Two vacuum cleaners in one day

[Nineteenbirds]

One day last week I decided to run my vacuum cleaner, a beautiful, shiny Kirby, around the dining room really quickly before I went out for an appointment. After running it for a moment I noticed a burning smell and realized it wasn't picking up anything! Shut it off, turned it over, and saw that the beater was covered in hair (mine, of course), and the belt was broken. So much for a quick chore! By the time I got back from the doctor's office my DH had cleaned it out, replaced the belt, and vacuumed the first floor. He really is a good man.

Later that afternoon I got out the old Hoover that we keep upstairs and turned it on. After running it for a few minutes I smelled that burned smell, the smoke alarm went off, and I noticed little pieces of black plastic shooting out from underneath. There was so much hair wrapped around that some of it had melted and formed a whole new part that was holding one end together. This one was beyond repair and ended up out in the alley behind the house. Later that day a scavenger put it in the back of his pickup truck and drove away with it. I really did like that Hoover!

I know people have posted about vacuum cleaners here before, but I think I deserve some recognition for destroying (almost) two in one day!

[Jo Ann]

Yeah, after the beater bar gets filled with hair, the beater bar slows down (or stops) but the belt and motor keep turning, causing the belt to melt from the friction.

I would keep plenty of belts handy for your Kirby, Nineteen. I keep at least two belts handy at all times for my Eureka and change them when the beater bar doesn't seem to be doing it's job, usually when I start to smell burnt rubber. I also clean the beater bar each time after I vacuum the carpet and as needed while I vacuum the carpet. You should note a change in the sound of your vacuum when it needs attention. A box cutter or pair of cheap scissors can be your bestest friend.

Have your DH show you how to take your vacuum apart (as needed) to clean your beater bar and change the belt. It's not hard to learn to do either--tricky, maybe, to do, but not hard to learn :flower:

[EdG]

I got tired of extracting hair from my Kenmore/Panasonic vacuum cleaner, and so I removed the beater bar and belt. I covered the belt opening with a small piece of foam insulation. The vacuum cleaner works adequately well without the beater bar.
Ed

[littlestarface]

More better try to prevent this from happening like combing your hair on a hard floor surface or outside also sweep the hair first or try to pick up as much hair as possible by running your hand over the carpet then put it in the dust bin or outside in the grass for birds. Much better than constantly having to repair or throwing away vacuums.

[goneJackal]

I got tired of extracting hair from my Kenmore/Panasonic vacuum cleaner, and so I removed the beater bar and belt. I covered the belt opening with a small piece of foam insulation. The vacuum cleaner works adequately well without the beater bar.
Ed

Great idea! I'll definitely do that.

[lapushka]

My mom did that a few weeks ago. ;)

Thank goodness we always get them for about 30/40 euro in our local Aldi or Kruidvat and so we had a spare one. But it's sales in January here so my mom will be buying one so this one can remain the "spare" one.

My mom has one for every floor, usually. Lightweight ones, as she is in her 70s and can't carry all that weight around all the time. She has bad osteoporosis as well.

[EdG]

goneJackal, lapushka - this should go under the "You know you are a long hair" thread.

"You know you are a long hair when you have removed the beater bar from the vacuum cleaner." :cheese:
Ed

[MusicalSpoons]

More better try to prevent this from happening like combing your hair on a hard floor surface or outside also sweep the hair first or try to pick up as much hair as possible by running your hand over the carpet then put it in the dust bin or outside in the grass for birds. Much better than constantly having to repair or throwing away vacuums.

I completely agree, however it's sometimes not always possible due to various circumstances.

What confuses me is how commonly vacuum cleaners seem to break from long hair. As soon as ours stops picking up 'bits' from the floor, I check the bar and usually need to clean it. Cleaning it as soon as it's clogged full of hair prevents any problems, for ours anyway :shrug:

(In the years before our current vacuum cleaner, we always used a Henry hoover which had no bar and therefore no problem!)

[lapushka]

We don't have beaters on our vacuums and they didn't die due to long hair. ;)

[EdG]

We don't have beaters on our vacuums and they didn't die due to long hair. ;)That is smart. :thumbsup:

Here, it is hard to find a vacuum cleaner without a beater bar. This may be due to houses having wall-to-wall carpeting.
Ed

[Chromis]

I only comb my hair in the washroom (or outside when possible but I can't in this new place) and my hair still sneaks its way around the house. I wear it up or braided but hair is stealthy in its quest to create dust bunnies no matter how much I sweep.

If you own, the best solution to me is to get rid of all that pesky carpet! Otherwise, I recommend using a Shop-Vac as your vacuum cleaner. You can often fit old Kirby heads on them with a cheap step down attachment too. They suck like a champ and don't get bogged down and don't weight too much either.

[lapushka]

That is smart. :thumbsup:

Here, it is hard to find a vacuum cleaner without a beater bar. This may be due to houses having wall-to-wall carpeting.
Ed

Oh my mom has carpet, but just a "regular" vacuum. I have no idea why. They do sell Hoovers with beater brushes here, but they're rarer than the regular vacuums.

[MusicalSpoons]

We don't have beaters on our vacuums and they didn't die due to long hair. ;)

Oh, I meant I was confused by how common a problem it seems to be for longhairs in general; ours has a bar but like I said, cleaning it of hair as soon as it stops picking things up keeps the vacuum happy. (Our previous vacuum had no bar and lasted for over 25yrs before the bearings gave out simply due to wear and tear. It was cheaper to buy a new vacuum than to repair it.)


Chromis that's so very true - hairs have a habit of wandering around hitching rides on everything! I comb mine in my bedroom and bin the shed hair so I don't often find them elsewhere, but it does still happen. I also clearly don't catch all the sheds, as the vacuum cleaner will testify :lol:

[littlestarface]

Well of course it wont get rid of all the hair but it lessens how much hair the vacuum picks up.

[Cg]

Yes, Nineteenbirds, you have earned the LHC award for smoking two in one day. None of my vacuums has a beater bar. I can't imagine the havoc really long hairs would wreak.

[Cate36]

One day last week I decided to run my vacuum cleaner, a beautiful, shiny Kirby, around the dining room really quickly before I went out for an appointment. After running it for a moment I noticed a burning smell and realized it wasn't picking up anything! Shut it off, turned it over, and saw that the beater was covered in hair (mine, of course), and the belt was broken. So much for a quick chore! By the time I got back from the doctor's office my DH had cleaned it out, replaced the belt, and vacuumed the first floor. He really is a good man.

Later that afternoon I got out the old Hoover that we keep upstairs and turned it on. After running it for a few minutes I smelled that burned smell, the smoke alarm went off, and I noticed little pieces of black plastic shooting out from underneath. There was so much hair wrapped around that some of it had melted and formed a whole new part that was holding one end together. This one was beyond repair and ended up out in the alley behind the house. Later that day a scavenger put it in the back of his pickup truck and drove away with it. I really did like that Hoover!

I know people have posted about vacuum cleaners here before, but I think I deserve some recognition for destroying (almost) two in one day!

Oh thank goodness for this post.. I have broken SO many vacuum cleaners with my hair.. including a dyson... it's the length of the hair.. it doesn't suck up, it winds around the brush at the bottom. I never used to worry about it until now.. until I damaged my hair.. and now I freak out when I hoover up hair off the carpet.. I don't know an easy way around it..

[Nineteenbirds]

Really, I think we're supposed to get down on the floor, turn the vacuum cleaner over, and clean the bar every so often, but does anyone think that's fun? There is always something I would rather do than that. ;)

[MusicalSpoons]

Really, I think we're supposed to get down on the floor, turn the vacuum cleaner over, and clean the bar every so often, but does anyone think that's fun? There is always something I would rather do than that. ;)

Nope, not fun, but I think having to buy a new vacuum would be even less fun :wink:

I realised I didn't actually reply to your original post - 2 vacuums in one day is quite the achievement! (Do we really not have a trophy emoji? Maybe have a crown :queen: )

[AmaryllisRed]

Well, this is timely! Our shark navigator wasn't picking up as well and sure enough the roller brush was holding onto enough of my hair to cover three of my bald uncles!
I actually enjoy cutting the hair off the roller... I'm weird, I know.

[Cate36]

Really, I think we're supposed to get down on the floor, turn the vacuum cleaner over, and clean the bar every so often, but does anyone think that's fun? There is always something I would rather do than that. ;)

It's not easy to do in my experience.. my hair was almost impossible to cut off the dyson.. was so tightly wound around..

[Jo Ann]

It's not easy to do in my experience.. my hair was almost impossible to cut off the dyson.. was so tightly wound around..

That's why you should keep a box cutter or cheap scissors around... ;)

[MusicalSpoons]

That's why you should keep a box cutter or cheap scissors around... ;)

I have a wonderfully cheap 5" pair of scissors that were originally sewing scissors, with nice pointy ends and blades that cut through the entangled locks like butter (Korbond, if they are available outside the UK). They are perfect for the job!

[sumidha]

I thought most vacuums came with a little groove on the beater so you can slide a pair of scissors along it and clean it without taking it all the way out?

I guess I'm a weirdo or something, I sew a lot and bits of thread always escape anyways, so keeping an eye on the beater build up is just part of my vacuuming routine...

[Nineteenbirds]

A seam ripper works pretty well.

[lithostoic]

I just sweep ... with a broom.