A vacuum cleaner is a heaven-sent appliance when it comes to household chores. When your vacuum stops working, your world stops spinning as well. One crucial part of a vacuum cleaner is the brushroll. The brushroll is that part which sweeps the debris into the vacuum so that it gets smoothly sucked into the bag. So understandably, if these brushrolls stop working, you end up with a lot of leftover debris on the floor despite your vacuum’s strong suction.
Brushrolls which stop working usually means that they need to be cleaned or replaced. This, however, doesn’t necessarily mean money coming out of your pocket. Before even bringing your vacuum to a professional, try doing some of these steps. It may actually save you not only time and money, but it can help you save your vacuum cleaner from conking out.
What should you do when your brushrolls stop working?
The first thing you should do is to actually identify where the problem is coming from. If your brushrolls suddenly stop working, it’s most probably because of too much debris on the brushrolls or some kind of damage on them.
If the brushrolls have been damaged, then the only solution for this is for you to buy a replacement. If it’s just accumulated dirt and debris that’s causing the rolls to malfunction, then you will just need to do some serious cleaning for them to start working properly again.
Cleaning the brushrolls
One of the most common culprits which can cause brushrolls to malfunction is hair, whether it’s from a human or a pet. These types of debris can either clog or wrap itself around the brushrolls causing them to stop working. This can even lessen the vacuum’s efficiency. The best thing to do in this case is to clean the brushrolls every time you clean the vacuum. This is probably the best way by which you can maintain the cleaning efficiency of the brushrolls.
Find a good spot
The first thing that you’ll probably have to do is to find an appropriate spot where you can dismantle come parts of your vacuum in order to remove the brushrolls. Removing the brushrolls will most probably create a mess so it would be best to have you remove them in an area which you won’t need to clean all over again. Make sure that you are in a place with a lot of space since you most probably will have to turn the vacuum on its side to be able to reach the brushroll. Make sure too that your vacuum is unplugged before you start opening up your vacuum cleaner.
Inspect the brushroll and belt
Take a look at your vacuum’s manual and check out how your remove the brushroll from the vacuum. Upright vacuums usually have cover plates that you can easily slide or pop open in order to remove the brushrolls. Once this is done, check out the brushrolls as well as the belt. Try to see if there is any damage to either of these parts. If you can’t manage to spin the brushroll by hand, or if you notice any damage on the belt, then you most probably have to replace either the brushroll, the belt, or even both. Check to see that the brushrolls aren’t worn down either. Brushrolls usually have to be stiff since this is what is needed in order to loosen debris from floor surfaces. If the brushrolls are worn down, then you will have to replace them.
Clean the brushrolls if they do not need to be replaced
Your brushrolls may have been entangled with human hair or pet hair which may have caused them to start spinning. There may also be a lot of debris that is already stuck to your brushrolls. In this case, make sure that you clean the brushrolls and rid them of all dirt and debris. After removing large-sized debris, clean your brushrolls further using a soft brush or even a used toothbrush to make sure that you have gotten rid of every bit of dirt that can cause your brushrolls to be less efficient. Once this is done, place the brushrolls back into the vacuum cleaner and check if they are finally working.
Other things to consider if your brushrolls won’t work after cleaning
Once you’ve finished cleaning your brushrolls, you can place them back in your vacuum cleaner and check to see if they finally work. But just in case they don’t, you may have to consider other problems that may have caused your brushrolls to stop working.
- Check out the brush strips on the brushrolls. These can affect the function of your brushrolls and just in case they are worn out or damaged, then you may have to replace them. Most of these can be removed by sliding them off.
- Check the bearings on the brushrolls. If the bearings are intact, you will most likely be able to rotate the brushrolls by hand. If the bearings are misaligned, you will have a hard time doing so. In fact, this may indicate damage on the bearings. In this case, you will have to replace your brushrolls.
- Check the belt. Another reason why your brushrolls stop working is probably due to a broken or detached belt. The belt makes the brushrolls rotate. It is usually found in the same place as where you have the brushrolls. It can be seen once the brushrolls are detached from the vacuum cleaner. Once you locate the belt, make sure that it is still in place and not detached at a certain point. Check to see if there is no break or damage on the belt. If there is any, you’ll have to replace the belt and check to see if this will help resolve the problem of your brushrolls.
Make sure to buy the replacement from the manufacturer so you are assured of its quality. You can also buy some extra belts for future use.
Final Word
These are some of the suggestions that you can consider in case your brushrolls stop working. Your brushrolls are an important part of your vacuum cleaner. They need to function properly in order for your vacuum cleaner to perform well. As a last resort, replacing the brushrolls won’t be such a bad idea compared to having to go to a repair center.
Try all possible means to get your brushrolls working since going through all these measures can help you save some time and money. These are efforts that, in the end, will not leave you with any regret.