Nutone vx550 vac problem

The vacuum is defective, if you call Nutone and tell them the probelm, they will replace it for FREE, no charge to you. CALL 888-336-6151, that is the Nutone Tech Suport line.

As one person said above. Its the motor. The motor gets to hot to fast causing the thermal protection to cut the motor off, and if you wait for a few minutes for it to cool down it will work again. I've done plenty of service calls for these, 100% the problem.

I just got off the phone with Terry at Nutone (888.336.3948). He immediately identified symptons as a known problem with some VX550 models. They will send a new lower unit (the grey part at the bottom of the unit). No questions about how long we had the unit. Just asked for shipping address and asked that we destroy the old bin when we replace. Of note i contacted a couple of service centers and got less then enthusiastic responses

My vx550 kept shutting off the breaker. Sometimes when I plugged it in it would run fine for a while, then shut off. Sometimes it would blow the breaker immediately when i plugged the power hose in. Finally we discovered that the vacuum requires a DESIGNATED BREAKER just for it, and the current must be 20 amps. My electrician insisted it was wired correctly, when in fact it was not. It was only when I had a factory authorized repairman and the electrician here at the same time (because each of them was blaming the other), and I had no idea about breakers, or amps, or whatever, that the problem was finally resolved. I hope this helps some of you...my problem lasted for probably 2 years, and it was AWFUL!!!!

I called the support number posted by Hollywood TC and they are sending me a new unit that should arrive next week. Great service if it works. Vacuums are so simple though, the QA head at Nutone should be relieved. How do you not detect a problem like this when generally such products go through abuse testing before going to market.

Many central vacs have a type of thermal limiting switch that senses an motor overheat condition and shuts it down until it cools off sufficiently for it to reset. Nutone calls it a 'Thermoprotector'. There may be an issue with the condition of the motor brushes and/or bearings that's causing the motor to overheat. If no LED is showing red or illuminated when it shuts down, this or microprocessor lockup could be the problem. Also, the thermal limit switch itself may possibly be malfunctioning. You'll need to have it professionally serviced if the shutdown is caused by a motor or microprocessor issue. Low line voltage can also cause microprocessor issues so you may want to start by using a voltmeter to check the voltage of the outlet where it plugs in to a standard 120VAC NEMA 5-20R receptacle. It should read at least 115VAC on the voltmeter but no more than 120VAC to prevent microprocessor damage.

You may also want to make sure that the debris bucket and/or direct door are fully closed or attached, especially if the lights on the unit, wall valve and hose are all lit red when it shuts down.

NuTone has really stepped up to the plate to address a design flaw by one of their vendors when they introduced this product 3 years ago. They completely redesigned the power unit and fired a bunch of people. I talked to their new marketing guy, tom and he said that no one was fired, but they rearranged some people. He is a bright, friendly guy that seems to be cut from the same cloth as the technical service people. It's nice to speak to an english speaking person that actually lives in the U.S. Beam on the other hand has moved all their facilities to Mexico.

We had a Nutone VX550 Central Vac system installed in our new home built in 2007. Since then we have had to have the power unit replaced (it burned up) and now we have an issue with a flimsy piece of plastic that broke, it engages the cardboard gasket to the suction. My husband called Nutone directly after the first vac's power unit motor blew up and they sent a replacement directly to our home and he installed it. I have been notified by the warranty company that I have to drive and pick up the new replacement part and have to install it ourselves. Needless to say I am very concerned, my warranty is up next year and I am afraid I am going to be stuck paying for other troubles that obviously plague this power unit. I have spoken to 2 Customer Service Reps for Nutone and both times I have found it to be a less than enjoyable experience, they immediately were on the defense when I told them which unit I had put in my house, basically they take no responsibility for their poorly designed, poorly made central vac power unit. I have spoken to the local warranty people, who service these units and they have said that they are plagued with issues. I would not recommend purchasing this unit due to its poor quality and adversarial response from customer service.

As stated above, this is a problem that Nutone is aware of and has corrected in the newer units. If you are within the 4-year warranty period, Nutone will send you a new unit. Even closing documents on a new home are proof enough. I was very impressed with how easy it was to get a new unit. This is a very responsive company that quickly and without hassle corrects the problem with a new unit that doesn't have this sensor problem. I am impressed and think this is a great product and a great company.

In my system the trouble was actually in the hose connections by the handle, as a test twist the hose and see if it comes back on. if so replace hose

I will say Nutone was very helpful and completely resolved my issue by shipping a new unit and throwing in a few extras for my troubles. It's really refreshing to find a company that still values customer service. They've earned my business for future needs, not something i can say for most companies I've had problems with.

First you would need your bill for any of the warranty work. The warranty is for 5 years on both the motor and the circuit board in the unit.
If you do not have a bill of sale for the warranty, my best advice, purchase a new motor (116472) as a replacement, and use a printed circuit board with leads on the circuit board.
Replacing the motor and circuit board should be approx 230$ canadian

I have a nutone vx550 central vac system that keeps shutting off while using it. i replaced the bag and it still shuts down. help!