New Vacuum Cleaner purchase+ Sob Story

[kevinpreston8]

I finally gave up on my 10 year old Eureka Victory.

It was never a super power house to begin with, but it had been cheap. Since my nanny started using it (blaming it all on her) she started to complain that it smelled every time she used it. Unfortunately, it was not a "burning rubber" smoke sound, but kind of a moldy smell.

I took the thing completely apart and soaked everything in Mr. Clean in the bathtub overnight (Lesson #1, don't assume your brush roller is plastic, mine was wood and went "out of round" and useless). Scrubbed dirt out of everything until spanking clean. The only thing I did not soak was the motor, foam around the motor, and the motor casing area.

Everything smelled great. Put the thing back together, ran for a few minutes, started smelling like mildew/mold again.

Replaced both filters, the out of round roller that made the belt smoke!, belt, new bag once again. Still smelled. Ran it outside for an hour! while spraying lysol around it. Seemed ok for a while, then it started again.

So, replaced the foam that wrapped the motor with new foam. Seemed ok. Vacuumed with it. Next day my nanny used it, started to smell again. Is she vacuuming up milk?????

Finally soaked the hoses (all dirt travels through the extension hose even if you are not using it) in a mixture of laundry detergent and bleach, overnight.

Started it up, it smelled like mold and laundry bleach! I had enough and tossed it out in the trash. I suppose I could replace the hose, perhaps mold is growing in the flexi parts of the hose inside, but enough is enough.

So.....

Went to Target and was unimpressed with all the bagless vacs they had. Went to a local tiny vacuum store where I have bought accessories for years, I may have even got my Eureka there.

The owner there seconded what I heard about bagless (which may not be true, but it sounds good) in that they lose efficiency right away because bagless or not, everything goes through the filter. So the first time you use it it slowly is becoming clogged. Then she has had people complain of mold because when you clean the filter with water it must be 100% dry before use, and they shrink, etc. Sounded like a nightmare to me.

So having very limited money to spend on this at the moment (yes I still do want an Airway or like vac in the future) I walked away with a Hoover Wind Tunnel 5200. It is the bagged version, despite the bagless sounding name, and it is 12 amp. It was $147. It has a regular filter but a Hepa bag. Here are my thoughts.

First, the thing is super heavy. It has to be 1/2 again the weight of my Eureka. When you remove the hose to do edges with the extension wands, you have to close a door over the hose connection otherwise anything that the rollers pick up as you move around blows up at your face. I already forgot to close the flimsy door once.

The flexible tube does not stretch very far so you have to use both pieces of extention wand. On my Eureka, you could leave one attached and ready to pull out to immediatly use, but not on this one. So quick edge touch ups are not so quick. It is very noisy. It does have another roller brush attachment for "dog hair on upholstery", but I have no idea how those rollers will work yet.

So, it is heavier, harder to use, less convenient than what I got rid of. The plus side is it was cheap and has the Hepa bag and an easy to replace slide out filter. It also has a light which I have never had. It is nice to vacuum with no smell. It also picked up a few styrofoam snakes and paper clips with no problem, something my Eureka could never do.

I am having a touch of buyer's remorse. Perhaps it will lessen in time.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Lux...

Some good ideas and points well taken.

Most food I throw in the garbage disposal. However, even wrappers have gummed up and ended up on that ram, and tough to clean.

A few engineering changes would improve this unit alot. Eliminate the rough metal edges, provide a removable ram shield so that you can clean it and disinfect it, and make the drawer come out farther so you can clean the inside of the unit or at least get trash out that has fallen behind. Finally, they could remove the corrugation on the side of the unit, get the same strength by making it double walled with the corregations in between the sheet metal walls. Minimal further width would be needed, and you could have a smooth and easy clean outside to the metal trash bin/holder.

I have no complaints on how much this unit can compress and how it handles trash. All my complaints could be resolved by some simple engineering changes and it boggles the mind that a KA unit in 2006 suffers from such fundamental shortcomings.

 

[brettsomers]

hmm, sorry you dont like the 'tunnel. im thinking that as long as you have pets in the home, you are gonna have to deal with a smelly vacuum. pet dander can stick something fierce inside the ENTIRE dirt path, from the brush chamber to the bag. you should surely change your vacuum bag once a month, full or not. and use the high-filtration bags, they will keep more of the smelly dirt in the bag. humidity is also a cause of smelly vacuum bags. never vacuum damp carpeting, or moist debris. a humid storage area will also accelerate the bad odor. though i think central vacuums are over-hyped, if you have pets, a central system is prolly for you, since it exhausts outside. if it makes any difference, the windtunnel is a good carpet cleaner.

 

[petek]

Kevin, if you don't like it already you're never going to like it.. so take it back. If I were you and just wanted to buy a new upright I'd get a Panasonic or Sears (Panasonic), they're so much quieter and they have much easier to use hoses, quick draw type. Got my SIL one with the cord reel and it's a great vac.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Trash Compactor Fun

The "Idle Trash Compactor Phenomenon"

Ok, ask yourself a question. How many times in your life have you known someone that has a trash compactor, but it is "no longer in use". I can remember a few people with an idle compactor, and I bet many readers here do too. Now after a year of use, I know why.

We redid our kitchen a year ago with a Viking stove top and everything else KitchenAid. I wanted nothing 1/2 way in quality, so did not mind paying more. This included a KitchenAid (Superba style) trash compactor.

We really needed a trash solution. The kitchen is between the living room and the dining room. There is no backdoor or "service area" off the kitchen for a good sized trash can. The only place would be under the sink, which is jammed full of water filtration, disposal, etc. We had a small pull out vertical trash cabinet that held a small can. Our family of four generates a ton of trash! We cook alot, use alot of paper products. I was literally dumping trash three times a day. We were perfect candidates for a compactor.

So we got this KitchenAid. Sorry KA, not impressed. And I am irritated at the usability of this item. How long have trash compactors been around? Here's my gripes, which I am sure are part of many other models.

1) The top "ram". This is the piece that comes down and crushes your trash. What they don't tell you is that this piece is mushing directly into your food and garbage, and then recessing in the upper portion of the machine, with said drippings rotting on the metal face. All these years in making this, and they don't have something like a flip down plate or at least an access port to wipe this off?

2) Garbage falls in back of the bag holder, into the back of the unit. You can reach back and get it out, but you have to squeeze your arm into the narrow space between the sheet metal, which can hurt. Of course, if the unit is empty, you can lift the whole door and container mechanism up and out like a drawer, but then, where do you set it? The bottom is metal, and if you are not careful, you can scratch your floor with it. So, set down a towel. Empty your trash, pull the drawer out, set it on the towel just to get the trash piece out of the back of the unit. Or scrape your arm up doing it.

2) The design of the pull out drawer hides dirt and trash pieces on your floor behind the rubber lower edge skirt. It's hard to see it with the drawer open, and impossible to see it and hard to get at it with the drawer closed!

3) All the edges of the trash holder are sharp. To gain strength for the sheet metal, the sides of the drawer are corrugated if you will. These corrugations, of course, become loaded with dirt. Cleaning them rips a paper towel to shreads and tears at a cloth.

4) The door is fastened to the trash holder towards the bottom, but you pull from the top. It feels like the whole thing will bend. Now, of course, you are supposed to push down on the footpedal to open the thing. The footpedal is an flimsy plastic affair that is angle just right for a socked foot (I wear socks indoors) to slip right off and not shove the door open. It has so little depth too that it is hard to get a purchase on it. Ladies with longer pained toenails would certaintly rip them off (or ouch! bend back) on that pedal, so we always use the handle, lesser of two evils.

5)No matter how dry your trash is, there is liquid in there, and there will be leaks that you have to clean off of the bottom of the unit before you put the new bag in.

6) The last thing to remember, which is no fault of this particular compactor, but applies to them in general. You really can save trips out to the trash, and we can go a few days without emptying it. Of couse, the trash is now a compressed nightmare with a weight of about 6 or 7 trashbags. Fun vaulting it into the 50 gallon trash can.

I won't be doing this again in another home, or when this one breaks. However, for our situation, I don't know the alternative.

So if you wondered why people let the compactors just sit, now you know.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

All things considered...

And all biases aside...

The Hoover Windtunnel you purchased is not a bad machine. I've had a similar machine since 1997 (when the price tag was upwards of $279). I've always been nothing but pleased (I used it as my daily driver for quite some time).

Yes, the newer machines are noisy. But, they do clean! The hose issue you speak of is true.. they stretch nicely when the machine is off, but when the machine is running, there's so much airflow that it tends to compress, and as a result can be difficult to work with. My machine doesn't have the door on it that you close when you use the tools...that was an afterthought (I don't really think it needs to be there). There is a 20' extension hose available, too, if you need more length.

Does your machine have a plastic or wooden brushroll in it? (I know they manufacture them with both). If it is plastic, there's another contributor to your noise... wooden brushrolls are quieter--which is what you were used to.

The powered hand tool is wonderful for stairs/sofas/pet hair, etc... If you have a pet that has long hair, you will need to clean it out periodically.

The HEPA bags are nice, you smell less dust/pet odor. But because of the tighter weave, they clog up faster, and need to be replaced more often.

Also, because the Windtunnel 5200 is a "TurboPower" machine, it has a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. All things aside, your new Windtunnel will probably clean circles around your previous machine. Just be sure to keep it adjusted properly (not too low), and replace the belt at least every 6 months, regardless of whether or not it's broken.

A very nice machine that's only a bit more expensive is the Savvy. They've finally gotten it right. It's got a geared belt, so unless you get an area rug caught or a sock jammed, you aren't going to break the belt--it's also not going to stretch out and start slipping. I've had a Savvy for about 7 or 8 months now... (what is it with me and purple vacuum cleaners lately??)

I bought the one that comes with both the bag/bagless cup, as I detest bagless vacuums. The nice plusses with the machine are the ability to shut the brushroll off--for going on bare floors, and using the tools (it shuts off when you put the handle in the upright position); and the tad bit longer hose--which enteres the machine lower down than it does on the regular Windtunnel, and as a result, doesnt tip over--it has a lower center of gravity. It also has the dual suction ducts for more efficient pickup, and a wooden brushroll that cleans the hell out of the carpet! It's been my daily driver at my father's house, even after I moved out in January... and we've been getting ready to put the house on the market.

Heres my Savvy.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Vacuum thoughts

Pete...thought about returning it, but box is gone, that was stupid. Oh well.

Brett, in all fairness, it really did sweep the carpet well, as I said, picked up things the Eureka won't. Maybe looking for too much in one unit.

 

[petek]

Compactors are always for sale used/cheap in newspapers around here. I bought one years ago used when we moved into the country with no garbage pickup and I've been quite happy with it. It's not built in though, a Kenmore (Whirpool) cost me about $50.

 

[kevinpreston8]

Hooverwheelaway...

You make me feel a bit better. The two year warranty was explained as a feature and I like that.

(Brett, I do have a pet, but it's just Fluffigus Fluffi, who does not shed that much regardless of his nickname. We never had a problem before now. I think it's in that damn hose!)

On the other plus side, perhaps it's weight and heft will prove that it is NOT flimsy.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Wooden Brushroll...

If your machine doesn't have a wooden brushroll, contact me via e-mail, and we'll see that you get one.

~Fred

 

[kevinpreston8]

Pet hair

No hair here, according to Puffigus Fluffi.

 

[brettsomers]

weight/flimsy?

resist the urge to roll the cleaner over bulky threshholds, try to carry it over. the front wheels esp are vulnerable. and dont tilt the handle back until you have depressed the handle release. i see many people tilting the machine back and pressing the release and letting the head fall, bad! and about the victory, maybe something is stuck in the dirt path? at work there is a windtunnel bagless. the woman who uses it complained that there was something stuck in it. i took the dirtpath apart, and believe it or not, an ENTIRE breakfast sausage link was caught in the channel leading up to the bag! yuck! maybe something like this happened to your eureka? and about the pets, i suspect its the dander that stinks, not the hair. keep us posted on your new vacuum.

 

[brettsomers]

PS

looks like Fluffi has mastered its pensive/thoughtful pose!

 

[kevinpreston8]

Fluffigus...

Was sleeping next to my 2 year old son taking his nap. I kept trying to get him to stand up or even look up for his picture, then the flash made him "squint". He only looks this sleepy and disinterested 1/2 the time!

Plus, it oddly appears that he only has a single, centered foot unit, which I assure you is not the case.

 

[goatfarmer]

Compactor?

Anybody need a compactor? I've got a Sears,'bout 10-12 years old(I think).Put a new switch on it,had it in the garage to crush cans. Wife hated it,so it left the garage.Now sitting on my truck.
Pick it up in South Bend,Indiana,and it's yours.

kennyGF

 

[hoover1060]

Kev...

Patience and persevere, you'll grow to like that Hoover, and as Fred said it will sweep circles around that former Eureka.
I'm not a big fan of any of the disposable vacuums today, but I would say you made a pretty good choice in the Hoover. Its a good sturdy machine that should hold up pretty well.
If you got 10 years out of a Eureka Victory, with the same TLC that Windtunnel will last 20 years!

 

[scott55405]

I know a number of people that really swear by the (bagged) Windtunnel (I think most people swear *at* the bagless ones, but that's true of a lot of brands in bagless. I'm actually surprised bagless vacs haven't disappeared yet).

Anyway, the Panasonic/KM is a good cleaner, and those and this Windtunnel are probably the better choices in your price range. Cute doggie!

Fred, I like your purple cleaner. It's good to hear what you say about the tools. One of the reasons I don't like tools on modern uprights is because when you use them, the cleaner always falls down!

 

[kevinpreston8]

I am glad

that I didn't go bagless and this seems to be supported by the folks here.

I went looking for my mom who wants to get an "electric broom", one like her Regina from many moons ago. I looked all over and they were only bagless.

I did find a bagged one from Oreck that seemed very old fashioned and nice. Any thoughts?

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, original model Euraka Boss Whirlwind bagless NEVER smells off, and I don't pay much attention to cleaning it, either, other than emptying the dual dustcups and replacing the filters when they get dark. It will lose some suction when the primary dust cup gets full of pet hair and carpet fibers - that's usually after one or two rooms for me, on average (I don't vacuum all that often...). But emptying the dust cups restores full suction, and the filters don't need to be changed out more than say once every few months. The final HEPA filter makes it a sealed system so no dust mites or other odors can get out. The HEPA filter is supposed to be changed once a year but I seem to get more than that out of each one.

I am currently intrigued by the new Dirt Devel Revolution D2 bagless, with dual cyclonic chambers. I wonder if any club members have tried it yet.

 

[luxflairguy]

trash compactors

In 20 years, I've gone through 3 compactors. Seattle has VERY high trash collection prices and the compactor has saved our lives. But you need to learn how to use them!

1) always line under the bag and inside the bag with a layer of newspaper.
2) Do not and I repeat, do NOT use the kraft paper bags. Since the only bags that are OEM come from Whirlmay...whatever, go for those or at Sears. The plastic bags are the best! The others come from Nutone/Broan for the 12 inch unit.
3) Don't think you can throw into it willy nilly. You need to realize that wet garbage will seep no matter what...smelly garbage will, yeah begin to smell unless you wrap well and take the bag out. WE've sprayed with Lysol a time or two over the years and it's helped. The built-in "deoderant" has never done anything. If you have clams, mussels or fish bones, think about putting them in the garbage can and not in the compactor!
4) Don't think you can open the door and throw! That's what get's it over the back etc... and NO compactor will really reduce any load that isn't at least a 1/3 full. The ram is not made to go fully to the bottom.
5) If you don't think the bag gets full enough before tossing, put a layer of newpaper on top, turn it on and then once the ram is fully compressed, turn it off. You'll be amazed at the extra capacity it has!

We've always had a Whirl/Sear//// with the foot pedal and believe me, if you get one without, well, wet full hands and a handle don't mix!
Another thing the Whirl/Sear?kAid has--some as an option are buttons on the side of the container, and all their plastic bags have holes to line up with the buttons so that the bag never slips down into the drawer.

I think I've said my 2 pennys worth! I have to take out the trash! LOL

Greg
Luxflair guy

 

[brettsomers]

mom who wants to get an

 

[brettsomers]

mom who wants to get an

 

[brettsomers]

third time is the charm...

you say an electric broom for mom? maybe you will find a vintage Regina, on ebay, if thats what you really want. the vintage Hoover *quik-broom* that uses the style *E* bag is one of MY favorites. they usually have a wheeled nozzle, for easy pushing. im sure one of the vacuum gurus has one to give if ur interested. many of the Hoover brooms, new and old, are worth considering. if you want new, and price is NOT a consideration, you will prolly like a Miele. their brooms use high filtration bags, with hepa filter and dusting tools as an option. the TOL Miele broom also has a powernozzle for carpets.

 

[tolivac]

The Miele "broom vac" is a nice machine-you can detach the floor tool and use a hose with it as a small canister vac.I have another form of Miele Broom vac-its the Miele "Art Roses" machine that has a short hose and a floor nozzle designed for bare or hard floors.Works great-and its the prettest broom vac you ever saw!!I use mine on all of my hard floors.Its kinda fun to use-the vac head steers just like most canister powernozzles.The Miele machines are also quiet-none of the "screamer" broom vacs.The vintage broom vac-or crumb vac I like is the Reginas with the METAL fans and fan housings.The plastic ones break too easily and the fan makes a nice "tink" when it picks up a rice grain or cerial.I have a metal Regina I got at one of the Sat AM garage sales here.The same household also had a Sears trash compactor for $50,was several years ago.The compactor was a built in model-not freestanding.

 

[insulinpumpuser]

air-turbo attachments

Has anyone in here used on of those air-turbo brushes like the one that Hoover makes? I have a Rainbow SE and a Filter Queen and both of those vacs cause those turbo tools self-destruct. I only get about 3 uses out of them and BOOM! Plastic parts go flying and some parts get sucked up. Has this happened to any of you?.....Bill in Az....

 

[panthera]

air-turbo

I have used one over here in Germany for nearly 20 years. The European models - and the good US models have a "waste gate" design which prevents the unit from being overspun. If the waste gate is jammed shut - or the idiot manufacturer didn't bother with one, as in some newer model stuff in the US now, then you need to adjust the suction power down. My Miele was built for 1000 Watts suction - and current vacuums run at least half again stronger than that.
You know you have the right suction going when the brush rotates freely in carpet, but definitely slows down compared to when held free in the air. Start below 800 Watts and work up slowly. Remember, there is no "beats as it sweeps as it cleans" here - just sweeping.
I love mine, by the way - it does a great job on cat and dog hair.

 

[compactc9]

This is probably my favorite vacuum besides a central vac for everyday vacuuming. Its the gray one in the center.

 

[toggleswitch]

Mold odor.

Sorry if this has been addressed already, I did not see it.

Could the odor possbily be ozone produced by the motor?
Sickly-sweet, strong, distincitve.

In my case, I have noticed a different smell fom ORECKS; It is when the brush-roll faces resistance, yet the belt is till turning at full speed.

P. U.

http://www.ozoneapplications.com/products/Residential/q&a_ozone.htm

 

[kevinpreston8]

Toggle...

I would not say it was sickly sweet. It is almost the exact smell as when you forget you have wash in the washer and it starts to air dry and gets that moldy smell.

Now, it was not like you would turn it on and it would instantly smell, in fact, the air coming from the exhaust only had a very faint odor. But vacuum a room for a few minutes and the whole room would smell. Disgusting. I have never had this happen with all the vacuuming I had done in my life. It was also a bit of an ego thing as when I fix things they usually stay fixed.

That's why I go back to the hose as possibly being the culprit. After I soaked in bleach/laundry detergent, I tried it out and the exhaust smelled like mold with an overlay of bleach! So, I am back to the hose again.

I did not throw it out "all the way". It's over by my trash cans but not in the trash. Thinking what to do, really tired of messing with it. I may just do a final investment and replace the hose just for laughs, it could be a "back house" vacuum at that point.

 

[Designgeek]

Re. the moldy smell in the vacuum: Probably the hose. I'll bet it picked up something wet at one point, and that did it. Try running it without the hose and see if the smell comes back, and if not, replace the hose.

Re. compactors: First, put your wet sticky food waste down the disposall as far as possible. Second, if you have wet drippy stuff that's not food waste, do this:

If you get milk or other beverages in cartons, when you're done with one, give it a quick rinse by shaking about 3/4 a cup of clean water in it and then pouring it out. Now open up the top of the milk carton. This takes less than a minute. Now you have a nice little container for wet drippy stuff that won't go down the disposall. When it's full, fold over the top and toss it into the compactor like anything else.

Luxflairguy's info is good. Also do this: When you have a bunch of wet sticky stuff in there, put a layer of something dry on top before compressing the load. For example a single page of newspaper folded normally, or one of those junk mail flyers. (Your recycling bin won't miss an occasional piece of paper.) This will at least keep the wet stuff from clinging to the compressing ram. BTW those things probably generate about a half ton of pressure so they should be treated with due care.

A removable ram cover would be nice, but it would have to be fastened to the ram itself in some manner that was both secure and easy to undo to remove. This is not an easy design question to solve without creating other complications. Best bet is to wipe it down with a disinfectant such as a Lysol product or Pine Sol, or straight bleach, but check to see that the manufacturer says it's OK and won't cause corrosion or other damage to the equipment.

Last but not least:

A compactor may save you on the trash bill when the city is measuring your trash by volume, but measurement by weight is on the way.

How it works: a little barcode tag on your wheelie-bin, and a device on the refuse truck that reads the bar code and weighs the bin as the lifting mechanism is picking it up to empty it, and then the data get stored onboard the truck and automatically read into the city's billing system when the truck goes back to empty its load at the transfer station.

So get a compactor to keep your kitchen a bit neater or reduce your trips outside to empty the kitchen bin into the wheelie bin, but don't get one expecting to "cheat" on the city refuse collection rates.