Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hey guys... wondering if you all have any suggestions about a problem I discovered in my Sanitaire SC887 this morning.  I just reassembled the bag/bin compartment after washing it and went to use the machine this morning.  Well, it was about 3 times as loud as it should be and the bag BARELY inflated.  It did, but not firmly and I was able to "squish" it easily with my hands where as before that wasn't possible.  I turned the machine over while running and the it seemed to be running at full speed.  The fan didn't have any broken blades from what I could see without digging into the machine.  When I first got the machine, I took it to the shop to get the height adjust knob replaced and the guy said it needed new bearings too so he replaced them.  It's beein fine for 3 years, but this morning, it's having a serious issue.  Any clues as to what could be going on with this thing?  My ears actually hurt after trying to use it for 5 minutes!

From my experience, that sounds like a fan blade. I would suggest opening it up.  Sanitaire machines like the SC887 are very simple machines, so it can only be one of a couple things, but when you said loud noise, that is almost always a fan. You can take the belt and brush roller off an turn it on, if it is still making noise it must be the fan. Good luck

Vacuumfreeeke wrote:
Does that mean looking at the fan blades through the bag opening or removing the baseplate?  Looking at it through the bottom would give you a much better view of any possible broken blades.  I would try running it with the bag removed and belt disconnected and see what happens.  Probably the worst thing I would do is actually try to use it in this condition, not good for the motor at all.

When you had it serviced, the lower bearing plate was most likely replaced, Eurekas and Sanitaires have upper ball bearings which are very sturdy and I am told rarely fail, if ever.

Hello Bobby:

Check to make sure the fan is on securely.  Sometimes the fan nut may be tight but the fan is loose.  May need a spacer or two under the fan to tighten it down.

Carmine D. 

Hi V.F.

from what your saying,i would check the following,Take the base plate off take the belt off, UNPLUG THE MACHINE, hold the motor pullie and see if you can spin the fan while holding the pullie tight with your hand,if it slips around its not clearenced right check the fibre washers,there is one under the pullie and one under neath the fan along with a steel washer Is the fan making a schreeching noise if so its loading and unloading on the shaft,i have seen many lexan fans in open chambered uprights have this problem,is there any side clearence or walk side to side? can you move the fan up and down on the shaft?, If the lower bearing has been replaced the replacement kit comes washers and nuts and bolts,HOOVERS also, some are re riveted in , check the shaft for walk side to side, the top bearings do go south also they dry out and start to squeel the cooling fan sits under the top bearing, it can be replaced also,but you must know how to do it, If your looking at relaceing the motor it can be done for 80 to 85 bucks,these motors are available at most dealers and wholesalers. Also you can take the outer bag off and check the fan and look for any chipped or broken blades through the chute............
GOOD LUCK.

MOLE

You said that you washed the bag/bin.  Is is possible that you did not put it back together properly?  Are all the gaskets in place?  If the bag does not inflate, does that mean that the upright is not picking up too well?

It would be easy to check the fan blades by unscrewing the fan chamber cover and examining/feeling the blades.  If a fan blade broke off, you would feel vibration in the handle.  Check the fan for play.

Like the other poster mentioned, remove the belt and turn the machine on and see if you still get the noise.  If you do not, remove the brushroll/agitator and hold the brushroll at the ends.  Then spin the brushroll w/you spare finger.  If there is any grinding or sluggishness, then the brushroll bearings are gone.

Thanks for the advice.  I tried to move the fan around and it is tight and none of the blades are broken.  Someone suggested that since I washed the bag and none of the pores are clogged yet, this may be the issue... not sure what else to check! 

Hey V.F. did you install the  F.G. paper bag right, remember the thin part of the bag where it attaches to the bellows thats the part with the spring on it. The big part of the bag goes to the outside where the zipper is, the bag should say top and bottom and looking at you when you unzip the outer bag. I have seen many people install the bag wrong and have the chute on the wrong side and in upside down blocking off the airmovement, is the machine really revving high more than usual?

Is the bag blowing up like nomal?Did you lock the sole plate in right? Did you install the belt right? eurekas go a quarter turn to the left, Hoovers goes to the right.on the open fanned machines.Does your 887 have the qiuck kleen clear [fan case]? there  is a seal that goes on the scroll, real thin gasket,

If you want send me the machine and i'll fix it for free. It should take no more than 15 mineuts...........

MOLE

Hello Bobby:

Washing a cloth upright bag like the EUREKA would result in your symptoms: Run louder and with less suction.  The cloth bag muffles the noise and allows peak suction by letting out enough air to keep the motor cool and prevent overheating.   When washed, then the water opens the bag pores.  This degrades two of the bag's functions:  Muffle sound and produce peak suction.  Never use water on cloth bags, especially upright bags. 

Carmine D.

Mole, thanks.  My SC887 (all SC887s unless they have been converted) uses the dust cup as the bottom of a cloth bag.  It's messy and dusty, but I rather like seeing what it got up each time because it is a powerful machine. 

Carmine... How funny!  I thought it would be better... I figured clogged pores on a bag are a bad thing and that they actually impede performance.  Guess I'll "spill" some baby powder on the floor and go have a ball at it! 

Funny thing though... I was using it the other day and the brush roll actually STALLED when I got to my medium pile area rug.  I changed the belt which had stretched a little bit as it was about a year old, and I STILL had to raise the height adjustment a notch to make it not stall.  I thought these machines were more powerful than that!

By the way... I have a question that doesn't have anything to do with this post... if I I am looking at a Eureka/Sanitaire belt and a Hoover Convertible belt and neither of them are labeled, what's the difference?  Which one is for which machine?

Thanks

By the way... mine is supposed to have the quick clean fan casing, but when the guy replaced the bearings he said I needed a new one and he didn't have another in stock so now it has a regular casing.

Vacuumfreeeke wrote:

Hi Bobby:

Clogged cloth bag pores prevent sufficient air from passing through the bag to keep the motor cool.  But when cleaning the cloth, vacuuming and brushing the cloth are the best methods to keep the pores open, breathing and at peak operation.  The bag pores are small enough to keep all the dust and dirt inside, maintain peak suction, and allow air passage for cooling the motor.

WRT your question, if both belts are new, the EUREKA will be slightly larger in diameter and thinner.  This gives it more elasticity than the HOOVER belt because it has a longer reach than the Convertible.  In a pinch, both belts can be used for the same machine.  But I would not recommend doing so for the best performance and well-being of the vacuums.

Carmine D.

Vacuumfreeeke wrote:

Hi Bobby:

Sorry I didn't see this and respond sooner.  The quick clean casing is a liner that fits on the vacuum's fan/motor housing that comes off and on easily during disassembly.  It allows quick and easy cleaning of the dirt path.  Hence its name.

Carmine D.