A vacuum cleaner that will not suck up dirt and debris very well can be really frustrating. Having to vacuum over the same spot over and over again without any effect defeats the purpose of vacuuming in the first place. If your vacuum isn't sucking up dirt like it used to, here are the four most common reasons that your vacuum cleaner isn't working properly and what to do about them.
#1 Vacuum Head Height Is Incorrect
The first thing that you need to do is check the height of the head of your vacuum cleaner. There should be a lever that allows you to adjust your vacuum cleaner's head up or down. It should have a variety of different levels that you can place the height of the vacuum cleaner's head at. Sometimes this is represented in numbers ranging from 1 to 5, and sometimes it is represented by descriptive words such as "bare floor," "short carpet," and/or "thick carpet".
The lowest setting should be used for flat floor surfaces, such as tile, wood, and laminate flooring. If you have really short carpet, you should also use one of the lower settings. The thicker your carpet, the higher the setting you should use. Play around and adjust the settings till you find the right one for your vacuum cleaner and your floors.
#2 Your Bag Needs To Be Changed
The next thing you should check is your vacuum cleaner's bag. If your vacuum cleaner's bag is full of debris, then your vacuum cleaner will not be able to produce the desired level of suction as there is nowhere for the debris to go. Your vacuum cleaner will still sound fine; however, you'll notice that it is not picking anything up.
If this is the case, change the bag on your vacuum cleaner and then plug it back in and get back to work.
#3 Your Hose Is Clogged Up
Sometimes when your bag gets too full, debris gets stuck in your hose as well. When you replace the dirty bag, inspect your hose and see if you can see any debris stuck inside of it. Try to shake the debris out over a trash can.
If that doesn't work, use a long, straight stick, such as a broom handle, to push the debris out. Push the handle all the way through until it comes out the other end of the hose. If you decide to try this method, make sure that keep the hose straight and don't get too aggressive with the stick; you don't want to break your hose.
You can also swing the hose around in a fast circle, preferably outside. The force from the spinning may dislodge whatever is stuck inside of your hose.
When your hose is clog-free, hook it back up to your vacuum cleaner, turn it on, and see if that fixed the issue.
#4 Your Vacuum Has An Air Leak
Finally, if none of the above troubleshooting methods work, you should inspect your vacuum and see if air is leaking out anywhere. Your vacuum needs to be airtight in order for the suction to function properly. Make sure that the hose is correctly attached to your vacuum. Check the hose and make sure that there are not any holes in the hose; if you find a hole, patch it up with some duct tape until you can replace the hose. Then, check the bag and make sure that it is secured tightly; if it is loose, your vacuum will not be able to get the suction it needs.
