What To Do When Your Vacuum Cleaner Stops Running

Has this ever happened to you or your employees? You plug in your vacuum cleaner, turn it on and nothing happens. You turn the switch off and on, wondering what is going on. You check the wall outlet and everything seems fine. Now what?

Troubleshooting the problem

The first step in troubleshooting the problem is to inspect the vacuum cord for cuts. If you find a cut, what are your options?

1. Splice the cord and wrap it in electrical tape? This is not a proper repair and should never be attempted.
2. Take the vacuum cleaner to a repair shop? The repair shop might charge $35 to $50 to repair or replace the cord.
   Shorten the cord to remove the cut and replace cord end? This might be an option but consider that vacuum cord lengths will vary from 30' to 50'. Would it be efficient if the cord is now only 20' long after removing damaged area?
3. Replace the vacuum cord with new extension cord? This would be the best option if your vacuum cleaner has a detachable power cord with a cord assembly pig tail that the extension cord plugs into. Simply match the cord size on the vacuum (the most common cord size is 16 gauge), and then choose a suitable length.
4. What if the cord is hard wired to the vacuum cleaner? This would require some knowledge of the vacuum cleaner assembly. You would remove the vacuum cleaner shroud, connect the cord wires to the vacuum motor, and reassemble the vacuum cleaner.

What if the cord is not the problem?

If the cord is in good shape, check the plug. Look for missing or loose prongs. It should have three prongs; two flat and one semi-round. The cord end that plugs into the wall outlet is called the male plug. You can purchase a good replacement male plug for $7 - $10 at a hardware store.

If the prongs are OK, remove the plug to check the wire corrections.  The male plug comes apart by removing two or three screws near the prongs. This will separate the top side from the back side of the plug. The back side of the plug may have a clamping mechanism that is held in place with two screws that prevent the wires from being pulled out of their connections.

Now check to see if all three wires are connected and the screws are holding the wires in place securely. Tighten any loose screws and then tug on each wire to test the connection.

If any wires have damage, take the following steps:

1. Remove the cord from plug and use wire cutters to cut a couple inches off the cord, removing the damaged area.
2. Split the outer cable jacket with a sharp knife about 1 inch down the cord, making sure you do not cut the insulation on any of the wires. Separate the wire jacket and the paper filling material away from the three wires (black, white and green). Use caution so you do not damage the three wires.
3. Use wire cutters to remove the wire jacket and paper material.
4. Separate the back side and top side of the new male plug by removing the two (or three) screws near the prongs. TIP: Pay attention to how the two parts come apart. Most screw holes will have to be matched with a notch or slot. This forces the installer to align the back section properly.
5. Slide the back side of the plug onto the extension cord past the area where you removed the jacket and paper material
6. Use wire strippers to strip the wire insulation back about ½ inch on each of the three colored wires. This will expose the copper wire on the green, white and black wires. After stripping each wire, twist the strands together to keep them from fraying.
7. Depending on the quality of plug you purchased, the wire connection would be made by wrapping the wire around either a screw or a heavy duty plug. A clamping device will hold the bare wire. Attach the white wire to the silver terminal, the black wire to the gold terminal and the green wire to the green terminal. Tighten each screw firmly and tug on each wire to test the connection.
8. Now you are ready to connect the back side and top side of the plug together. Line up the screw holes, notch or slots and tighten the two (or three) screws on the top side next to the prongs. Tighten each screw until it is snug.
9. You now can secure the back side of the plug to the cord by tightening the two screws clamping the cord. You want to hold the cord firmly with the clamp, without crushing the cord.
10. The last step is to plug the vacuum into wall outlet and turn on vacuum cleaner.

Tools needed to perform the repair:

Sharp knife
Wire strippers
Wire cutters
Philips screw driver
Flat head screw driver

If you or your employees have a vacuum that stops running, check the cord and plug before taking it to the repair shop. It could be a simple repair that you can do yourself with the right tools and a little knowledge, and it could save you a few dollars in repair charges.

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Steve Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through his online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at //www.myhousecleaningbiz.com.