Has anyone ever seen this before...?

When using the brushbar on our Vax upright cleaner (model Air3 Pet, about 7 years old) it emits a load of noise, even after laboriously pulling all debris off it. Spent ages trying to find out how to remove it to inspect the drive belt (the bearings for the brushbar seems to be glued in place) and couldn't find any reference to replacing the brushbar or drive belt anywhere on the internet. Eventually found the user manual for the cleaner online, which said "Brushbar and belt are not removable".

Has anyone ever seen a vacuum cleaner without a serviceable drive belt before? If this is really the case it seems scandalous. Or has anyone on the forum actually managed to remove the brushbar on this model?

TIA,

David.

Yes my Vax is like this, the brush bar simply has a kind of paddle wheel in
the airflow which turns the brush, but as you say actually does not turn the
brush due to crap in the bearings after a while reducing the suction as
well. There are screws in my head so I removed them, cleaned out the
bearings but however I put it back together it was never as free as when it
was new. I bought a second one and itsuffered the same fate, so I bought a
more sensible vacuum, a Bosch and a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not
to need them as the suction is ten times better.
Brian

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"Dave N" wrote in message
...
Has anyone ever seen this before...?

When using the brushbar on our Vax upright cleaner (model Air3 Pet, about 7
years old) it emits a load of noise, even after laboriously pulling all
debris off it. Spent ages trying to find out how to remove it to inspect the
drive belt (the bearings for the brushbar seems to be glued in place) and
couldn't find any reference to replacing the brushbar or drive belt anywhere
on the internet. Eventually found the user manual for the cleaner online,
which said "Brushbar and belt are not removable".

Has anyone ever seen a vacuum cleaner without a serviceable drive belt
before? If this is really the case it seems scandalous. Or has anyone on the
forum actually managed to remove the brushbar on this model?

TIA,

David.

On Wednesday, 13 January 2021 at 17:35:59 UTC, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Yes my Vax is like this, the brush bar simply has a kind of paddle wheel in
the airflow which turns the brush, but as you say actually does not turn the
brush due to crap in the bearings after a while reducing the suction as
well. There are screws in my head so I removed them, cleaned out the
bearings but however I put it back together it was never as free as when it
was new. I bought a second one and itsuffered the same fate, so I bought a
more sensible vacuum, a Bosch and a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not
to need them as the suction is ten times better.
Brian
I think you're referring to the brushbar in the mini head that attaches to the hose (gave up on that long ago!)
What I'm talking about is the large brushbar in the main cleaner head that is driven by a toothed belt connected to the motor.
Most Vax models seem to have this at the end of the brushbar and a removable cover to service it, but this model's drive belt
is near the middle of the bar, as I've seen on Dyson uprights. But the Dyson brushbars I've seen can easily be pulled out.
Apparently not this one

On 13/01/2021 17:35, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
There are screws in my head so I removed them,

Come again love?

Bill

On 13/01/2021 17:16, Dave N wrote:
Has anyone ever seen this before...?

When using the brushbar on our Vax upright cleaner (model Air3 Pet, about 7 years old) it emits a load of noise, even after laboriously pulling all debris off it. Spent ages trying to find out how to remove it to inspect the drive belt (the bearings for the brushbar seems to be glued in place) and couldn't find any reference to replacing the brushbar or drive belt anywhere on the internet. Eventually found the user manual for the cleaner online, which said "Brushbar and belt are not removable".

Has anyone ever seen a vacuum cleaner without a serviceable drive belt before? If this is really the case it seems scandalous. Or has anyone on the forum actually managed to remove the brushbar on this model?


I googles "Air3 Pet disassembly"

Vax Air Pets and Family - Repair and A Look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3b1SDo7PpA

--
Adrian C

Ours is a different model from that with no screws on the side of the main floor head, which is like this one: https://www.espares.co.uk/product/es1671457
It seems that you have to replace the complete floor head if the belt is damaged!

I googles "Air3 Pet disassembly"

Vax Air Pets and Family - Repair and A Look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3b1SDo7PpA

--
Adrian C

On 13/01/2021 18:47, Dave N wrote:
Ours is a different model from that with no screws on the side of the main floor head, which is like this one: https://www.espares.co.uk/product/es1671457
It seems that you have to replace the complete floor head if the belt is damaged!

I googles "Air3 Pet disassembly"

Vax Air Pets and Family - Repair and A Look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3b1SDo7PpA

--
Adrian C
We used to say nothing sucks like an ElectroLux - until we bought a Vax.

Biggest waste of money ever. get a Henry.


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Renewable energy: Expensive solutions that don't work to a problem that
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don't protect, masquerading as public servants who don't serve the public.

On 13/01/2021 17:35, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:

a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not
to need them as the suction is ten times better.

The Henry has an optional rotational brush bar powered by the air flow.
It very works well -- until it tries to pick up something longer or
wider than the slots in the vane assembly that drives the brush bar.
Usually manually turning the brush bar in the reverse direction clears
the blockage but sometimes a dismantle is required. It is an attachment
more suited to operating on carpets that are free of large debris.

In this attachment the 'bearings' are only held by the plastic case but
over time can become jammed in with dust and a bit of mild force is
required to release then from the casing.

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On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 22:42:51 +0000, alan_m wrote:

On 13/01/2021 17:35, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:

a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not to need them as the suction
is ten times better.

The Henry has an optional rotational brush bar powered by the air flow.
It very works well -- until it tries to pick up something longer or
wider than the slots in the vane assembly that drives the brush bar.
Usually manually turning the brush bar in the reverse direction clears
the blockage but sometimes a dismantle is required. It is an attachment
more suited to operating on carpets that are free of large debris.

In this attachment the 'bearings' are only held by the plastic case but
over time can become jammed in with dust and a bit of mild force is
required to release then from the casing.

I would add that ours became jammed like that and the bearings started
rotating in the casing. One of them became deformed by the subsequent
heat.

Not a problem - trivial to fit and very cheap.



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On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:43:48 -0800, Dave N wrote:

On Wednesday, 13 January 2021 at 17:35:59 UTC, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Yes my Vax is like this, the brush bar simply has a kind of paddle
wheel in the airflow which turns the brush, but as you say actually
does not turn the brush due to crap in the bearings after a while
reducing the suction as well. There are screws in my head so I removed
them, cleaned out the bearings but however I put it back together it
was never as free as when it was new. I bought a second one and
itsuffered the same fate, so I bought a more sensible vacuum, a Bosch
and a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not to need them as the
suction is ten times better.
Brian
I think you're referring to the brushbar in the mini head that attaches
to the hose (gave up on that long ago!)
What I'm talking about is the large brushbar in the main cleaner head
that is driven by a toothed belt connected to the motor.
Most Vax models seem to have this at the end of the brushbar and a
removable cover to service it, but this model's drive belt is near the
middle of the bar, as I've seen on Dyson uprights. But the Dyson
brushbars I've seen can easily be pulled out. Apparently not this one

I found it works quite well, especially on stairs, but does need attention
regularly to clear hair from the bearings.

On Wed, 13 Jan 2021 18:41:53 +0000, Adrian Caspersz
wrote:


On 13/01/2021 17:16, Dave N wrote:

Has anyone ever seen this before...?

When using the brushbar on our Vax upright cleaner (model Air3 Pet, about 7 years old) it emits a load of noise, even after laboriously pulling all debris off it. Spent ages trying to find out how to remove it to inspect the drive belt (the bearings for the brushbar seems to be glued in place) and couldn't find any reference to replacing the brushbar or drive belt anywhere on the internet. Eventually found the user manual for the cleaner online, which said "Brushbar and belt are not removable".

Has anyone ever seen a vacuum cleaner without a serviceable drive belt before? If this is really the case it seems scandalous. Or has anyone on the forum actually managed to remove the brushbar on this model?



I googles "Air3 Pet disassembly"

Vax Air Pets and Family - Repair and A Look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3b1SDo7PpA


That guy seems a bit thick. He struggles for ages trying to get the
big toothed end into position against the pull of the new belt he's
put on the small toothed wheel. He says he can't put the belt on the
big end first because he wouldn't be able to get the belt over the
flange of the small driver. I'm sure the amount of leverage he'd need
to get the belt onto the small driver would be much less than what he
used on the big one. I think he could have even pushed the belt over
the flange with his thumbs.

Anyway it's irrelevant as we now know it's a different model from the
OP's. Although the correct model has no side screws, I'm sure it could
be repaired once its method of manufacture has been analysed.
--
Dave W