Is your central vacuum cleaner not sucking properly?

Whether your central vacuum system produces very little suction or none at all, there are several steps you may take to repair and maintain the suction power of your central vacuum.

How To Fix Central Vacuum Suction

Clean the dirt container

Remove the dirt container from the power unit and dispose of its contents until it is empty.

You can also rinse the container with water as dirt and debris can cling onto it. Make sure to wipe the container or allow it to dry before attaching it to the power unit.

Replace the bag

If your collection bag has reached 75% of its capacity, you should already replace it with a new one.

A full collection bag restricts the suction of a central vacuum and may even cause overheating and clogging in the power unit with continued use.

Clean or change the filter

Check your filter for tears or holes. If your filter is torn or punctured, replace it as it will no longer be able to do its job.

If your filter is made of cloth or paper, cover the lower half of the power unit with a garbage bag and hold it in place. Grab the lower part of the filter and shake it until dirt falls inside the bag.

If your filter is composed of plastic or foam, you can thoroughly clean it with running water. Make sure that the filter is completely dry before placing it back inside the power unit . A foam filter typically needs around 24 hours to completely dry.

Use the power unit’s on/off button to manually switch it on and check the suction at each inlet

Starting with the one that is closest to the power unit, examine the suction at each inlet to identify the clogged area in the system. If there is no suction at any of the inlets, the problem might be a clog in the system which should be found between the power unit and the first inlet.

If there is suction at the first inlet, check the other inlets until you identify the one where there is a lack of suction. Once you locate an inlet without suction, the blockage will be between that inlet and the last one you checked.

Carefully insert an electrician’s fish tape into the inlet and push it through to remove the obstructions. You can also use another vacuum to suck out the obstruction.

With your authorized dealer, examine the gasket underneath the motor

The gasket is placed close to the lip where the central vacuum’s dirt container actually clips on. Have your dealer check the gasket for any damages or need for replacements. 

Check the hose for any clogs

If your hose is clogged, attach it to a wand and insert the wand’s end into the power unit’s utility inlet.

While holding the hose firmly in place to close any additional air holes, turn on the power unit using the manual switch. The blockage should then be quickly vacuumed out. 

If you’ve tried the step above and the hose is still clogged, you can clear it by inserting a garden hose or piece of electrician’s fish tape through the hose. Just be careful not to cut or puncture it.

Contact your authorized dealer

You should get in touch with your authorized dealer and have a qualified expert repair your central vacuum system if none of the aforementioned steps helped in fixing your central vacuum’s suction problem.