How Do You Fix a Vacuum That Overheats?

Switching on a vacuum cleaner to clean your home and then suddenly after a short time has passed by it overheats and turns off. You wonder what the answer would be to an obvious question. 

Why did my vacuum turn off?

Vacuum cleaners turn themselves off if the motor becomes hot, or it is no longer operating, as it should. The reason the motor overheats is normally that it cannot cool itself down. 

For a vacuum cleaner motor to cool itself down, it relies on air passing through the entire vacuum system. If the system becomes interrupted by something, the vacuum cleaner will then overheat and stop functioning.

So, how do you fix a vacuum that overheats?

Before we can look at how to fix vacuum cleaners overheating problem, we look at other items that will affect the process. We need to look at the different things that cause a vacuum to overheat. First, we look at the type of vacuum you own, as each one is different. The different components of different types of vacuum cleaners are found in different places on a vacuum cleaner.

What causes a vacuum to overheat and to stop working?

A vacuum cleaner overheats when the motor has to work extra hard because there is a fault somewhere in its system. The motor then becomes hot and often the vacuum cleaner turns itself off. This is because there is little to no air passing through it to cool down. After all, something is blocking the air from flowing. The cause of blockages is from a buildup of dust, dirt, hair, and other objects that you have vacuumed.

Places to check for the cause are:

• Filters that are worn, dirty or clogged 
• The dust bag or canister is full or damaged
• The floor tools are blocked or cracked
• The vacuum hose is clogged

What Type of Vacuum Do You Own?

Before we get to, how do you fix a vacuum that overheats? You need to look at the type of vacuum you own. There are two main types, upright and canister vacuum cleaners, both are different in design and they work differently. The only things they have in common are that they both vacuum dirt and they have the same issues with the vacuum overheating.

An upright vacuum cleaner

With an upright vacuum, the motor, fan, filters, dust bag are attached to the vacuum shaft. Accessing and cleaning the different components of an upright vacuum is a little different from a canister vacuum cleaner.

For example, if you were experiencing Hoover windtunnel overheating problems, you would want to do:

• Remove the tools and attachments from the storage compartment
• Remove the dirt cup by sliding the lever on top of the cup
• Remove the filter by opening the filter door on the side of the vacuum
• Remove the main hose from the vacuum by loosening the clips or screws

A canister vacuum cleaner

With a canister vacuum cleaner, there are two parts to it, the canister, and the long vacuum hose. The major part is the canister that contains all the main operating components of the vacuum cleaner such as the motor, filter, dirtbag, etc. To get to the different components of a canister vacuum is a little easier than an upright vacuum cleaner. For example, for an Electrolux canister vacuum, you would need to do the following:

• Pinch the latch nearby the area where the hose connects to the vacuum and pull the door open.
• Remove the vacuum’s dirtbag
• Remove the filter
• Disconnect the vacuum hose from the canister 

How Do You Fix a Vacuum that overheats

Now that you know which type of vacuum you own and how to open it, it is time to fix the problem that is causing it to overheat and switch off.

Many brands of vacuum cleaners have a thermostat that protects the motor by shutting off when it overheats. Some vacuums will have vacuum overheat reset buttons that you can press to reset the thermostat. Others such as a Eureka vacuum cleaner, you would need to press the power button to off and unplug the vacuum. While you are waiting for the vacuum to cool down, you will need to find and fix the cause and leave it to reset for a further half an hour. 

Fixing the cause of a vacuum cleaner overheating

To fix the cause of your vacuum overheating it is best to perform the full maintenance of the cleaner.

Clean out the dust bag or canister

If the dust bag or canister is full, then the answer to is it normal for a vacuum to get hot is yes. The vacuum cleaner is letting you know that there is nowhere for the dirt to go.

Take a dirt bin and either chuck the full dust bag away or empty it and wash it before replacing it inside the vacuum cleaner.

Clean or replace the filter

Brush off the dirt from the filter; inspect it for any tears, if any replace the filter with a new one. If not, wash the filter, if it is a reusable and washable type of filter. Once washed, wait for the filter to dry before placing it back in its rightful position.

Clean the vacuum hose

Next take the hose, clean it inside and out to make sure it is clear of any blockages. Use this opportunity to check if the hose has any holes or cracks and either fix it or replace the hose with a new one.

Clean the brush roller or beater brush

If the roller brush is clogged or broken, it won’t suck up any dirt and will block the airflow of the system, causing the vacuum cleaner to overheat. Clean the brush by removing the dirt and debris that has wrapped itself around the roller brush. Check if the brush is showing any signs of wear such as cracks if so, you will need to buy a replacement.

Check the vacuum’s belt

While you are busy checking the roller brush, check the vacuum’s belt. Check if it is still securely in place or if there are any signs of damages. If the belt is damaged, then it is time for a replacement.

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