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. 

camelotshadow wrote:

Hi Camelot,

I have never heard of any specific "approval" for wet pick-up being given regarding either Rexair or Rainbow.  Yet, as I stated before there have been attachments made by Rexair specifically for wet pick-up at least as far back as the Model C Rexair and for the D2 Rainbow  --- I've owned one -- there was an optional tool for floor scrubbing and wet pick-up.  It was similar to the head on the first Hoover floor washer.

Rexair/Rainbow has been using water as a filtration medium for years and even though these at one point all metal, ungrounded vacuums could be tipped over while in use, knocked over on a flight of stairs, etc. etc., UL apparently found no fault with them.

I have a Model C that I haul out for small wet emergencies.  I use it with the four quart metal water pan that came with a Model B I bought for stuff like draining out the dishwasher after a breakdown or defrosting a refrigerator from the olden days.  Any Rainbow can be used for wet pick-up but as I also said prior, you have to be vigilant to assure that you do let the water pan overfill.  In that sense, because of low capacity, Rainbow is not really all that useful for wet pick-up duty. Other non-water type vacuums that also to be good for wet pick-up tasks use a floatation valve to prevent motor damage or the possibility of electrical shock.  Rainbow has made no accommodation for the like and  -- as a common sense call -- I would imagine that is why the company can or should not seriously recommend the cleaner for wet jobs.  Too many users might not be watchful.

Also due to its limitations, I didn't give Rainbow's carpet cleaning paraphenalia a second thought.  It's simpler to rent or buy a domestic machine for the job plus get a better result. 

Yet for all this discussion, I can't imagine many household jobs where using a Rainbow for wet pick-up is feasible.  I wouldn't haul one out and put it together just for the small spills it can handle.  I'd get a mop.  I wouldn't use it for floor scrubbing as my use of cleaning substances would be limited.  No suds allowed -- remember?

Regards,

Venson

Thanks, that helps alot..

I have found the damp cleaning to be a plus

Not a daily vac but really helps.

I guess a rental or pro is best

but thats good when you don't have to move things from one side to another.

I can clean in sections

My D3C is not even grounded as someone cut the ground

I can understand that as I have been working with Humpty Dumpty.

I have been half filing it then what I do is use a qt sprayer & spray a section of rug w a dilute simple green solution to freshen & lift nap & purge dust.

Its been cleaning my whole apt lil by lil.

Its not alot of water as some is left in the carpet

I wouldn';t haul it out to pick up a qt of milk

but I feel the apt needs the wet clean as the neighbor smokes & over time it permeates everywhere

When I walk in my hallway now it smells alot better for being next to SMOKEY.

Thanks alot

I'll watch out for the suds

Venson wrote:
Hi Venson,

I've seen the redesigned AquaMate for the latest incarnation of the E2 and I have to say it has a lot of potential, definitely an improvement over the previous versions (which I didn't think were that bad).  For one it is now completely self-contained, the solution tank is built into the unit itself; no dolly tank or faucet hookup like before.  Second of all it is motorized with a fairly aggressive-looking revolving brush...yes, it is designed to be used with the electric hose, but just the wet pickup-compatible electric hose of the new E2.  I don't believe it is meant to be used with the electric hose on the previous E2 and E-series models.

I agree with you about using the Rainbow for floor scrubbing, though...seems like it would be more work than it's worth.  I prefer the old-fashioned mop and bucket instead, the cleanup is a lot easier than rinsing out and washing off the tank, hose, nozzle etc.

Just weighing in,
-MH

Rainbows in my experience do not have a lot of suction to begin with and very weak airflow. Example, a fairly recent E2 I have in good condition with the HEPA filter removed so there are no restrictions anywhere only pulls 50 inches of water lift at the hose end and fails to pull my BAIRD meter off the bottom of the scale. An old and inexpensive Hoover PowerMax canister pulls 58 inches of water lift at the hose end and registers a 7 on my BAIRD meter. A Kenmore Elite canister pulls over 84 inches of water lift at the end of its eight foot long hose (with a suction leak due to the irregular shape of the hose end) and pulls my BAIRD meter right off the scale, past 10. For what Rainbow charges their measured performance is quite low.

WOW, I realize how dead this site is anymore when I see a resurrected thread from 2007, and that's the newest post. In any case the OP, back in 2007, mentioned the Rainbow was a good machine but overpriced. Agreed, there is a contender on the market now, the Sirena, that is comparable to the Rainbow at a lower price around $899,though with good negotiation skills you can get it for less. Time will tell if the quality and longevity is there as I have a 40 year old Rainbow, I will let you know if my three month old Sirena lives that long, but it does have a 10 year motor warranty. Sirena uses an Italian designed, Chinese built motor that moves 90 CFM on high speed, and 18CFM on low. As a collector I can say that it is a pretty good vacuum. Maybe not as refined as the Rainbow, but everything is very livable. It does not have the digital motor. No direct connect wands. Slightly larger water basin. I am not a fan of the power nozzle (a direct copy of the E2 nozzle complete with the hold me to use me switch on the hahdle. Only drawback, as with any water vac, is that your daily maintenance is a little more than a bagged machine that you just wrap back up and put in the closet, but if you are dedicated to a water vac, this is a lower cost alternative.

Just, Rainbows don't have "digital motors" by which I think you really mean brushless reluctance motors. Rainbow uses and has always used very conventional commutated universal motors. The current motor is a small single stage motor, not the big two stage motors of old. They have very weak airflow and suction compared to modern canister vacuums. My E2 barely pulls my BAIRD meter off the bottom of the scale at 0. An old Electrolux Silverado pulls the BAIRD meter up to 7 and my modern Kenmore Elite pulls the BAIRD meter off the scale past 10. Also, 90 cfm airflow is only so-so. Most modern canister vacuums produce more. A simple Pro-Team back pack vacuum pulls 110 cfm. An old Hoover Dimension 1000 pulls more than that. As for filtration, water vacs still need HEPA filters because all of the dust entering the water chamber is not entrained in the water. Very light particles get past the motor and require HEPA filtration to capture. A modern bagged canister vacuum using a good cloth HEPA dust bag and filters does every bit as well.