Self Help and Advice
Here are some tips that may help you solve an issue yourself and also the answer to questions I'm frequently asked.
Which vacuum would I recommend?
Obviously it depends on what you type of vacuum you prefer, for example an upright or cylinder, cordless or mains powered, bagless or not etc. However I would say a Henry. They are very good value for money, reliable, made in Britain, very little to go wrong with them and what does is easy to fix.
Which vacuum would I avoid?
All Dysons are very over engineered, very expensive, and need a lot of constant maintenance, in my opinion. They don't like fine dust and easily get blocked. They are also very difficult to repair. They just have a very good marketing department, but are built overseas using cheap labour.
What is the cause of many issues?
Something like 80% plus of the issues I deal with are caused by lack of maintenance and poor use. Filters not cleaned, bags or dust cannisters over full, brush rollers choked with hair, liquids and wet items sucked up. These all destroy a vacuum very quickly.
My vacuum has little suction. My cordless Dyson is pulsing.
This is usually caused by one of two things. There is a blockage somewhere so check the brush head, wands, hoses etc for a blockage. Or the filters need changing.
Why is it so important to clean filters?
All the air sucked into a vacuum passes through at least one filter. If this gets blocked then the motor struggles and can be damaged by heat or by debris being sucked through it. It is vital to keep filters clean to let a good flow of air through and keep suction as efficient as possible. I'd recommend they are checked every 3 months and changed every 6 months. Relatively cheap filters are available online. Often just washing a filter is not sufficient as it just solidifies the dust. The photo shows a regularly washed Dyson filter but when opened up the amount of dirt within it is visible. This lead to the Dyson pulsing.
The brush is not rotating on my upright Shark?
This is a known issue and I'd recommend speaking directly to Shark Customer Services. They are really excellent (unlike Dyson's) and will often send out a new unit free of charge. No proof of purchase necessary and they will often help with machines up to 5 years old and older.