This is why we can't have nice things!

[Old Coastie]

Tuesday, Herself had to go to the dentist and have a tooth put in. So the elves finished a job up. They used my beat up relic of an AquaClean to suck floor slops off the tile.

Yesterday I'm trying to use it to do a simple carpet but the brand new motor sounds pissed. "Hey" I asked the foreman, "did you guys by any chance let this overfill and suck glop into my brand new vac motor?"

"Hmm... Maybe..."

So here's the weird question of the day: can I spray water into the intake and rinse out the innards? God knows I don't want to shell out for another motor!

 

[hogjowl]

I have no idea with that thing, but you can with a REAL TM.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Tuesday, Herself had to go to the dentist and have a tooth put in. So the elves finished a job up. They used my beat up relic of an AquaClean to suck floor slops off the tile.

Yesterday I'm trying to use it to do a simple carpet but the brand new motor sounds pissed. "Hey" I asked the foreman, "did you guys by any chance let this overfill and suck glop into my brand new vac motor?"

"Hmm... Maybe..."

So here's the weird question of the day: can I spray water into the intake and rinse out the innards? God knows I don't want to shell out for another motor!

Is it making a grindy higher pitched sound? If so it's not going to go away. It's cheaper to replace again rather than repair.
Sorry, but I hope your new tooth looks good

 

[Old Coastie]

Is it making a grindy higher pitched sound? If so it's not going to go away. It's cheaper to replace again rather than repair.
Sorry, but I hope your new tooth looks good

Aw come ON! There's less than 20 hours on that motor!

 

[Goomer]

Most often, what gets sucked into the stack is mostly liquid or foam, as most heavier solids make their way to the bottom of the tank.

Most vacs will survive exposure to small amounts of liquid if they are ran dry for a few minutes immediately afterwards.

The highest potential for damage exists when they are shut down "wet" and any residual moisture left inside them has time to do damage/rust the internals during down time, so I would think any issue would be most likely due to extended exposure to moisture as opposed to an obstruction from solids.

Ray is right about the sound being a big indicator in regards to vac motor health.

Run it in your shop for an hour while varying it's load and see if the sound dissipates.

Gently probing the exhaust ports for dingleberries can yield additional clues in determining what if anything passed through the vacs.

Any audible changes in pitch/tone/rpm's that remains will most likely indicate replacement, as it "shitting the bed" is iminent.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Buy a new motor throw it on the shelf. Run this puppy until she smokes.

Gawwd you guys and your "toys".

 

[Scott S.]

i remember smoking a vac motor, it always sucks. $330 poof. grrrrrrrrrrraawwwwwwwww

 

[Desk Jockey]

I had a bad extension cord yesterday and it worked fine until the last hour. Then it popped and blackened the Cimex prongs. I cut the end off so no one else will use it.

Always something.

Oh well gives something to do later.

 

[Old Coastie]

Wellllll.......

Unlike you guys who print your own money, I use what I must. However!

This morning I cheerfully sprayed about a gallon of degreaser through the old paperweight, figuring "hey, why not?"

It gushed brown liquid, proving the elves need a flogging, then I sprayed as much water as it could choke on. Seems to have helped.

Loved the suggestion to gently probe for dingleberries, though. 'Bout splorked my coffee on that.

Might be a relative, hahaha

 

[Desk Jockey]

Wellllll.......

Stephen is there not a shut off float on the unit? I'd get them some defoam liquid and get them in practice of spraying a little in before they start cleaning.

 

[Brian H]

I would spray a bit of #40 Water Displacement formula (WD-40) in it and then let it run for at least 1/2 hour. Watch out where the exhaust is pointed because it will spray out.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Completely disassemble the work end of the blower, carefully popping the pan off with a putty knife.

Then remove the center nut while locking the fans from rotation. Remove and store the washer, spacer, and fan in order.

Repeat for each fan level. There will likely be trash in the fans. Clean them and carefully reassemble in order.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

A warning: some of the suggestions in this thread are for TM roots-type blowers, NOT lamb-type fan vacuum motors.

Thus ixnay running any liquid or solvent thru a lamb vac.

 

[Old Coastie]

Completely disassemble the work end of the blower, carefully popping the pan off with a putty knife.

Then remove the center nut while locking the fans from rotation. Remove and store the washer, spacer, and fan in order.

Repeat for each fan level. There will likely be trash in the fans. Clean them and carefully reassemble in order.

Sadly, this is a three stage sealed unit. I cut the old one open and did just that, then carefully re-welded it and epoxied to be sure. Ran good until it skidded to a stop, so I bought the new vac motor.

This one was fine Monday, swallowed gunk Tuesday and you never saw so many innocent looks on Wednesday.

The float thing is missing the ball. Dang it I never figured those guys would fill it up!

 

[Desk Jockey]

The float thing is missing the ball. Dang it I never figured those guys would fill it up!

The smaller recovery tank allows foam to be picked up and sucked through the motor. The foam is water, not necessarily over filling the tank.

They need a mat beneath it and they need to learn to listen for a pitch change in the motor. Don't just keep cleaning.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Sadly, this is a three stage sealed unit. I cut the old one open and did just that, then carefully re-welded it and epoxied to be sure. Ran good until it skidded to a stop, so I bought the new vac motor.

This one was fine Monday, swallowed gunk Tuesday and you never saw so many innocent looks on Wednesday.

The float thing is missing the ball. Dang it I never figured those guys would fill it up!

It could have been warn motor brushes that made it stop.
They're easy to change.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

The smaller recovery tank allows foam to be picked up and sucked through the motor. The foam is water, not necessarily over filling the tank.

They need a mat beneath it and they need to learn to listen for a pitch change in the motor. Don't just keep cleaning.

The ball should be activated by the foam most of the time.
Make sure that the float chamber is clean so the ball doesn't get hung up.

 

[Desk Jockey]

The ball should be activated by the foam most of the time.
Make sure that the float chamber is clean so the ball doesn't get hung up.

Not when there is no ball.

The float thing is missing the ball.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Not when there is no ball.

I figured the ball was replaced by now

 

[hogjowl]

I'll be glad to expose you to professional equipment when you come to see me.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I figured the ball was replaced by now

We're carpet cleaners Ray. We just keep cleaning trying to earn the money to pay for the parts.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

I don't want to sell parts unless they are worn out. Really don't want to sell vacuum motors because someone lost the ping pong ball

 

[Willy P]

"Gently probing the exhaust ports for dingleberries"

Probe your own damn ports !

 

[Old Coastie]

I'll be glad to expose you to professional equipment when you come to see me.

Mighty kind of you!

 

[Old Coastie]

I don't want to sell parts unless they are worn out. Really don't want to sell vacuum motors because someone lost the ping pong ball

Do you sell first aid kits? Because four elves may need a LOT of bandaids soon.

 

[Ray Burnfield]

Do you sell first aid kits? Because four elves may need a LOT of bandaids soon.

Remember!
No violence in the workplace.
That's why we have the other crutches.

 

[ruff]

I'll be glad to expose you to professional equipment when you come to see me.

Is Old Coastie, Marty's son?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Twin

 

[ruff]

I can tell.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Well Ofer all them folks are related down there!