Well, how much heartache am I in for?

[DesertTortoise]

I made a detour to the Salvation Army thrift store. Bad move maybe. They have the better products inside the store with price tags on them. They have a fenced off lot outside for what they consider less desirable items with no prices. You make an offer and if they think it's reasonable it's yours. I offered $25 for this and took it home.

I know absolutely nothing about these. It ran, but the wire through the hose would lose contact sometimes. It didn't make any bad noises but didn't sound terribly strong either. I have no prior experience with these to know what they should sound like but it certainly doesn't sound like any of my Kenmore canisters. The bag was packed full and at least one filter looks stuffed too so maybe that's why. I don't know what filter I have depicted in the photos. I'm not sure what that thin fabric is over the filter grid, whether it belongs there or is material that stuck to the grid from an old filter. It almost looks like a fabric softener sheet. I expect there are two but I only saw this one. It also looks like you can plug the hose in to the receptacle under a hatch and use it as a blower.

Repairing or replacing the hose worries me. Can the hose be shortened and reconnected or am I looking at a whole new hose? If I need a switch are those still out there? The hose and handle seem awfully flimsy. If the motor needs work I have no idea what kind. It's a three speed motor btw so I'm guessing it's something other than Lamb.

Both the powered floor brush and pet hair brush look horrible and both brush rolls need to be replaced. I didn't test the powered floor brush yet and can't now that I threw the stinky full bag away. It won't run without a bag (I hate BS interlocks like that!). Are brush rolls, belts and motors if I need one still available? It looks like the wand is segmented but I could not get the sections to separate pushing on the buttons. On image 17 I show something that looks like it should allow the handle to separate from the hose but darned if I know how to use it. Also, where do you connect the tools? This vac mystifies me.

The photos don't begin to convey how grimy it is. I hope someone wasn't vacuuming their home with this thing! I almost didn't bring it inside my home it's so filthy. There were old dog treats in the bag compartment and it stank to high heaven when I tested it at the store. Are there HEPA bags and filters for these?

So how much heartache have I just bitten off?

 

[suckolux]

Yikes! That was a nice machine! I think that is a dryer sheet in there too, guess they didn't like the smell either and prob forgot to get any bags.I find that interlock rather handy for shall we say stupid people? I have had 3 friends take out the bag to get more and then forget and vacuum without any!

 

[DesertTortoise]

My fiancée nuked my old Hoover upright that way come to think about it. I caught her before she could do too much damage, but still .......

So I see hoses for these machines from anywhere between $98 to $199. Think I can repair the one I have or do I buy a new one? I don't even have a clue how to detach the hose from the handle.

I'm looking for on line literature on the vac but there is nothing.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Ahh.. where to begin. First of all, parts are readily available, both from Aerus and on the aftermarket. Takes 'R' bags, 4-ply, not HEPA but very good filtration. The dryer sheet is just that and doesn't belong there. The after filter is near HEPA and primarily to for catching carbon dust from the motor and any fine particles that make it that far. Wands should separate by pressing the button, but I'll bet the springs are broken and there is enough grit between the plastic parts that they feel welded together and the metal contact pins are also likely corroded. Push the button and twist slightly back and forth while pulling apart, if that doesn't do it, there are plugs on the wands covering screws which allow the removal of the wiring cover and separate the wands into the component parts. A good cleaning and some wax applied to the connections (rub some waxed paper around them inside and out) and they are much easier to use. Attachments connect directly to the hose or wands and 'click' in place just like the PN. Brush rolls for the PN and SideKick are readily available on the aftermarket or from Aerus. (Buy on the aftermarket, it's MUCH cheaper for as good or nearly as good products). For the hose, shortening is usually not effective, because of the connectors and once the hose begins to get in really poor shape, it will just end up broken again rather quickly. You can remove the handle and try bending the contacts inside to make a stronger connection at the point of rotation, that and a good clean can often restore full functionality. Replacement hoses are available, both on the aftermarket and from Aerus.  The motor is much quieter than those you are used to and once cleaned will pull strongly. These are my least favorite of all Electrolux/Aerus tanks, mostly due to the look of them. They are good performers though. Msg me with parts you need and I can give you pricing, both from Aerus and  the aftermarket. I have access to wholesale distributors and will happily order and send you parts at cost. If you can be patient on delivery (10 days or less) I can keep shipping costs from the distributor to me and then to you way down.


 

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I can get you a new complete hose for ~$75 + shipping. To remove the hose, just press the dark gray button down and pull out.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Owners manual is available online from Aerus. Link below, use the drop down menu under older models and it's near the top of the list. If the mechanics of the hose handle are working well, the hose can be replaced for ~$50.



http://www.aerusvacuums.com/support/manuals/index.cfm

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Sent the manual to the email in your profile along with contact info in case you want to use it.

 

[DesertTortoise]

You guys and gals are the best! The Desert Tortoise is in some really unfamiliar terrain now but I know you're looking over my shoulder.

$75 for a new hose is a fantastic deal. Let me get my two current Kenmore projects finished and a couple of paydays behind me. Then I can take this interesting contraption apart, see what make it tick and start spending money and time on it. I need to go back to the Starvation Army on Monday and see if the floor attachment is laying out in that yard somewhere. When I bought it I didn't know there was a floor brush in addition to the powered brush so maybe I missed it among the pile of vacuums outside. I almost missed the powered brush there was so much clutter in the yard.

Is there supposed to be a filter under the door between the handle and cord retract button? It looks like you can plug a hose in there to use as a blower, but is there also a filter underneath?

Oh boy, here we go!

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

There is an air baffle under the blower port. It isn't a filter per se, but there to reduce vibration from the motor and to stabilize, support and fill the space between the components.  With the port door closed, exhaust is sent out through the filter under the attachments.

 

[DesertTortoise]

So there is no intake filter other than the bag?

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Nope.. the bags are pretty damn good. There is an optional carbon filter that goes between the bag and motor, but it's primarily for odor control. I have them in all of my older canisters and they have yet to have accumulated any dust if I use Genuine Aerus bags. Aftermarket bags, even the microfilter ones, aren't quite as good but even they only let through the finest of dust. Up here in the desert we have us some very fine, powdery dust, finer even than talc and that is all that gets through aftermarket bags.

 

[tig21er]

You

asked about HEPA bags- the Aerus bags are 94% down to true HEPA and 4 times better than the previous 4 ply bags Electrolux and Aerus had previously. The cleaner is an 8000.I have several new hoses at very low price that I would not want to advertise. PM me and I am sure I can save you money.

 

[DesertTortoise]

If you look at my thread Electroluvin on a Sunday morning you can see the lack of secondary filtration is a real design failure. However, I have a tutorial depicting a reasonable remedy for this design shortcoming.