charles~richard
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2006
- Messages
- 3,021
I picked up a really nice Electrolux Epic today - for $20!! It had a malfuction that the person selling it did not know how to fix. As soon as the motor would start up, it would shut right back off again, as if the bag was full. Even with a brand-new bag.
So I took it home and futzed with it. Was happy to discover that this machine, after doing a bit of studying, was INFINITELY easier to get apart than ANY of its predecessors!
I had a feeling the problem was connected to the shut-off mechanism. Sure enough, the plastic tubing was all clogged up with some type of powder -- talcum powder it appeared to be. I unclogged the tubing and the mechanism and it works just fine now!
So my first question is, how could something you vacuumed up through the hose get into the shut-off mechanism, assuming that is what happened?
Then my second question is, I see there were two different Epic models --- the 6000 and the 6500. Mine is the 6500, in fact it's a 6500-SA. What's the difference between the 6000 and the 6500?
It sure is a powerful thing but my impression overall is that it's kinda cheesy -- the whole thing is made of plastic and just snaps together like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The advantage is that it's light-weight.
It runs hot -- is that typical? I removed the exhaust filter thinking it would help it run a little cooler, and doing so did not really make it much noiser as I had feared so I will likely leave the filter off. Of course, it still is a very noisy vacuum cleaner especially compared with some of its older sisters.
I will probably play with it for a while then when I get tired of it, put it on eBay. I am impressed with the suction, and it came with all the attachments including a Sidekick and a very nice hose.
All in all, not a bad deal for $20!!
OH, then a final question --- it is not okay to vacuum up talcum powder? After I had discovered this was the problem, I called the guy I got it from and explained what I had found -- he chuckled and said, yeah, his girlfriend's mother used a lot of talcum powder and she would vacuum up whatever spilled on the floor. Geez! Well, I have never heard of this being a problem with any other vacuum cleaner before, except for those with cloth bags which obviously the powder will clog up, but I mean, I have never heard of a case where vacuuming up the powder could actually damage the machine in some way. What you want to bet, if the guy had taken it into a repair shop it would have turned into a big expensive deal to get fixed ... even though all the guy would have to have done was clean out the tubing lines and control...
So I took it home and futzed with it. Was happy to discover that this machine, after doing a bit of studying, was INFINITELY easier to get apart than ANY of its predecessors!
I had a feeling the problem was connected to the shut-off mechanism. Sure enough, the plastic tubing was all clogged up with some type of powder -- talcum powder it appeared to be. I unclogged the tubing and the mechanism and it works just fine now!
So my first question is, how could something you vacuumed up through the hose get into the shut-off mechanism, assuming that is what happened?
Then my second question is, I see there were two different Epic models --- the 6000 and the 6500. Mine is the 6500, in fact it's a 6500-SA. What's the difference between the 6000 and the 6500?
It sure is a powerful thing but my impression overall is that it's kinda cheesy -- the whole thing is made of plastic and just snaps together like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The advantage is that it's light-weight.
It runs hot -- is that typical? I removed the exhaust filter thinking it would help it run a little cooler, and doing so did not really make it much noiser as I had feared so I will likely leave the filter off. Of course, it still is a very noisy vacuum cleaner especially compared with some of its older sisters.
I will probably play with it for a while then when I get tired of it, put it on eBay. I am impressed with the suction, and it came with all the attachments including a Sidekick and a very nice hose.
All in all, not a bad deal for $20!!
OH, then a final question --- it is not okay to vacuum up talcum powder? After I had discovered this was the problem, I called the guy I got it from and explained what I had found -- he chuckled and said, yeah, his girlfriend's mother used a lot of talcum powder and she would vacuum up whatever spilled on the floor. Geez! Well, I have never heard of this being a problem with any other vacuum cleaner before, except for those with cloth bags which obviously the powder will clog up, but I mean, I have never heard of a case where vacuuming up the powder could actually damage the machine in some way. What you want to bet, if the guy had taken it into a repair shop it would have turned into a big expensive deal to get fixed ... even though all the guy would have to have done was clean out the tubing lines and control...
