My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

On Wednesday, 14 December 2016 21:36:28 UTC, Murmansk wrote:

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

I'd find out before binning it. It may be something as simple as a switch - probably is.


NT

On Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:36:26 -0800, Murmansk wrote:

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly
stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate
the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I
though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

Is this the main vac part, or the pump for the wet part?



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wrote
Murmansk wrote

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't
had much use, suddenly stopped working today
and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate
the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have
caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

I'd find out before binning it. It may be
something as simple as a switch - probably is.

Unlikely a switch failure would produce that symptom of
running for a quarter of a second every time its switched on.

More likely something else has failed and its shutting down
auto every time its turned on because of that other failure.

On Wednesday, 14 December 2016 21:36:28 UTC, Murmansk wrote:
My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

It might only need new carbon brushes.

On Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:36:26 -0800 (PST), Murmansk
wrote:

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.


Cannot remember if they have a cut out when they they get full, if it
has is there any chance something is sticking so the machine "thinks"
it is full and shuts off?
Might pay to look around and see if anything has got stuck.

G.Harman

Well could be just brushes, or maybe the motor itsself is knackarered, like
one winding shorted turns and then thermal cut out shuts it down. Could be
repairable, but the question is, is it cost effective?
Brian

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"Murmansk" wrote in message
...
My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly
stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the
switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I
though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

On 14/12/2016 21:36, Murmansk wrote:
My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use,
suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell.
Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it -
I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.


My Wickes equivalent (Earlex) did the same. The motor is very
powerful and needs a lot of cooling. The cooling fan on the Earlex
(which may be the same bought-in motor that numatic use) is
attached by a nut that comes loose so the cooling fan doesn't
spin. The motor overheats and fries its internal wiring in an
instant.

LUckily Earlex sell complete motor/top housing assemblies
which cost me £30 (in 2011).

On Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:07:56 +0000, Andrew wrote:

On 14/12/2016 21:36, Murmansk wrote:
My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use,
suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell.
Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it -
I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.


My Wickes equivalent (Earlex) did the same. The motor is very powerful
and needs a lot of cooling. The cooling fan on the Earlex (which may be
the same bought-in motor that numatic use) is attached by a nut that
comes loose so the cooling fan doesn't spin. The motor overheats and
fries its internal wiring in an instant.

LUckily Earlex sell complete motor/top housing assemblies which cost me
£30 (in 2011).

You can easily get Numatic spares too. Buying a new one seems a bit over
the top (especially in a DIY group!)

I asked if it was that or the pump, because they have a habit of jamming
but are easily freed up.


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On 15/12/2016 08:57, wrote:
On Wed, 14 Dec 2016 13:36:26 -0800 (PST), Murmansk
wrote:

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.


Cannot remember if they have a cut out when they they get full, if it
has is there any chance something is sticking so the machine "thinks"
it is full and shuts off?
Might pay to look around and see if anything has got stuck.

Night pay to empty the bag?

Is this the main vac part, or the pump for the wet part?

Erm, not sure I understand the question. It's the big black circular heavy thing with a motor in it and a flex going to it that sits on the top of the body in which the bag sits.

To convert it from wet to dry you take out the bag and filter and put in another filter with a float valve.

As far as I can see the thing that does the sucking is the same whether it's in wet mode or dry mode - in wet mode it sucks water and in dry mode it sucks dirt!

In article ,
Murmansk writes:
My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

Burning smell is probably the winding having overheated.
If it melted, it won't be repairable, but you can get a
replacement motor. Failed windings can result in motor
speed varying in early stages of failure, as windings
short intermitently, but the sorting generates much more
heat and it will quickly wreck itself.

This is caused by insufficient air flow (air path blocked),
or bearing having failed with lots of resistance. Failed
bearings usually become very noisy before they die.

Some of them (maybe all) have a soft-start circuit board,
but I don't recall seeing that fail in any I've looked at.
Had one with a failed mains switch, but no burning smell
in that case.

If there's a Restart Party or Repair Cafe anywhere near you,
take it along and they'll help you diagnose it. We see lots
of them.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:45:21 -0800, Murmansk wrote:

Is this the main vac part, or the pump for the wet part?

Erm, not sure I understand the question. It's the big black circular
heavy thing with a motor in it and a flex going to it that sits on the
top of the body in which the bag sits.

To convert it from wet to dry you take out the bag and filter and put in
another filter with a float valve.

As far as I can see the thing that does the sucking is the same whether
it's in wet mode or dry mode - in wet mode it sucks water and in dry
mode it sucks dirt!

Yes, but I was asking if it's the sucky bit that doesn't work, or the
squirty bit.

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On 15 Dec 2016 22:17:31 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:45:21 -0800, Murmansk wrote:

Is this the main vac part, or the pump for the wet part?

Erm, not sure I understand the question. It's the big black circular
heavy thing with a motor in it and a flex going to it that sits on the
top of the body in which the bag sits.

To convert it from wet to dry you take out the bag and filter and put in
another filter with a float valve.

As far as I can see the thing that does the sucking is the same whether
it's in wet mode or dry mode - in wet mode it sucks water and in dry
mode it sucks dirt!

Yes, but I was asking if it's the sucky bit that doesn't work, or the
squirty bit.

It's wet or dry, not a carpet cleaner type - that one's George and has a
pump.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Fri, 16 Dec 2016 08:26:04 +0000, PeterC wrote:

On 15 Dec 2016 22:17:31 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:45:21 -0800, Murmansk wrote:

Is this the main vac part, or the pump for the wet part?

Erm, not sure I understand the question. It's the big black circular
heavy thing with a motor in it and a flex going to it that sits on the
top of the body in which the bag sits.

To convert it from wet to dry you take out the bag and filter and put
in another filter with a float valve.

As far as I can see the thing that does the sucking is the same
whether it's in wet mode or dry mode - in wet mode it sucks water and
in dry mode it sucks dirt!

Yes, but I was asking if it's the sucky bit that doesn't work, or the
squirty bit.

It's wet or dry, not a carpet cleaner type - that one's George and has a
pump.

Ah, sorry. Don't know how I made that mistake; George and Henry live
together here, under the stairs!

George is basically a Charles with a pump - still does wet or dry.



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Charles just sucks and isn't fussy what he sucks as long as you have prepared his innards first if you want him to suck water!

On 12/14/2016 10:06 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, 14 December 2016 21:36:28 UTC, Murmansk wrote:

My Numatic Charles wet and dry vac, which hasn't had much use, suddenly stopped working today and gave off a burning smell. Now when I operate the switch it'll run for about a quarter of a second.

I've ordered another, one but I wondered what might have caused it - I though they lasted for years, must be unlucky.

I'd find out before binning it. It may be something as simple as a switch - probably is.


NT

Or brushes. Seen things a bit like this with broken wiring for that matter.