus still sells them.

Take the gray cover off the bag door (4 screws inside), turn the dirt selector all the way up, and remove the knob with number and adjust it one setting number accordingly, or "clock" it so the number will match the setting.

 

[gregvacs28]

Fear not

I do know what an original Electrolux Silverado hose was like.

It was woven, stiff, and prone to leaks. There was no switch on the handle.
And NO they don't make them anymore.

Be grateful you had that replacement. It's made your Silverado experience much more enjoyable.

 

[gregvacs28]

The hose that would be a good match is:

It's even the same color.

 

[gregvacs28]

another alternative

which is similar to what you have now.

 

[gregvacs28]

Do you have the

Electrolux Sidekick?

It didn't come out until about 1986, but you can certainly use it with the Silverado.
Perfect for upholstery, carpeted stairs, and cleaning your car.

I love it.

http://www.vodhin.org/Vacuum/PN/PNMini/index.html

 

[gregvacs28]

And what about the other

Attachments?

We see you've go the dusting brush.
What about the crevice tool and bare floor brush with wand set?

 

[radiowonderland]

Jon, it was Mid-90s I think, from the private stash of a Brooklyn Electrolux dealer. I visited and met his family; rather memorable.

The only other accessories I have are plastic adaptors for really small places.

I've had two similar Electrolux brushes. Never understood how they are adjustable or what those 'wings' do, but they look cool.

How does the flip-over tool help beyond what the power nozzle does? For floors I guess? I used to have something that fit that flip -over description. (I let go of a 1960's model Electrolux canister that had that and the old brush.)

About the wands, of all the things to get generic, surely a simple wand would be fine? If you could point me to such stuff, and the sidekick thing you mentioned, I'd be ever so grateful.

Are there Aerus dealers who have a web presence and from whom I can order online? Or a good one for phone orders? The local (NYC) dealer I was sent to from Aerus HQ was a little brusque but seemed to know his stuff.

To give back in a small way...I should upgrade my membership here? Something else?

Thank you all so much~

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Aerus still makes a replacement hose, but in rubber, not the old braided vinyl hoses.
My dealer does phone orders and shipping, but I cant speak for others. Some do delivery, some are pickup only.
Google Aerus Electrolux dealer

 

[jo]

The wings on the dusting brush turn it into an upholstery tool. Flip them out and insert the hose in the dusting brush side (will feel backwards to you) and voila you can vacuum your couches. They even move to any angle should you have large upholstered Bolster arms on a couch or chair! It’s two tools in one! I’ll post a picture.

The sidekick mini power nozzle is great, you would need the squared one, there are three different models, sidekick, sidekick II, and Sidekick III. The Silverado uses the standard “sidekick” should you wish to add it to enhance your Silverado. Though some users of generic hoses, including my Mom trying one, couldn’t get the sidekick to operate with some of the generic hoses, again a quality issue.

You’ll likely pay double the price of a generic hose for the genuine, but it will last twice or three times as long and if anything happens to the handle, Aerus will have the parts for it as they are still making the same handle today on their Lux Classic model so they will have the replacement parts for the hose for many years to come should anything go wrong with it. Also, the genuine hose handle swivels 360 degrees, some generics do and others don’t, looks like the one you have doesn’t and the swivel feature is very nice.

You might want to check the Aerus website to see if you can order the hose through them, but any Aerus dealer will come to your home as well if you don’t want to make the trek to the closest branch especially if it’s in NYC and you are not in the city. I used to live in Northern NJ, grew up there and parents still live there so know the city well. Dad worked in 30 Rockefeller Plaza building for half his career so wnt in the city frequently so I know it’s a hassle to deal with getting into the city. There may be a branch out on Long Island or in the White Plains area. Not sure where you are..what town are you in? A branch more miles away but easier to get to may be what you need or need to call and have them come to you with the hose. Get your moneys worth, have them come to you.

Posting some pictures next of the tools for you. May also want to get a crevice tool...eBay is a good source for used genuine tools. The genuine ones will say “Electrolux” on them unless they were manufactured after the name change to Aerus in 2003 at which point they stopped putting the name on all the attachments.

The flip over rug and floor tool is good for hard floors, nothing touches the floor except the bristles and getting in tight places is easy with it such as under and around dining table and chairs. It depends on how much hard surfaces you have. Especially more delicate wood. The flip side is used for mattresses, drapes, small area rugs or mats that the power nozzle might suck up...rugs with fringes, and fine rugs you may not wish to use the power nozzle on. You’ll get a more concentrated flow of straight suction with this side of the tool. I use mine a lot on those small area rugs, also I have a lot of hard floor surfaces and not much carpet anymore so the brush side is what I use primarily for vacuuming and makes maneuverability much better. The tool is reversed by pulling it off the neck after squeezing the two release buttons on either side of the neck and flipping the tool over and reinserting the neck into the rectangular hole, the words “this side up” should always be facing up and the side you want to use on the floor or surface facing down, this insures the suction is directed through the side you want to use. I’ll post pictures.

Yes, any 1 1/4” wands would work including plastic. Electrolux made them in steel, aluminum and plastic. I prefer the lightweight aluminum. They don’t bend like the plastic and are lighter than the steel though the steel is the most durable of all. Often you can get the flip over rug and floor tool with the neck and a set of wands on eBay as a used set. It’s nice too sometimes to use just one wand with the dusting brush or upholstery tool for a medium extension. Finally the accesssory wands can be added to the power nozzle wand and the dusting brush for a really high or long reach if you have cob webs up high you can’t reach for example.

Jon

 

[gregvacs28]

Joshua, you need a new dusting brush. I noticed that yours is so worn the bristles are level with the rubber snout in the middle. That makes it fairly useless.

The bristles should stick out about an inch past that.

I love this dusting brush. Even though I use a central vacuum now, I still use my electrolux dusting brush and the Sidekick.

 

[gregvacs28]

I converted my Sidekick for use with my Central Vacuum with the addition of a special adapter.

 

[gregvacs28]

Here's the floor tool with original aluminum wands.
They also made some chrome wands and plastic sets.

Either will work.