My Dyson is broken :(

natalie_ca

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I was vacuuming my carpet and suddenly smelled a burning smell. I figured the vacuum was plugged, so I took apart all of the detachable parts to check for blockages, and used a coat hanger to check areas that I couldn't see into.  I didn't find a blockage.

The part that has absolutely zero suction is the wand/hose and the portion leading into the cannister.

I have no idea what is wrong with it. In my old vacuums when there was a burning smell, it meant the belt to the power nozzel broke, but the machines never lost suction.

So now I have to take it into a vacuum shop on Saturday and hope it can be fixed.  I can't afford to buy a new vacuum cleaner right now. This one is only 3 1/2 years old. Hopefully it won't cost a lot to fix.

 
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natalie_ca

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not sure what model you have but i found this googling "dyson vacuum burning smell no suction"

http://www.fixya.com/support/t1327209-dyson_dc14_no_suction_burning_smell
Thanks! That sounds exactly like what is wrong with mine!

I'm pretty handy at fixing things, but I looked at all of the mechanics involved in taking the machine apart in order to visualize the bar, belt and clutch thing, and it looks like it isn't an easy thing to do on this vacuum. 

I just googled the clutch assembly, and it's only about $40.00. However, there is a video on YouTube showing how to replace that! OMG!  That's a weekend project that I'm so not up to!  Definitely going to take it to the vacuum shop.

For those wanting to see what I would be up against!



 
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natalie_ca

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Yea, they do. I just looked on their website. 5 years.
That would be the main motor. Belts are not covered under warranty. The motor on my vacuum still sounds ok. It's just that loss of suction and what appears to be a broken belt.
 
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natalie_ca

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Yay!!!! I think my vacuum is fine!!!!  The problem turned out to be a dirty filter!!!  I usually wash it every 6 months or less, but now that I have carpets, I think I need to wash it more often.

I called Dyson today to do one last trouble shoot before ordering parts, or shipping it to Edmonton (their official service depot in Canada), or buying a new vacuum cleaner.  During the trouble shooting with the girl, we found out that the vacuum works just fine without the filter. There is excellent suction. The brush turns well. The motor sounds great (according to her).

The filter is still not completely dry so I can't try it with the filter in it yet.

I'm just so relieved that I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new vacuum, and that I can still  finish unpacking and doing an intense vacuuming and steam cleaning before putting my bookshelf into my spare room and unpacking my book boxes.

And now I can buy that iPhone 4 that I've had my heart set on buying this weekend!!!!
 

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Yay! I'm glad it wasn't anything really serious.....or expensive.

We have a Dyson; ours is several years old now. The other day when I was vacuuming, I noticed that the plug seemed very warm. Way too warm. We took ours apart and that filter was filthy. I always dump the canister out when I'm done, but I hadn't checked the filter in quite a while. I'm going to have to remember to check it more often. We cleaned the filter and when I used the vacuum again, the plug was fine.

We do have to take our Dyson to Sears (where we bought it) because the hose is pretty much shot at this point. There are tiny holes at the top of the hose, so the suction isn't a good as it could be. Ours is well over 5 years old, though, so we'll have to pay for the new hose.

We love the Dyson....with seven cats in the house, it does a great job on the cat hair. I try to vacuum at least every other day.

(Have fun with your iPhone!)
 
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natalie_ca

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We do have to take our Dyson to Sears (where we bought it) because the hose is pretty much shot at this point. There are tiny holes at the top of the hose, so the suction isn't a good as it could be. Ours is well over 5 years old, though, so we'll have to pay for the new hose.
Try duct tape!  My previous vacuum had pin sized holes in it and a crack in the canister. I used duct tape and it worked like a charm!  Just make sure you put it loose enough that you can tuck it into the grooves of the hose to seal the holes.
 
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