Amy,
1. I always start by cleaning out the dirt cannister.
2. The half round area on the back of the vac that holds the hose up, take those 2 screws out.
3. You can continue with the unscrewing process (around the rest of the hose, etc.) if this didn't work for you. (The 1st 2 steps usually takes care of it.)
Janet, July 2007
