"Non-removable" belt on vacuum cleaner?

[Dave N]

Has anyone ever seen this before...?

When using the brushbar on our Vax upright cleaner (model Air3 Pet, about 7 years old) it emits a load of noise, even after laboriously pulling all debris off it. Spent ages trying to find out how to remove it to inspect the drive belt (the bearings for the brushbar seems to be glued in place) and couldn't find any reference to replacing the brushbar or drive belt anywhere on the internet. Eventually found the user manual for the cleaner online, which said "Brushbar and belt are not removable".

Has anyone ever seen a vacuum cleaner without a serviceable drive belt before? If this is really the case it seems scandalous. Or has anyone on the forum actually managed to remove the brushbar on this model?

TIA,

David.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yes my Vax is like this, the brush bar simply has a kind of paddle wheel in the airflow which turns the brush, but as you say actually does not turn the brush due to crap in the bearings after a while reducing the suction as well. There are screws in my head so I removed them, cleaned out the bearings but however I put it back together it was never as free as when it was new. I bought a second one and itsuffered the same fate, so I bought a more sensible vacuum, a Bosch and a Henry, neither have brushes but seem not to need them as the suction is ten times better. Brian

[Dave N]

I think you're referring to the brushbar in the mini head that attaches to the hose (gave up on that long ago!) What I'm talking about is the large brushbar in the main cleaner head that is driven by a toothed belt connected to the motor. Most Vax models seem to have this at the end of the brushbar and a removable cover to service it, but this model's drive belt is near the middle of the bar, as I've seen on Dyson uprights. But the Dyson brushbars I've seen can easily be pulled out. Apparently not this one :(

[williamwright]

Come again love?

Bill

[Adrian Caspersz]

I googles "Air3 Pet disassembly"

Vax Air Pets and Family - Repair and A Look

[Dave N]

Ours is a different model from that with no screws on the side of the main floor head, which is like this one:

seems that you have to replace the complete floor head if the belt is damaged!

[The Natural Philosopher]

We used to say nothing sucks like an ElectroLux - until we bought a Vax.

Biggest waste of money ever. get a Henry.

[alan_m]

The Henry has an optional rotational brush bar powered by the air flow. It very works well -- until it tries to pick up something longer or wider than the slots in the vane assembly that drives the brush bar. Usually manually turning the brush bar in the reverse direction clears the blockage but sometimes a dismantle is required. It is an attachment more suited to operating on carpets that are free of large debris.

In this attachment the 'bearings' are only held by the plastic case but over time can become jammed in with dust and a bit of mild force is required to release then from the casing.

[Bob Eager]

I would add that ours became jammed like that and the bearings started rotating in the casing. One of them became deformed by the subsequent heat.

Not a problem - trivial to fit and very cheap.

[jon]

I found it works quite well, especially on stairs, but does need attention regularly to clear hair from the bearings.

[Dave W]

That guy seems a bit thick. He struggles for ages trying to get the big toothed end into position against the pull of the new belt he's put on the small toothed wheel. He says he can't put the belt on the big end first because he wouldn't be able to get the belt over the flange of the small driver. I'm sure the amount of leverage he'd need to get the belt onto the small driver would be much less than what he used on the big one. I think he could have even pushed the belt over the flange with his thumbs.

Anyway it's irrelevant as we now know it's a different model from the OP's. Although the correct model has no side screws, I'm sure it could be repaired once its method of manufacture has been analysed.