The 20' hose for my central vacuum cleaner sucked up a small plastic
garbage bag. We have tried putting several broomsticks in the hose to
push out the obstruction, but it has not worked. Short of buying a
plumber's snake, any other suggestions?

wrote:
The 20' hose for my central vacuum cleaner sucked up a small plastic
garbage bag. We have tried putting several broomsticks in the hose to
push out the obstruction, but it has not worked. Short of buying a
plumber's snake, any other suggestions?

If it's a "plastic" hose:

Try flushing it out with a garden hose, using a wet rag or something to
contain leakage and pressure loss where the two hoses overlap.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
wrote:
The 20' hose for my central vacuum cleaner sucked up a small plastic
garbage bag. We have tried putting several broomsticks in the hose to
push out the obstruction, but it has not worked. Short of buying a
plumber's snake, any other suggestions?

If it's a "plastic" hose:

Try flushing it out with a garden hose, using a wet rag or something
to contain leakage and pressure loss where the two hoses overlap.

HTH,

Jeff

I like that one and the one of reversing air flow direction to blow it
back out.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

possibly you can connect the hose to the vac's exhaust and blow it out
wrote in message
ups.com...
The 20' hose for my central vacuum cleaner sucked up a small plastic
garbage bag. We have tried putting several broomsticks in the hose to
push out the obstruction, but it has not worked. Short of buying a
plumber's snake, any other suggestions?

You're sure it's _in_ the hose? Assuming you've not been able to suck
it back out the way it came in, I'd try the following:
Buy a length of BX cable, 20", possibly with thought in mind of using
it for upcoming project. Tape over one end, so no sharp edges are
exposed.
Use that end to push out obstruction, while vac is sucking on either
end of it.
I keep some odd lengths of armored cable around for just such
contingencies.
HTH,
J

I think the BX would be a good idea. You've also got the right idea to
wonder if the clog is in the hose.

Wonder if the original poster tried the vac without the hose to see if it
had draw back at the outlet?

Small note: The " symbol means inches.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


wrote in message
oups.com...
You're sure it's _in_ the hose? Assuming you've not been able to suck
it back out the way it came in, I'd try the following:
Buy a length of BX cable, 20", possibly with thought in mind of using
it for upcoming project. Tape over one end, so no sharp edges are
exposed.
Use that end to push out obstruction, while vac is sucking on either
end of it.
I keep some odd lengths of armored cable around for just such
contingencies.
HTH,
J

If the clog is in the hose, the unit
will build up vacuum, the motor will go
higher pitch and when you try to unplug
the hose from the inlet, there will
be a hugh rush of air. If it is in the
tubing, you won't have the big air rush.
On mine, if the hose is plugged and
plugged pretty solid, it becomes hard
to even remove the hose connector from
the inlet. Also, if the hose is
plugged and you lay it out on the floor,
you can usually see the hose
contract on the wall side of the clog.
Running you ear along the hose
can frequently find a large turbulant
sound at the clog. Sometimes, if you
flex the hose at that spot, it will
break up and get sucked in as the clog is
usually one item catching a bunch of
other things.

Stormin Mormon wrote:
I think the BX would be a good idea. You've also got the right idea to
wonder if the clog is in the hose.

Wonder if the original poster tried the vac without the hose to see if it
had draw back at the outlet?

Small note: The " symbol means inches.

The clog is definitely in the hose; there's plenty of "draw" at the
outlet when using the other hose I have for another floor. We'll try
the garden hose... Thanks for all the suggestions!