I have a Miele vacuum and it was shorting out. the salesdude at the shop said it was "motor mounts" and I need a new motor. Is that true? I suspect that if I can buy the motor it would be pretty straight-forward to put it in myself and probably cheaper. does anyone have a clue as to where I can get one in the US or someplace inexpensive to ship from?
what are "motor mounts" and if they're broken, shouldn't I be able to just replace that?
-- Kate,
formatting link
Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. ~ Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
What do you mean by "short out"? If it's what I think you mean, I can't conceive of how defective "motor mounts" would cause a motor to short out. Stall maybe and trip a thermal breaker maybe. Short? No.
If you're sufficiently handy and brave, why not dismantle it to the point of exposing the motor and blower unit. Take some time to clean out any crud you find, and see whether the motor and blower hand turns, or, something obvious is loose or busted.
I have a Miele, but I don't feel like taking it apart to see what yours looks like ;)
Sounds to me like you are "Taking it in the Shorts" here! Seriously, what the heck could motor mounts have to due with a short circuit. I am assuming this thing blows the breakers when you turn it on...right? If not, I think we call this an open circuit...in any event, just take the thing to another dealer or better yet, buy a Dyson... Ross
If the motor moves because of a broken mount, wires can touch and short out. The torque of the motor starting can cause a connection to hit a housing or another wire.
That's true, but odds are you wouldn't have to replace the motor and that's what was suggested unless the motor mounts were part of the motor as *you* suggested....take care, Ross
That was my point exactly. Other posters were saying the OP was getting screwed by the repair person. They never saw the inside of the unit, nor did I. I can think of many ways that a broken mount can cause a problems, but I sure canNOT think of a single way to say the repair man is wrong.
If the mounts are broken, it is possible they cannot be fixed or replaced on their own. It is also possible that a broken mound allows the motor to shift and other things CAN happen. Since none of us can see the inside, none of us can say for sure what the problem is.
Even you state that the plastic housing in not likely to be an issue, but you don't know where the wires are run, if they chaffed from a shifting motor, if the insulation cracked from it, if the wire is loose at the connector from the shifting. Sometimes you have to trust the repair person and follow his advice. Most are reputable, but you just don't know.
It *cuts* out. I'll be happily vacuuming and then it will be off. You let it chill for awhile, hit the "on" and it runs again. seemed almost like overheating.
You know, I thought this was a *helpful* group! there you are with a Miele you wont' even take apart to provide information! :-P
I'll go after it with a screwdriver soon- I assume that's the main thing I'll need? and maybe a can of air?
--
-- Kate,
formatting link
to Ursula (10), Sage (7.5), Benno (4!!) Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. ~ Georg Christoph Lichtenberg Looking for a thinking moms list? see
My point is that I don't think the repair person did _either_. So, unless its the only way a Miele vacuum can behave that way, the repair person's diagnosis is as suspect as anyone else's.
This sounds like classic "motor overloaded, thermal cutout activates".
But...
:-P to you too ;-)
I still haven't pulled mine part ;-), but I suggest a couple of screwdrivers, maybe a small nutdriver or wrench, and some light oil (ie: 3 in 1).
Run the machine until it trips. Then unplug, and dismantle it to the point where you can put your finger on the motor housing. Is it quite hot? If NOT hot, the thermal is probably buggered, and you'll probably have to replace the motor (the thermal cutout is usually inside the motor, but look for doodads attached to it).
If the motor is hot, you want to look for something jamming the shaft, jamming the blower, or blocking airflow past the motor. Try spinning the motor by hand. Is it stiff? Why? Crud wrapped around the blower shaft? Motor shaft stiff? Motor mounts broken/loose and motor/shaft out of alignment? Blower rubbing something? Motor buried in crud acting as an insulator? Motor ventilation holes plugged?
If a shaft seems stiff, a few drops of oil will probably fix it.
Don't worry about whether the vacuum airway is plugged - plugged vacuum hoses _reduce_ the load on the motor, and the motor runs cooler.
At a guess, it'll be crud that somehow bypassed all the filters and jammed up the blower or shaft, or the motor's bearings need a few drops of oil.
That said, our vacuum has never needed oil, so, ...
The only problems we've ever had with ours is the power head needing to be disassembled to pull off crud, and once the hose got so stuck in the housing it took a lot of patient fiddling to get it apart without breaking anything. That sleeve builds up grit and can lock the hose in place. Take the hose off periodically and hand wipe off the mating sleeve.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.