Hi...

My wife's been after me about a couple of old appliances that should
either be fixed or tossed. One is a 4-yr-old waring blender that just
quit one day, no burnt smell or anything. Just stopped. I've hung onto
it on the thought that it might be a dead solder or something on the
switch. Usually in the past when blenders have quit on me, you can
smell some burnt part of the engine that gave out.

The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.

Any suggestions on fixing them? Taking either to a repair shop would
cost more than either are worth, I'm sure. I just don't know where to
start.

Sorry if this is too mundane or newbie for the group.

Thanks
-mark

Mark Modrall wrote:

Hi...

My wife's been after me about a couple of old appliances that should
either be fixed or tossed. One is a 4-yr-old waring blender that just
quit one day, no burnt smell or anything. Just stopped. I've hung onto
it on the thought that it might be a dead solder or something on the
switch. Usually in the past when blenders have quit on me, you can
smell some burnt part of the engine that gave out.


Check the wiring. A lot of newer stuff uses push in wiring, and
sometimes it didn't go in far enough, so it comes out. I just salvaged
a new cordless drill that way, and it came with seven 19.2 VDC battery
packs, five chargers, a large handheld buffer, and a flashlight that all
use the same batteries.



The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.


Look at the commutator on the armature. It likely needs cleaned, and
maybe a new set of brushes. As long as the windings aren't burnt, there
isn't a lot to go wrong. I used to connect the vacuum cleaner motor to
12 VDC and polish the commutator on the armature with a large ink
eraser. If the brushes show much wear, just replace them.



Any suggestions on fixing them? Taking either to a repair shop would
cost more than either are worth, I'm sure. I just don't know where to
start.

Sorry if this is too mundane or newbie for the group.

Thanks
-mark


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Mark Modrall spake thus:

The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.

I'd say worth opening up and looking around inside, checking brushes and
such as suggested elsewhere.

Just to give you an idea of how vastly superior some of that old stuff
is to the *crap* being made today, my upright vac is an old Kenmore
(probably a rebranded Hoover) that I bought used ca. 1980 (for $10).
Apart from replacing the footswitch when it finally gave out, I haven't
done a thing to it; that thing works as well as the day I bought it, and
probably pretty damn close as well as the day it was made (~1960). So
yeah, it's worth fixing.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

"Mark Modrall" wrote in message
...
Hi...

My wife's been after me about a couple of old appliances that should
either be fixed or tossed. One is a 4-yr-old waring blender that just
quit one day, no burnt smell or anything. Just stopped. I've hung onto
it on the thought that it might be a dead solder or something on the
switch. Usually in the past when blenders have quit on me, you can
smell some burnt part of the engine that gave out.

The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.

Any suggestions on fixing them? Taking either to a repair shop would
cost more than either are worth, I'm sure. I just don't know where to
start.

Sorry if this is too mundane or newbie for the group.

Thanks
-mark

Blender...tear into it with a continuity meter, and see what happens.
As for the vacuum, if its the type where everything you suck up goes through
the impeller, years of rock/metal bits/screws hits against the impeller may
have chipped it down to nothing.

Mark Modrall wrote:

Hi...

My wife's been after me about a couple of old appliances that should
either be fixed or tossed. One is a 4-yr-old waring blender that just
quit one day, no burnt smell or anything. Just stopped. I've hung onto
it on the thought that it might be a dead solder or something on the
switch. Usually in the past when blenders have quit on me, you can
smell some burnt part of the engine that gave out.
most likely a bad cord,brushes or switch, fixing it may coast more than
its worth but who knows, you must have a meter and knowledge to use it
to know this.

The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.
more than likely the bearings/brushes or both are worn out in the
motor.. toss it.

Thanks
-mark


--
Real Programmers Do things like this.
http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5

On Tue, 19 Sep 2006 02:25:13 GMT, Mark Modrall
wrote:

The second is an old canister vac that is just losing power. I took
the thing apart down to the housing last weekend and cleaned it out, but
it didn't help much. The actual vacuum part (blade and such under the
motor) was in a housing that I couldn't remove so I couldn't tell if
there was something inside I should clean.

I concur with what is already said about it. Don't overlook the
obvious problem with a vacuum passage being plugged up on the
canister.

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

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Jamie t wrote in
:

Mark Modrall wrote:


most likely a bad cord,brushes or switch, fixing it may coast more
than its worth but who knows, you must have a meter and knowledge to
use it to know this.

Those are excellent experimenting devices. If you really screw it up or
you can't get it to work again, nothing lost & experience gained. You
might even wind up with a few spare parts. ;-)

*snip*


Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.


NT

wrote in news:1158773303.616090.44900
@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:


You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.


NT



Gnomes? Lawn ornaments in a vaccum?

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't gonna
be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't gonna
be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.


You're right! No wimpy 50 Hz power is good enough for the US.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't gonna
be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.

I just picked up some free stereo components made in Japan. In each manual
it points out that models exported all over the world have 110/220 power
supplies and need to be switched appropriately.

The one exception is units exported to the USA which have 110 volt supplies
only.

Makes you think!

Homer J Simpson spake thus:

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't gonna
be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.

I just picked up some free stereo components made in Japan. In each manual
it points out that models exported all over the world have 110/220 power
supplies and need to be switched appropriately.

The one exception is units exported to the USA which have 110 volt supplies
only.

Makes you think!

Yes: TWIAVBP.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...

Yes: TWIAVBP.

But Americans won't RTFM.

Homer J Simpson spake thus:

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...

Yes: TWIAVBP.

But Americans won't RTFM.

But what to do when it's written in Chinglish? or Jinglish? or Germish?
or, worse yet, in geek-speak?


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

David Nebenzahl wrote in news:4511b890$0$19909
:


But Americans won't RTFM.

But what to do when it's written in Chinglish? or Jinglish? or Germish?
or, worse yet, in geek-speak?



At least you've got a chance with geek-speak. Those terms EXIST, even if
you don't know them.

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...

But Americans won't RTFM.

But what to do when it's written in Chinglish? or Jinglish? or Germish?
or, worse yet, in geek-speak?

It could be a comic book written for a 5 yr old and they still wouldn't read
it.










....

David Nebenzahl wrote:
spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).


You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.


Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't gonna
be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.




Sure we do, I have some 240V tools here in the US, not hand tools though.

James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't
gonna be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.

Sure we do, I have some 240V tools here in the US, not hand tools though.

You know what I meant: ordinary, plug-in-the-wall stuff. Not talking
about your honking 3-phase, 5-horsepower planer or whatever.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

David Nebenzahl wrote:
James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).


You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.


Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't
gonna be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.


Sure we do, I have some 240V tools here in the US, not hand tools though.


You know what I meant: ordinary, plug-in-the-wall stuff. Not talking
about your honking 3-phase, 5-horsepower planer or whatever.




How about an ordinary plug into the wall 240V air compressor and a small
drill press? These are reasonably common and plug into a normal 15A 240V
receptacle. Many table saws can also be configured for 240 too. Oh and I
have a small arc welder that plugs into 240 as well.

James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad
connection to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't
gonna be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.

Sure we do, I have some 240V tools here in the US, not hand tools
though.

You know what I meant: ordinary, plug-in-the-wall stuff. Not talking
about your honking 3-phase, 5-horsepower planer or whatever.

How about an ordinary plug into the wall 240V air compressor and a small
drill press? These are reasonably common and plug into a normal 15A 240V
receptacle. Many table saws can also be configured for 240 too. Oh and I
have a small arc welder that plugs into 240 as well.

Well, OK; since you're pursuing this so doggedly, let's restrict it to
portable household appliances (not fixed things like clothers dryers),
since that's what the original post was about: I challenge you to name a
single one that runs off of anything other than 120 volts here in the U.S.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)

My computer. :-)


- Mike


"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...
James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

James Sweet spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

spake thus:

default wrote:

You may also want to check commutator/windings with an ohm meter to
make sure they are all the same. An open winding or bad connection
to
the commutator will also cause those symptoms (along with some
sparking from the brushes).

You should find between 20 and 60 gnomes in there for a 240v vac, 1/4
that if 110v.

Dunno about "gnomes", but assuming the OP is in the U.S., it ain't
gonna be a 240-volt unit. We don't use that Yurpeen power over heah'.

Sure we do, I have some 240V tools here in the US, not hand tools
though.

You know what I meant: ordinary, plug-in-the-wall stuff. Not talking
about your honking 3-phase, 5-horsepower planer or whatever.

How about an ordinary plug into the wall 240V air compressor and a small
drill press? These are reasonably common and plug into a normal 15A 240V
receptacle. Many table saws can also be configured for 240 too. Oh and I
have a small arc welder that plugs into 240 as well.

Well, OK; since you're pursuing this so doggedly, let's restrict it to
portable household appliances (not fixed things like clothers dryers),
since that's what the original post was about: I challenge you to name a
single one that runs off of anything other than 120 volts here in the U.S.


--
Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo. The German Wehrmacht won World War
II. The United States won in Vietnam, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The Zealots won against the Romans, and Ehud Olmert won the Second
Lebanon War.

- Uri Avnery, Israeli peace activist
(http://counterpunch.org/avnery09022006.html)