Vacuum runs but does not pick up dirt

Your question certainly would be easier to answer with more details. If by "stopped working" you mean the beater brush doesn't turn, check for hair and debris buildup or a bad electrical connection in the electrical plug between the main down tube and power head.. If by "stopped working" you mean the fan in the top unit is moving air and the beater brush is turning, but little or nothing is getting picked up, take the power head off of the main tube. move the elbow joint so that the corrugated hose is straight. Use a straightened coat hanger wire or 1/4" wooden dowel to push through the corrugated hose. If there is a blockage, clear it out and the vacuum will begin picking up dirt again.

Check( 'beater bar',suction tube to canister) for accumulation of hair,carpet fiber,pet hair,etc....cut hair,etc,with scissors,clean...might also be hair stuck in belt that drives beater bar

Is the beater bar actually turning when the power is turned on? Sometimes the belt is fine, but something is jammed and keeping the beater bar from turning. What about the section behind the beater bar, but before the hose upright. I've found large pieces of paper jammed in here and then hair gets caught, ultimately blocking the whole system. Usually you have to turn it over, remove some screws and disconnect the belt and beater bar to get underneath. Just reassemble it in the reverse order to how you took it apart. Double check the hoses and run a "unwound" metal coat hanger through to unclog anything. Does the vacuum " suck" with the hose or tube up to it disconnected? If not you may have a motor that somehow got junk pulled into it. You can open this up as well and clean this out. Of course unplug it all before doing anything.

Most vacuum uses one belt at a time. The belt connects the agitator (beater bar) to the roller which is driven by the motor of the vacuum in the base of the upright vacuum.

To check if the belt is present/intact on the vacuum, look at the sides of the base for two latches. Push the latches away from each other then lift up to remove the cover so that you can check or replace the belt. To replace the belt, lift the agitator out of the base (first lift the right side). Cut off the old belt with scissors if it is still intact before pulling on the agitator. You may need to pull the bumper forward to get the beater bar out of the base. To put on the new belt, slide it onto the roller of the motor then onto the pulley of the agitator. Replace the beater bar in the housing. Start with the left end cap and make sure to keep the arrow pointing down on both sides of the part. Make sure that the agitator turns and center the belt before reattaching the cover.

While you have cover off, check for anything wrapped around the agitator. Remove anything that prevents the beater bar from turning freely. Make sure the area around the agitator is clear of any clogs.

However, if the belt is missing, the volume of dirt picked up will be less but not zero. It is more likely that the unit is clogged. There are several filters that need regular cleaning or replacement. The motor filter is at the bottom of the vacuum bag cavity. It should be cleaned with warm soapy water then rinsed completely. Squeeze out the excess water and then let it air dry. Wait until it is dry before reassembling the vacuum.

An exhaust filter also needs regular cleaning. This is behind the dust cover near the bottom of the area covered by the cover. To remove the dust cover, pull forward and then lay it down. To clean, put the filter under cold running water. Then air dry completely before reassembling the vacuum cleaner.

Finally check if the hose is clogged. First remove the hose by grasping it near the base and twisting it as you pull it away from the vacuum. Pull the hose completely straight then plug in and turn on your vacuum. Stretch out the hose and then let it relax into its storage configuration. Turn off the vacuum and then unplug it. Check for and remove any clumps of dirt stuck in the hose before replacing the hose.

If you have cleaned the vacuum and it is still not picking up dirt, try a different pile height setting on the vacuum. Also check if the agitator should be replaced.

Manage My Life has the manual for the vacuum here: http://www.managemylife.com/mmh/owner_manuals/15123/KENMORE-Vacuum-Upright-L0807740?brand_name_search=33078 . This manual gives the pictures of the various parts that need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. Sears Parts Direct has some parts for the unit; see http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-model/Kenmore-Parts/Vacuum-Parts/Model-72136078600/0582/0645000?sid=PDVertical .

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Check for blockage.

Most likely place is in the tube leading up from behind the beater bar. While unplugged, remove beater bar & belt & check.

If you have a strong shop vac, remove beater bar, belt, and bag, applying suction to the tube in back of the beater bar will many times dislodge the clog with little effort, sometimes though it will take some fishing around with a stiff piece of coathanger wire or similar.

Normally when you can apply suction with the shop vac to the tube in back of the beater bar & feel suction at the tube were the bag connects, you know you've got it all and you should be unclogged. Put it back together and you should be ready to roll.

The beater belt is broken. There are 4 phillips head screws on the outside (2 on top of the base on either side of the upright, and 2 on the front edge on the underside of the base near front edge). and 4 phillips head screws on the inside (holding the guard cover over the beater bar). The belt is about $3 (part number 38528040). Take out the beater bar and put the new belt around it. Then put the other end around the metal bar and stretch the belt taut as you position the beater bar back into its channel slots. Replace the guard and top cover and you should be good to go...

The brush may be spinning, but you probably need to replace the belt because it is stretched. It is probably slipping on the beater bar..

Jim

Hi,

When you turn the roller, you should feel some resistance from the belt. Remove the base blate that surrounds the beater bar. Check the belt. Take care in removing the beater bar, so you can get it back in the same way it comes out. Clean the beater bar while you have the bottom open. If you remove the beater bar to replace the belt, take the time to inspect the cavity behind the beater bar where the vacuum picks up. That is where vacuums usually stop up. Reassemble the vacuum. If necessary, slip the belt over the motor shaft and then slide the roller undre the belt. Install the beater bar back in the sockets and replace the base plate.
Best regards,

--W/D--

If suction is not what it was, check all of your hoses and connections for vacuum leaks. And the beater roll should always be turning - check out the belt for slippage.

the small tube under the hover goes stiff and the beater bar wont go lower enough so youve got to get small tube under hover soft and than set beaterbar to the ground let it go hard and may solve your problem many thanks nick...