Vaccum Issues Is It Me or My Non Sucky Vaccum?

I just had to take my vaccum appart to clear a clog. When it is off and unplugged lay it down on a newspaper, unscrew the plate on the bottom, and clean out what you can. I was not aware of what a mess I had on my hands. I also have an old toothbrush that I keep on board. After doing a large area, I will brush all of the dirt and lint off the mesh screen that separates the receptacle from the circular filter and keep going.

I often wonder if other vaccums are less maintenance but then I don't want to spend money on a new one so I cope :-)

Have you cleaned out the entire vacuum? I was having the same problem with my bagless upright and kept clearing the clog in the bottom like you describe. The real issue was a clog much higher up, where the hose connects into the main canister area. There should be a collar there at the connection that you can turn counter-clockwise to disconnect that part of the hose. I bet you dollars to donuts that you have a massive clog there that goes way, way way down into the hose. If that's clogged, remove everything and then there should be enough air going through the whole hose to suck up everything and keep the bottom part from clogging. I just figured this out a couple of weeks ago and it's like having a new vacuum. I hope you have the same problem because if you do, it's a cinch to fix!

I had problems with a hose clogging and finally discovered that there was something stuck in in to partially block it which then caused a total block more quickly. Take the hose off and see if you can look thru it end to end.

Another possible cause could be that the bag is too full causing the hose to clog before the debris gets to the bag.

I would suggest one of two things...first off, try vacuuming more frequently. It may not be "inches deep in filth" but a week is a REALLY long time with kids and pets, and it could just be more than that particular vacuum can handle.
Second...invest in a better vacuum. I have the Dyson Animal. I got it as a Christmas gift (yes, I asked for a vacuum for my gift, lame, I know, lol) in 2007 and have never had any problems with it. We (at the time) had a very old husky who would blow his fur 4-6 times per year, in addition to the regular shedding. I was spending $70-$120 on your typical canister/bag vacuums (hoover, dirt devil, eureka, etc) at least twice per year. I would only get about 4 good months out of any of them. My Dyson was close to $500, but in the long run, we've already saved money by buying it.

I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 kids & a hubby. My living room & bed room are wall to wall carpet. The rest of the house is wood or vinyl. I have never had this problem. The dyson does a great job picking up animal hair. I highly recommend it if you decide to get a new vacuum.

Does the brush roll actually spin when the vacuum is on?
Have you cleaned it? Sometimes hair will get wrapped around it so it won't spin.
Also, you might need to replace a belt.
I have a bagless and it works great, but I do have to clean the brush roll often.

It could be time to invest in a new one. They have vacuum cleaner "hospitals" almost everywhere.
It could just be something really simple.

I have a dog and a Dyson, and they are a match made in heaven. But one thing that occurs to me is that either a.) you aren't getting all of the clog cleared so it keeps happening or b.) your filter needs to be cleaned/ changed. I'd check that.

I have multiple pets and multiple kids and have had a Dyson Animal for 8 years and I love the damn thing! Never ever, ever clogs. Never! In fact after 8 years we've only had to do minor maintenance and cleanings. It was worth every penny.

I hear you with vacuums... I was going through at least 2 a year with my birds (bird seed). The only vacuum that could stand the test of time was a Hoover canister vacuum that I could regularly clean out the parts and hoses... I would end up taking it apart about once a month and run all of the parts through the dishwasher... I would also wash out the filter and let it airdry...

It's probably the pet hair that's clogging it up... One person told me that a bagged vacuum might fix those issues, but I haven't tried it. (I'm too cheap to buy bags all the time)

Also, unfortunately the Roomba won't be that effective for you either... You'll have to cut through the pet hair every ten minutes...

Good luck! I know a good vacuum is hard to find! I just inherited an old canister vac. from my Grandmom and it works great! Sometimes they don't make them like they used to...

My bagless dirt devil does the same thing. It's so irritating.

Have you checked the beater brush for hair and all that?? My kenmore canister didn't get tangled up as bad as my dyson does but my daughter and I have long hair so I have to clean it off the beater brush at least once a month. My dyson is my first upright and I've never had any clog issues with it.

Shaire

I have an upright Hoover. Had it 8 years. It is great. When I had a dog, of course I didn't have kids, I vacuumed everyday. Labs just shed so much. The internal hoses clogged a few times bc of all the dog hair. Once that was fixed it worked great. It still does.