Sirena refurb worth it? What about Quantum X?

[mark40511]

I know this whole thing is surreal Twilight Zone crazy.

When/if you do ever get the 14-foot hoses, I didn't get the electric 14-foot because I want all the airflow I can get at the PN. The longer the hose, the less airflow. However, I will say this, there's PLENTY of airflow with the non-electric 14-foot hose, so it may be fine. They also make 30-foot hoses (no thanks, 14 is fine)

I still have an OLD bottle of the Green air freshener that originally came with my rainbow. Over the years, I've used it here and there and there's a small amount left. I never liked using it because it foamed too much. Yesterday, I put some in, but only like 25% of a capful and it didn't foam at all. I swear that stuff smells exactly the same as it did 14 years ago. I'll bet with the new smaller bottles being more concentrated I would only have to use drops

 

[chris]

The cheapest place for anything rainbow related is Rainvac.com. 99% of all my rainbow stuff comes from them. I got the 14 electrified hose for stairs and i think i only paid

 

[chris]

$128

 

[rivstg1]

mark40511

your foaming comments are puzzling to me. I've used the green floor/air cleaner for decades and don't ever recall it foaming too much. I do like the smell !!!!

 

[mark40511]

Puzzling to you?

It's been puzzling to me for years.....Especially my water is moderately hard. The Smell of the stuff is awesome though. I can get away with using a little of it, I just can't use the full amount per directions.....but that's OK, because even using a little, the smell still fills the house. I think if/when I buy the next bottle, I'm going to use drops of it instead of a capful because you can still smell it big time with just a little.

 

[mark40511]

Oh yea

I use Rainvac.com too. Or Goodvac for my rainbow stuff. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's where I got the 14-foot hose and another dusting brush because I wore my first one out.

 

[lux_luthor]

The electric hose cost has went up. It’s $149 now .

 

[lux_luthor]

I’m definitely giving more serious thought to a longer hose. Today while using the Rainbow I had to lift the machine up so I could reach my bathroom vent with the hose.

Using the electric hose with the tools today I noticed that I can’t dial down the suction for dusting. The non electric hose has a ring that opens up on the wand handle that would help with this.

I realized too that the white splashing around in the basin can be residual soap from when the apartment management “shampooed” the carpet. I remember pulling up white powder from the carpet in my V11 when I first moved in. That would explain the foam I’ve noticed.

I brushed off the separator which did have a little bit of dirt come off, but it wasn’t bad. This was after the 3rd use.

My power nozzle still agitates grit out of the carpet hard enough that it lands on top of the nozzle. I’m really impressed that it works so we’ll. The belt being in the center makes me do over lapping passes, which I know has to allow it to pick up more debris.

Really kind of wishing I did have an SRX. I have to carry mine up and down stairs, and the dolly likes to pop off when I’m carrying the machine, which is irritating. Also I’d like the lesser noise and power level adjustments. But I don’t regret my purchase at all. It works and does an amazing job. My carpet always feels softer and fluffier after using the Rainbow.

When I emptied it this time, it had the usual hair and white residue. The water was black and had a black sand in the bottom which was puzzling. I did clean out a closet today, that I hadn’t had the chance to vacuum before moving in. I’m wondering if that was where it come from.

And I’m now realizing just how fascinated I am by my Rainbow.

 

[mark40511]

I've been so bored lately

since I got my rainbow back I've been cleaning up a storm.

May I ask what that dark separator feels like? Is it a hard rubberized hard plasic type feel, or is it metal? Mine is that yellow one piece and it has the texture of like a soft but hard rubber plastic combination. I don't know how to describe the way it feels, but it's not metal. My point is, whatever it's made of, it seems like dirt doesn't want to stick to it as much. It eventually WILL stick to it if you don't clean it though.



Still... I would clean the separator every single time you use your Rainbow. When I'm done, I shut rainbow off and the first thing I do is wrap the cord up before I do anything. Then I take it off the basin, dump the water grab the rainbow off the dolly and just sit it beside the sink on its side on the kitchen counter right beside the sink. (no bending while cleaning things) clean the basin with soap/water/ then take off separator and scrub it with soap/toothbrush. I have my clean wet rag and I wipe off the shaft, the rubber area and the seals where the basin meets the intake. Sounds elaborate but it takes like 3 or 4 min's. But if for some reason I only briefly use my rainbow, I scratch all that and just leave the separator on without cleaning it at all. Making sure that seperator is clean like new always is what keeps the fans clean, that and changing the water if needed.

anyway - I really hope everything in the world goes back to normal soon.

 

[lux_luthor]

The separator feels the same as what you described yours.

I’m going to do my best to take care of it. I need it to last me for a few years at least.

Me too. I can tell this is bringing a lot of people down, myself included, and I do worry about what will happen with the economy. Regardless we’ve gotta keep on keepin’ on.

 

[mark40511]

Wow

What happened to the regular Quantum Vac? (the one that looked like Sirena and Rainbow?) I only see the Quantum X now. Did they completely discontinue it already?

 

[lux_luthor]

I don’t see them on Amazon any more, and the direct website is no longer active. I would have gotten one if it were still an option, especially because they did offer a mini power nozzle. But I am glad now I didn’t get the chance if they’re not going to be around to help if something goes wrong.

 

[lux_luthor]

Started Spring Cleaning

I bought both electric and non-electric hoses from RainVac, and I put the electric one to use today.

First I pulled the couch out to vacuum behind and under it. I used the eucalyptus scent and definitely had the wrong water level and amount of scent. It foamed up real bad and I had to turn the vacuum off. So from that point onwards I used water only.

Then I cleaned my carpeted stairs. The hose reaches all but the top step which was a bit of a bummer. Though I’m sure if I could have had a wand attached, it wouldn’t have been an issue. I vacuum the stairs regularly with a V11, but of course the Rainbow pulled a lot of dirt out of them.

I cleaned the bin out and put fresh water in it again and did the upstairs area. My water was black again. But I did clean 2 areas that I hadn’t been able to with the Rainbow yet.

I can’t wait to reach a point that the water isn’t so dirty. The longer hose helped for sure, as I didn’t have to tote the motor unit around as much.

I can’t help but wonder if I’d vacuumed my upstairs and the stairs themselves with a new Kirby when I first moved in, if I would’ve filled a bag. I know I would have filled a Guardian Platinum bag.

 

[rivstg1]

lux_luthor

your post caused me to recall when I first got my first Rainbow. I lived in a 720sq/ft apartment and it took 4 vacuuming sessions to finally get semi clear water!! I was stunned!!!! I had been using my new Oreck XL and who knows what was used before me there.

 

[lux_luthor]

This is the first Rainbow I’ve owned. My family passed one around in the 90s but my dad only got ahold of it once and I couldn’t remember much about it.

It’s been exciting seeing all the stuff it cleans up. And it’s even more exciting to know it’s out of my home! And of course it’s thought provoking wondering what other high end vacs would find.

 

[mark40511]

I spent 3

hours this morning doing my master bedroom. Stripped sheets, vacuumed the mattress. Dusted the entire room with the dusting brush. I use the floor/wall brush to get under the bed and dresser/baseboards/blinds and then ran the PN. I've never had essential oils foam though. That's weird.

Glad you got the 2 hoses. I think at some point I'm going to order the berry scent from rainvac. The rexair scents smell so good but the one I can't stand is Gardenia...Apple blossom is so so (not horrible but not great) The spice smells amazing to me, as does the Lemon, Pine and Orange. Berry must be a new scent I don't ever remember it so I want to try it. It's crazy how long those little bottles of scent last. When I bought my Rainbow in 2006, I'm still using the 4 pack of scents that came with it and the big huge bottle of green deodorizer is almost gone...I can get away with using a little bit of the green deodorizer without foaming, like half a capful. I might get more.....I still like using essential oil better though.

 

[lux_luthor]

I’m using a Rexair scent. From what I’ve seen on RainVac it is not an essential oil. That’s probably one reason I have the issue with foaming.
I plan to use Slightly less water and far less scent stuff next time. I’ll get it figured out eventually.

I’ve spent this week working on college assignments. I’m trying to get ahead as much as possible while I’m off from work this week. But I plan to give my home a top to bottom Rainbowing before the weekend is over.

I saw a video on YouTube where someone measured out the “best” amount of water without using scents. What do y’all think?

 

[mark40511]

That's a cool video (LOL).

Here's the thing. Just fill it above the dome....where the dome in the center is totally covered and then add just a bit more water. I vacuumed for an hour on one fill yesterday and when I was done, the water/dirt were still above the dome.

I do think anything oil based will make the water surface tension change somewhat, which is a good thing.

I think every rainbow scent is water-soluble.. essential oil is not.(at least from what I understand). I think I remember someone on here saying if the planets are aligned just perfectly, that there's a 0.00001% chance that the rainbow cound catch fire when using anything oil based. A super low chance of that happening. I've never had issues with essential oil. After having my rainbow all these years and super clean inside, I can pretty much confidently say that a few drops of essential oil in a rainbow is fine.

As for the small bottles of Rexair scents, a little of that goes a long way - just like essential oil. I basically just squirt one quick squirt in (that's it) hardly any. If I had to guess I'd say maybe you put in way too much of the scent? I have absolutely no foam when using those scents. But I've never put in very much each time. You should try the spice. It doesn't sound like Spice would be a pleasant clean smell but for whatever reason it's amazing. Like I said earlier, the Gardenia is NASTY to me.

 

[mark40511]

I forgot to mention

You had said essential oils are pretty much bad for cats. I have to wonder about any scents period, whether it's essential oil or rainbow scents or even candles. Based on what I've read, since they have a heightened sense of smell, it would irritate them. But wouldn't that be the same with any scents? I guess I'm asking myself if Lemon essential oil isn't safe for cats, why would Lemon Rexair scents be safe? See what I'm saying? LOL At any rate, my cat has never seemed irritated or bothered by it at all. She's over 15 years old now and very precious to me. I'm so nervous of her age thinking it's all downhill from here with her at that age, but so far so good. I'll be devastated if something happens to her. She adores me and I adore her.

 

[lux_luthor]

I’ll measure things out to your specifications when I use it next.

I keep meaning to look up more about the essential oils thing. I can’t remember exactly what about them does something now.

I would be upset if something happened to either of mine.
I’ve got to remember to vacuum off their cat tree.

By the way, if you don’t have a “Chom Chom”, I’d recommend it. That thing has been excellent for removing cat hair from my sofa, chairs, and cat beds.

 

[robsmith1977]

My personal experience with Sirenna has been this: I bought the refurb. machine for $500 and thought that it was new when I received it. It cleaned great. The attachments and fragrances were up to quality standards like Rainbow however the second adjustable wand for the floor brush is just too short. It is not long enough to enjoy using like the electrified one. Also, I had an electrical smell coming from the motor everytime I used it. I called Sirenna customer service and they said that it most likely was a new motor smell from the carbon brushes and that it would go away. But after about 2 months of weekly use it didn't go away and I ended up taking the whole thing apart and cleaning the armature myself with a stone used for such a purpose but it didn't help. I never figured out why it was smelling like that but I ultimately sold it.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Motor smell

I bought my Sirena new, and I have to agree it had the worst "new motor" smell of anything I have ever purchased. I found using the fragrances helped mask the odor, but it took a good year before I didn't wonder if the thing was burning up inside.

Two years later, I have had a couple problems. The power nozzle had difficulties with stopping. It was found the fuse holder was broken. Sirena sent me a new one with instructions. It was about a 10 minute repair.

Second one was the very delicate, and brittle latches on the electrified hose. If you break one, which is easy to do, you have to replace the entire hose.

I don't see Sirena up to the quality of a Rainbow, but then again, it cost me a fraction of the price, it cleans well, and I have been satisfied with it. If it were my only vacuum. I am not sure there would be any love lost.

 

[mark40511]

Hold up

To be fair...those clips at the end of Sirena are brittle but so are Rainbows. That's a weak point of the rainbow because I was carrying a hose over my shoulder and the hose was sort of swinging along as I walked and the end of the hose hit the wall in a perfect way (not terribly hard) that it broke that clip. I can see Sirena hoses doing the same thing.

The Sirena motor smell - YES YES YES - Same! I've never figured it out, but there's something different slightly when using Sirena with (rainbow frangrances or essential oil) as opposed to using a Rainbow. The smell is still fresh, but it's not the same. It's like fresh mixed with a plastic hot motor smell. This was especially true the first few times I've used it. You literally couldn't smell anything but that. After a few uses it seemed to taper down somewhat, but not completely.

I wish I could sell mine but I've never sold a vacuum. I couldn't imagine what a PITA it would be the pack it all up.

I don't HATE the vacuum it was just a stupid purchase for me and I don't need it. If I didn't have my Rainbow I'd be using it a lot probably. But I'm sure if I had been using it as much as my Rainbow something would have broken by now. I already had trouble with the PN that was fixed under warranty. The PN is not my favorite PN in the world. It's so quiet that you can barely hear it over the Sirena running. It feels like it has good airflow but it feels so light weight and doesn't feel like it's digging up a lot. I'd rate the PN as satisfactory.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Power Nozzle

I am not in love with the Sirena Power nozzle. I don't like the adjustments that aren't marked. I wish it had a headlight. It appears to clean ok, but doesn't adjust down enough to clean the low pile indoor/outdoor type carpet.

Not bashing the machine, I use it quite frequently, and like it's performance, jut trying to be honest on it's con column.

I don't have a newer Rainbow, Mine is a D2 from 1976. The Rainbow I have has metal clips on the hose. I wanted a new Rainbow but my checkbook told me no. The Sirena is a good substitute on a budget.

 

[mark40511]

Ya I'm not bashing it either. I agree with everything you said. The clips that can break. I was just pointing out that can happen in Rainbows too (at least the older ones)

It's an OK machine....It's just a few things I dislike about it that I've mentioned before.... but overall if I didn't have a Rainbow, I'd be fine with this machine. But having both, I can say that Rainbow is definitely better designed and built by far.

I still can't get over how many Rainbows I see online or on Ebay that look like they've been to HELL and back.

 

[lux_luthor]

Sounds like I dodged a bullet by getting a refurbished Rainbow.

I measured the water to just above the dome, and only added 3 drops of scent. I didn’t squeeze the bottle at all, just let gravity pull them out. Happy to say no foaming. Lol. It still provided a noticeable scent.
Glad to have the 14ft non electric hose. I dusted top to bottom today and it made that less of a hassle. I kept the suction ring open and still had some strong airflow and suction at the end of the hose.