House vac won’t work

[Guest ReneeL]

Never owned a coach with the house vacuum.  When you flip the switch it does nothing sometimes and then sometimes you can hear it in the basement but it has no suck to it. 
 

what can we do to make it operable?

 

monaco diplomat 

 

thanks

[Frank Bergamo]

Check the bag, probably full and needs replacing.

[Guest ReneeL]

Thank you.  Where do we find the bag? Very unfamiliar with this system 

[TommyL]

Mine’s in driver’s side bay in front of utility bay, upper right. Says Eureka yellow jacket.

08 Camelot tag

[Guest ReneeL]

Bag was empty. Any other options for why it mainly doesn’t work nor make any noise?

[Frank Bergamo]

On mine, when you plug in the hose it activates the vacuum. Could be a bad connection preventing the vacuum from activating. If it does start up and still will not create vacuum, then might have an obstruction in hose to vacuum.

[dandick66]

Sounds like you have a hose disconnected somewhere.  The vacuum isn’t hard to remove.  Try disconnecting the vacuum inlet hose and seeing if you have suction.

 If the vacuum doesn’t turn on, try removing it and opening it up.  There’s a circuit board in there.  Give the relay on the board a tap with a screwdriver handle.  Sometimes they stick.  

[Guest ReneeL]

Thank you.  We got the vacuum to work but the floor sweeper (where you sweep the dirt) doesn’t do anything when we flip it back and forth. We sweep the dirt to the opening and no suction removes it. Newbie here. Sorry because I feel stupid asking about this. 

[Tom Cherry]

11 minutes ago, ReneeL said:

Thank you.  We got the vacuum to work but the floor sweeper (where you sweep the dirt) doesn’t do anything when we flip it back and forth. We sweep the dirt to the opening and no suction removes it. Newbie here. Sorry because I feel stupid asking about this. 

First…understand how it works.  The “toe kick” as you call it has a microswitch or a switch on the door or plate.  You open it.  That should turn on the vacuum.  Your case is sort of the reverse of the norm.  Usually, or in my case (09 Camelot) that door will get cantankerous and then run at random times and scare you…”whats that noise?”.  The other way it works.  When you plug in the hose to the “sweeper” outlet in the hall, under the vanity, there is also a tiny switch.  That switch closes when you insert and lock in the hose.  So it stays on until you remove the hose.

I assume you have found the vacuum cleaner, saw the twist off cap and pulled the bag.  If the bag is clean, then there can only be a few things to check or understand.

There are 2 control wires from each of the two upstairs outlets ..toe kick and hose.  Those wires each go to two separate switches.  They work independently….  I can’t recall if the wires are in the hose (molded in) or run separate.  They go back to vacuum and when one is turned on, like a light switch, the motor starts.

I personally would try something first.  Get a 10 ft or so 3 wire 14 gauge extension cord from Lowes or Amazon.  Unplug the vacuum and plug in the vacuum to extension cord and run it across or down the bay to the curbside.  There is an outlet there.  Plug it in.  Then see if there is a difference.  The cheap modular (mobile home) outlets loose connection.  I changed the outlet on the curbside to a dual and had to snap and push and do all sorts of ugly things to get the new outlet to snap in.  It does NOT have wire terminals…..it just “cuts” the insulation.  They go bad.  So….you have verified a good power source.

NO JOY.  Then the controls wires from each switch have a bad connection or a bad connection to the motor.  You CAN easily remove the vacuum….and plug it in and connect the control wires and it would work.  If it does, then there is an upstream issue.

I had an issue with my Toe Kick.  I cycled it a few times.  I pulled off the wooden panel above it (learn how to so that…..the plumbing for the sink is in there and that is and has been known to leak or need a little “repair”.  The “flex” connection in the drain hose can be a source of a flood….

The switch in the hose outlet is pretty indescribable.  If you are having issues with both….then change power….look at the wiring …..test the vacuum cleaner.