Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Technically, the Rainbow vacuum was the first to not lose suction.  It uses a more primitive dual cyclone design with water as a pre-filter.   If the Rainbow didn't have such a ridiculously high price and clumsy power nozzle, it would be a pretty good vacuum.  I don't know why they require you to hold a button down to keep the power nozzle operating.  One would think that they would use a simple 2-way switch.  All that on/off cycling can't possibly be good for the power nozzle motor.   The Rainbow uses an innovative brushless motor.  It would be a pretty good $800 vacuum with a better power nozzle. 

I did some looking and found that the E1 Rainbow has an internal cooling filter but not the E2.

Hi Mark,according to rexair in troy your e2 uses an internal cooling filter,sort of looks like an automotive,round air cleaner........

mole

I noticed a website offering every product for eash model...The e1 model they offered the internal cooling filter...But for the e2..they didn't..SO this internal cooling..Is this hepa?

Hi Mark,no it's not a hepa rated filter,my only quess would be a pre hepa filter,that is used for cooling and air deflection,the reason for it being there is really undefined,My figuring is for when consumer reports rates the machine,it cuts down on the emmisions for the period of the testing.

mole

Hi Mole,

I think this would mean that the Rainbow may have a true by-pass system that compartmentalizes the motor and fan chambers.  Air coming into the suction port is not used to cool the motor but exhausts separately as in many wet-and-dry shop vacs. The second filter would be used to clean air brought in to air inlets meant expressly for cooling the motor.  If this is the arrangement, it helps to ward off motor damage due to accidents if the machine is tipped or over-filled and I would thnk may even lower shock hazard in such cases.  In my soap suds story, the Rainbow D2 I had began to sputter as the foam got past the fans and into the armature area of the motor. I unplugged it before it could short out.

Hey Mark, um-m . . . could we take yours apart for a look? :)

Best,

Venson

Thanks DIB!  Now we don't have to take Mark's apart.  In any event this constitutes more interesting science.  I'd love to see one of these motors au natural but hope that doesn't mean having to pay for the experience.

Thanks again,

Venson

Well....I've been curious to see what the hepa looks like anyway and I've looked at it closely...it still looks and smells very clean.. I've has this rainbow 1 yr and 3 mos..I have used it atleast 30 times..My house is wall to wall berber and tile in bathrooms 1300 sq feet home. Granted I change the water every 20 minutes..I may go a tad longer but the water has been at worst dark mop water...,mostly just cloudy with cat hair in it...I'm telling ya....I can tell a difference in how long the house stays clean..I'm a neat freak and a clean freak...If I use the regular Kenmore..It does a good job...But I'm trying to figure out if this water is not filtering the dirt like some say and it's bouncing off the water wouldn't the hepa be NASTY???? I mean it's a sealed system..all the air comes straight out of that hepa.

Thanks Guy's for the information,could this be the differences between the e2 and the e2 2speed machine,so the e2- 2 speed machine uses the sr motor and the e2 uses the carbon brush motor,hence the cooling filter.How has this sr motor worked out? any problems with the computor control boards?.

mole

Hi,Actually Rexair did use the fact the Rainbow would not loose suction as part of their marketing campaign!

I collect vintage Rexair products and have a 1961 Model D "chrome dome" which still has its original Parents,Good Housekeeping & Better Homes and Gardens hang tags intact and attached to its handle!

The back of the better homes and gardens tag has a Rexair Ad which shows the cleaner and bears the text....

"Sick and Tired of Cleaning Dust?,Rainbow will curtail your annoying dust problem!,All cleaners use airflow to clean,but because they force dirt through bags and dry filters airflow is reduced and decreases thier abilty to pick up dirt,as dirt clogs bag and filter pores airflow is further impeded!,thats why they clean much better with a new bag or filter...RAINBOW USES NO BAGS OR DRY FILTERS! the dust is trapped in Rainbows turbulent water bath which has no pores to clog.there is never a reduction in airflow,never a drop in cleaning efficiency..WITH RAINBOW YOU DONT CHASE DUST,YOU TRAP IT IN WATER!"

Its interesting to note that Rainbow didnt get a power nozzle option until 1974!,I dont understand that..RCA Whirlpool vacs had them in the late 50's..so did Lewyt...and of course the Electrolux G had one in 1960! What took Rexair so long?

The Hepa filter added on the current models was done because water doesnt trap all the dust,some things such as talcum powder,plaster and ash,blow right past the water and out into the exhaust air.

When Rainbow came out with their D3 model in 1980  this fact became quite obvious as they had routed the exhaust under a transparent dome,before long all the dust that blew past the water had clouded the inner dome and owners started complaining and asking why there was dust buildup when the water was supposed to trap it all.

Rainbow quickly dropped the d3 after only a few years and came out with the d4 in 1984 which deliberatly routed the exhaust air under the bottom of the cleaner so it never passed through the translucent dome...clever huh?!

The current models have a Hepa filter..(or hepa "neutralizer" as the slick salesman call them to avoid questions ) because they got sick of taking a beating in the consumer reports tests which placed rainbow at the bottom of the list when it came to blow by!...so now by the addition of this filter,the cleaner doesnt really have "constant suction" because the hepa DOES become blocked with dust and impedes the airflow.

I have to agree with a previous poster,I think the price of the current Rainbows are out of line and the slick used car salesman type high pressure tactics used to sell them are ridiculous.

Why not just drop the price and market the cleaner in normal fashion?

I went to a Rainbow dealer recently looking for old parts for one of my d2's and couldnt believe the fast talk and buzzwords that were being thrown about to sell the machine. It was like the old snake oil salesman bit.

They would'nt even call the e2 a vacuum (which it quite obviously is) they would only call it "the rainbow system" the salesman are also told not to use the word "suction" but rather "airflow" instead. suction is airflow!

Its all pretty pretentious.

That being said,I love the classic d & d2 series of Rainbow,in my opinion that was the best cleaner they ever made and they should never have changed it.

It really was the machine of tommorow,today!  todays vacuums arent futuristic. Modern technology isnt fun like it was in the 50's and 60's when everything looked like something from the Jetsons.

I dont mind the wieght of the machine or the "work" it takes to use and care for it. I enjoy using my Rainbow D2 and like the unique water filtration system. Its never a chore. Its an amazing machine!

Rexair even markets Rainbow fragerances which smell incredible.just a few drops and your home smells great!

Today all the vacuums are ugly plastic throw away piles of crap,made for todays ugly plastic throw away culture....our culture declined when the fins came off our cars.