Westinghouse canister rebuild

[mopep]

I need a fan for this Westinghouse canister which we used regularly until the fan broke ('cause someone used it as a wet vac.) Model VPC 04001, probably from the mid 50's. As you can see in the photos, it is definitely not a restoration as I've had to fashion a new handle and replace the wheels with generic wheels.
EDIT: Ignore the motor part in the photo. I just need the fan.

 

[paul]

Jimmy is in the process of closing his Elizabethton, TN store and has a large inventory of cleaners and parts. Reach out to him at 423-268-4841.

I wonder if your Westy was rebuilt at some point as the ads withI located in a digital newspaper database for Westinghouse canisters began with the single- or double-letter prefixes followed by 1- or 2-digit numbers. Another possibility is that, like G-E, the model number was embedded in the catalog or product number. Using that line of thought, yours may be the model VC40. Other canister model IDs I located from 1962 to 1971 with the same prefix were VC10, VC15, VC20, VC25, VC30, VC31.

Anyway, I hope you find a replacement fan.

 

[paul]

Jimmy is in the process of closing his Elizabethton, TN store and has a large inventory of cleaners and parts. Reach out to him at 423-268-4841.

I wonder if your Westy was rebuilt at some point as the ads withI located in a digital newspaper database for Westinghouse canisters began with the single- or double-letter prefixes followed by 1- or 2-digit numbers. Another possibility is that, like G-E, the model number was embedded in the catalog or product number. Using that line of thought, yours may be the model VC40. Other canister model IDs I located from 1962 to 1971 with the same prefix were VC10, VC15, VC20, VC25, VC30, VC31.

Anyway, I hope you find a replacement fan.

P. S. (For reference) Just noticed that the 1968 ad is "VS-25", which appears to be an error as it was run only one day in that one newspaper. I did, though, find several others with "VC-25".

 

[cheesewonton]

I need a fan for this Westinghouse canister which we used regularly until the fan broke ('cause someone used it as a wet vac.) Model VPC 04001, probably from the mid 50's. As you can see in the photos, it is definitely not a restoration as I've had to fashion a new handle and replace the wheels with generic wheels.
EDIT: Ignore the motor part in the photo. I just need the fan.

What you show in the second image is the fan attached to the armature. The fan doesn't appear damaged in that view, though damage might be hidden out of view. Is it the fan or the electrical part, the armature, that has the problem?

 

[hygiene903]

I agree with Paul, that your Westinghouse canister was built sometime in the 60's. Here is a pic of my Westinghouse SC-1 Canister which was built in 1956. It's a special vacuum in my collection, as it belonged to my Aunt Lu (my Dad's sister), whose husband worked at the Mansfield, OH Westinghouse plant for most of his career and retired from there. I got the SC-1 when they moved into assisted living. An interesting fact about the Mansfield plant is that although it was the headquarters of the Westinghouse Appliance Division, vacuum cleaners were never made there, but made at another Westinghouse plant in Springfield, MA!
Wishing you the best of luck in finding the fan that you need. And remember, "You Can Be Sure...if it's Westinghouse!"
Jeff

 

[mopep]

Jimmy is in the process of closing his Elizabethton, TN store and has a large inventory of cleaners and parts. Reach out to him at 423-268-4841.

I wonder if your Westy was rebuilt at some point as the ads withI located in a digital newspaper database for Westinghouse canisters began with the single- or double-letter prefixes followed by 1- or 2-digit numbers. Another possibility is that, like G-E, the model number was embedded in the catalog or product number. Using that line of thought, yours may be the model VC40. Other canister model IDs I located from 1962 to 1971 with the same prefix were VC10, VC15, VC20, VC25, VC30, VC31.

Anyway, I hope you find a replacement fan.

It sure looks like one of those, so VC40 is a good guess. The model number is stamped into the metal on the bottom. There are no other numbers except for electrical specs. There's a place for a serial number, but it's blank. There is something stamped with ink closer to the wheels which might be a date code: 19AR. I can upload pictures if you'd like to see. I guess it could be early 60's. It was discarded by my inlaws around 1975. All it needed was a new power cord.

 

[mopep]

What you show in the second image is the fan attached to the armature. The fan doesn't appear damaged in that view, though damage might be hidden out of view. Is it the fan or the electrical part, the armature, that has the problem?

The fan is missing a blade (or fin) which flew out and was mangled. I contemplated trying to take it apart and fashion a new blade, but success with that operation seemed unlikely. The damage was due to some unknown visitor who used the vacuum to clean up a wet mess without telling me. It was a dry mess before the next time I went to use it. It only sounded funny for a few seconds, and then it broke.

 

[cheesewonton]

Oof. That sucks. What is the diameter of the fan? Maybe you can adapt a fan from a single stage Ametek motor? You might be a very long time finding a Westinghouse replacement.

 

[paul]

It sure looks like one of those, so VC40 is a good guess. The model number is stamped into the metal on the bottom. There are no other numbers except for electrical specs. There's a place for a serial number, but it's blank. There is something stamped with ink closer to the wheels which might be a date code: 19AR. I can upload pictures if you'd like to see. I guess it could be early 60's. It was discarded by my inlaws around 1975. All it needed was a new power cord.

Yeah, I would like to see a photo of the specs. This site is richer when details like them are shared and the "puzzle pieces" can be fit together. Sounds reasonable that the 19AR is a date code.

Btw, Doug Smith, a Canadian collector of worldwide surface care appliances, has a website of his collection (http://smithcollection.altervista.org). Two of them are similar to yours: a Westinghouse Poweraire VC25-2 and a Coronado D150. There may be others as I only did a cursory search.

 

[rugsucker]

mopep,I may have similar complete WH vac but no separate fans.Others may know if fans interchange with other brands.Jimmy 423-268-4841

 

[paul]

Jimmy makes a good point, mopep. Dysonman1 (Tom) probably knows; you could pm him. Otherwise, you could reach out to Doug Smith. His email is on his homepage at the end of the intro.

Buying a Westy from Jimmy as a parts machine, if he has one, would probably be your best bet.