re Kenmore Canister Vacuum Cleaner 116.25915503

the problem:

i was using vacuum and was moving around as normal, and had to use the hose to pull the machine closer to me. but i did it gently -- i didn't tug it very hard at all.

right then the hose popped out of the machine at the canister -- and the vacuum cleaner motor instantly stopped working. no big deal, right?

so i put the hose back in, and tried to turn it on again -- but nothing happened -- no lights, no noise, no motor starting up. and no indicator light showing a jam or anything.

[ please note that at the time, i had not run over anything, the motor sounded completely normal, and the carpet was not particularly dirty. nothing was caught or jammed in the belt, nor under the floorpiece. the setting was at the normal carpet setting that we always use, and so there was nothing unusual at all. ]

in fact the only thing that happened was that the hose came out, and the motor stopped. so i put the hose back in.

thinking it might need a reset, i looked at the machine parts, and saw the reset button on the floor attachment, where the rolling head /beater is.

so i pressed the reset button but nothing happened. the reset light was not even on.

my roommate and inspected the machine and saw nothing -- so we took apart the floor piece and see if there is anything obviously wrong, but there did not seem to be -- the belt is fine and was not jammed.

with the cover of the floorpiece off, i pressed the red reset button inside the floor piece/beater assembly, but again, nothing happened.

so we cannot figure out what the problem is. my hunch is that it would be some electrical catch -- some reason the current is not getting to, or is not being allowed to get to, the motor.

-- what could be the reasons for this, and where should i look?
-- could the machine just need a proper reset ?
-- what else could be preventing the machine from restarting? there was no apparent stress on the motor during use, and no weird sounds, so it seems unlikely that i fried the motor simply by the hose coming out.
-- could it be something simple like a fuse, and if so, why did the fuse suddenly blow when the hose simply came out -- what would the trigger event have been?

help! thanks in advance.

philip in SF, December 2008

Phillip, I am wounded - my help is rejected... I may survive...

So far only one kind soul has offered to help you... me...
Spurn my support if you must, I can take it, just. But be aware of my credentials...

RAF Apprentice 1962 Navigation Instruments & Electronics - Bombsight computers - analogue navigation computers - gunsights - Auto Pilots - Gyro Compasses - all flight instruments. IBM service engineer Cheque Readers and systems London Banks - Computer support specialist Northern Europe. Service Engineer in Chip manufacturing Plant. Service Engineer for Concorde Flight Test programme telemetry and data recording. Consultant to UK Museum of Science & Technology. Used to repairing faults on complex electro mechanical systems. Sometimes actually trained and experienced but most often working "blind". 46 years of getting it wrong from time to time.

Now in retirement I try to help the helpless and now and again I get it right. Good luck with your machine...

Peccavi, December 2008

i forgot to mention that the hose had popped out once before, a few weeks ago.

when we put it back in, we noticed a small circular shaped piece of plastic on the floor. it appeared to be part of the retaining collar thread on the machine itself, where the hose normally screwed in.

if that broken piece of the retaining thread made it easier for the hose to pop out, then it explains why it took so little force for it to come out last weekend.

but it still doesn't explain the motor turning off.

philip in sf, December 2008

i had already checked the cord. it is fine, and there are no tears or strains -- as i said already, the cord was completely unrelated and uninvolved with what happened.

for the record, peccavi: thanks for the response, i think, but specific answers filled with facts and details, showing actual knowledge of the machine in question, or how to repair it, are helpful; psychological evaluations of, and comments on the length a poster's question, are not helpful, and not useful.

for everyone else -- the vacuum still is not working. just trying to save my roommate some money bringing it in for repair.

does anyone have any ideas or any electrical-related advice pertinent to this machine?

thanks in advance.

philip in sf, December 2008

Your original question was somewhat overlong and there was quite a bit about how careful you had been. From this distance and not seeing your machine it goes like this.

It should take considerable force to pull the hose from the machine if it was (a) designed properly and (b) fitted correctly. Given that the power failed at the same moment that the hose popped out then it is reasonable to assume that both events may well be connected.

If you tug hard enough on the hose (hard enough to pull it out) you are also tugging with the same force on the power cord IF the power cord is trapped - like under a door for instance.

I am unable to see your machine but if it were mine and if I were trying to repair it I would first suspect the integrity of the cord - particularly the wire attachment at each end. I would also feel the cord itself for any signs of interior damage and snapped conductors inside.

As you say in your hunch..."some reason the current is not getting to, or is not being allowed to get to, the motor."

It's my hunch too - which is why I suggest you check the cord - the most likely failure area even without the gentle tug and hose pop.

Even if you really, really, really did just pull the hose gently I think it's still a good idea to check the cord first - before you dismantle the machine - it's a quick and simple thing to do at zero cost.

Have you actually checked the cord yet?

Peccavi, December 2008

hi peccavi --
i'm not sure what you mean by "check the power cord" -- check to see if it is torn or strained in some way?

the power cord was not related to how the hose popped out; i know because i was looking at the hose when it happened. and i did really just pull the hose pretty gently -- i only said that to clarify that there was no force or anything unusual about what happened. (not because i was raised catholic and thus was also raised to feel guilty.)

thanks for the reply though.

philip in SF, December 2008

Hose probably popped out because power cord was pulling against it. Your, "i did it gently -- i didn't tug it very hard at all." sounds far too defensive.... like a statement to the vacuum cleaner police... "it wasn't me officer - I was in another room at the time."

Check power cord before anything else. Take care.

Peccavi, December 2008