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Vaccuum Switching Off From Overheating

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joko | 18:30 Tue 24th Aug 2021 | How it Works
21 Answers
i have a tesco vacuum. VCBL1411 model

it works fine - great very powerful, but after about 5-10 mins of use it shuts off for a while & wont go back on for about 10 mins or somehting
(timings are a guess)

i know this is safety thing, it happens with hairdryers when the nozzle is too close - i can hear a very faint click when its ready to be turned back on again.
no noticed a click with the vac but not really listened for it.

thing is, the vac is just sitting there, as usual, its not against something, nothing it obstructing the airflow etc - so why is it just over heating?

i have other vac & none of them do this.

so what could be causing this? any ideas?

its old & no warranty etc, but i'm quite handy with electronics - got plenty of tools etc, & have repaired a few other things in the past, laptops, radio etc, so i'm happy to open it up - IF theres any point in me doing it - is there anything inside that could be wrong that i could fix?
or will i just have to wait for it to come on again when its cooled down?
or is this normal?
i try not to have the nozzle flat on the carpet for more than a second or 2 at a time, i keep lifting it to let the air in.

thanks :)

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the part that gets really hot to touch is the back of it - the part where the vent & i assume the motor is - the rest is cool.
but there is nothing at all blocking it - ive even taken the vent off - so theres only a piece of vented plastic housing there, that is also a vent so air is getting in easily- the slats in it are very small - only 3-4mm wide - but its still over heating after 5 mins or so.
ive looked throught the vent with a torch and cant see an visible signs of overheating or dust or blockages etc

one thought though -
im not certain if there is supposed to be a soft insert filter that goes between the 2 plastic filters in this area - i think probably there was once, but i dont know where it is, & i dont remember ever seeing it, but could the inside of the machine have more particles that it should inside that area?

and if so - would i be able to clean this - or would it be too much of a job, & may as well buy a new vac?

as i say, im quite handy & quite like doing these sorts of jobs if i know its something i can do

thanks :)
wherever it is - you need to clean the filter - it is probably filthy with dust.
If you are handy - take it apart - unloosen some screws etc and away you go.

Before I bought my new Sony - I took the back off my 40" Samsung TV cos somebody said it could be dusty and indeed it was. I cleaned the components with rubbing alcohol - put it all together and worked liked a a dream but I was trying to get rid of a little mark on the screen which didn't go away. The TV is now in bedroom. TVs everywhere.
Is the bag full?
after five minutes, Hopkirk? Joko's gonna need a bigger bag...
Question Author
thanks all - i have cleaned the filter a few times - very thoroughly, with a pick to get every last bit of build up out, then rinsed it - makes no difference.
ive cleaned anything that can be cleaned really.
the filter is user accessible so i havent needed to unscrew anything to do that.

so there is no visible buildup anywhere that a user is supposed to maintain.
this is why im wondering if its time to get inside it, but as i say i dont know if there is even anything in there that i cant already access?
i mean theres only the motor left i think, isnt there? but i'd think that is sealed off from the dust etc, be odd to leave it open.

it is bagless, but even when empty it still switches off too quickly - it should only really overheat if something is causing it too, not just from normal use, surely?
You say you have cleaned 'the filter', but there are 3 filters: the Dust Cup Filter, the Inlet Filter and the Exhaust Filter - have you cleaned all of them?
By lifting the nozzle off the carpet so often you are doing exactly the thing that will cause your vacuum motor to overheat.

Vacuum cleaners use a centrifugal fan. The lower the restriction on the intake side, the more air is drawn in and the higher the load on the motor becomes.

Keep the nozzle flat on the carpet and the problem will go away.
More than likely a filter problem this site might be able to help

https://www.espares.co.uk/browse/at1086ma2075/vacuum-cleaners/tesco
Everyone is barking up the wrong tree. It is not restriction of air flow that is the problem by the lack of restriction. The motor is being overloaded by too much air coming in.

joko said it in their original question, "i try not to have the nozzle flat on the carpet for more than a second or 2 at a time, i keep lifting it to let the air in."

Stop letting so much air in!

I disagree, the filter will be the problem
it might just not be a very good vaccume cleaner did it used to be better?
it does sound like a filter or blockage issue. Have you cleaned all 3 filters and are all the parts there?

Not one of you understands the physics of a centrifugal fan. The reality is counter-intuitive for many people who think a blockage increases the load.

An unrestricted intake results in increased mass of air inside the fan which increases the suction as that mass is thrown out, drawing in even more air. A small change in the intake restriction multiplies the load on the motor.

Try this. Block the inlet to your vacuum cleaner and listen. Does the motor speed up or slow down? It speeds up because of the reduced load with less air.

The current drawn by the motor increases as it is slowed. The motor is getting hot because it is overloaded by too much air.
Maybe thats because one of the filters is missing?
Whether you are right or wrong Beso, a healthy machine would not be overheating. There is a fault of some sort.
Fair enough beso. Surely though the air intake is managed by the filters?
Buy another one - they are cheap. I could never use what you use anyway - a cylinder - mine are all upright.

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