Introduction
When the brush bar can't turn, the vacuum makes a horrible clicking-grinding noise while working on carpet. After about five to ten regular cleanings, chances are enough debris has managed to sneak around the end caps that this deep cleaning is needed.
Ideally this gets done before the bar is so choked with hair that the friction starts melting it. This guide exists so that you can learn from the misfortune of others!
Tools
-
-
-
Remove the brush bar following the process for the Dyson DC14 vacuum.
-
-
-
These are not threaded.
-
Gently hold one end cap while pulling on the other. Wiggle back and forth to slide the cap off the rod running through the center of the brush bar.
-
The spots where hair/debris needs to be removed are circled in red in the third photo.
-
-
-
Problems created by the friction and heat can be trivially prevented with some routine maintenance once owners know that it needs to be done. The debris was causing enough friction and heat to actually melt the brush bar.
-
The bearing itself is a metal ring with ball bearings at the end of the brush bar.
-
The sleeve area where the hair and plastic melted together is not supposed to be a bearing surface. This means that it doesn't need to be very smooth so an unskilled scraping with a utility knife to remove the melted plastic and debris is good enough to make it work.
-
Use a utility knife to carve/scrape away melted plastic and debris until it clears the end cap. It doesn't need to be pretty.
-
Optionally, replace the whole brush bar if it's too far gone or the repair goes poorly.
-
-
-
Insert the rod through the brush bar and press the cap back on the end.
-
The hardest part is getting the end of the brush bar under that tight motor belt. Look for where it hangs up and use the screwdriver shaft to pull in an appropriate direction to allow the brush bar to slide a bit more through.
-
Once the bar is in align the small end of the caps towards the back of the vacuum (as shown)
-
When putting the cover back on, snap the front in first, then press the coin-operated tabs through their holes and turn with a coin.
-
Congrats! You don't need a new vacuum or expensive repair!
-
9 comments
Thank you, finding info on the proper brush placement was difficult. Thanks for your help. Scott
It worked! Beater bar spins strongly now! Some much hair and debris under the end caps! And the pain in my my fingers when they pinched between the belt and the bar is slowly going away lol. Seriously, my wife was ready to buy a new vacuum, so thank you!!!
My beater bar on my DC33 is not moving and there is no suction. There is strong suction on the attachment tool. My husband did get all
the hair and debris from the beater bar.
Sherri -