Vacuum cleaners are an example of technology that makes people’s lives easier. Many take them for granted since they’ve been around so long. However, there’s no doubt that vacuum cleaners, including the Shark vacuum, can make cleaning quicker and simpler. Suction is, of course, an important part of this. But what if your Shark vacuum loses suction?
If you notice your Shark vacuum has lost suction, take the following steps:
- Check the dust cup
- Check for blockages
- Check the filters
- Make sure the hose is not damaged
We wanted to make sure people knew all their options if their Shark vacuums ever lost suction, so we decided to look for relevant information that might help.
Possible Causes of the Loss of Suction in Your Shark Vacuum
What you should do if your Shark vacuum loses suction depends on what has caused it to lose suction. There are a few common causes, all of which are easily fixable.
Why is it such a problem if there is a loss of suction when you’re using the vacuum? Well, suction is really what vacuuming is all about. If you have a loss of suction, that means that the vacuum isn’t picking up dirt and debris when you’re using it. In other words, the vacuum isn’t doing its job. This is why you need to fix the problem immediately if you want to keep using your Shark vacuum.
Is the Dust Cup Too Full?
If your dust cup is too full, there won’t be any place for the dirt to go while you’re vacuuming. This can definitely interfere with the suction in your Shark vacuum. To rectify the situation, take out the dust cup, and empty the contents. Then, put it back and see if the suction is working again. If not, there are other things in your vacuum that you can check.
Are There Blockages in the Vacuum?
A very common cause of Shark vacuums losing suction is a blockage in the airway. After all, if the airway is blocked, the vacuum just won’t be able to suck in the dirt the way it should be able to.
There are two areas within the vacuum where you should check for blockages. These would be the dust cup air duct and the intake opening behind the brush roll.
If you want to check for a blockage in the dust cup air duct, move the vacuum to the upright position and take out the dust cup. Then, disconnect the super stretch hose. Now, you can check for blockages in this area.
If there aren’t any blockages here, you can also check behind the brush roll. To do this, lay the vacuum down, and check the opening behind the brush roll. If you see debris, clean the area with scissors and carefully cut away any debris you see.
Are the Filters Dirty?
If your Shark vacuum has lost suction, it’s also possible that the filters just need to be cleaned; this could be the case if you haven’t cleaned them in the past month.
To rectify this problem, you just need to clean the foam and felt filters. Remove the dust cap and take out the two filters located on the top of the motor base.
Basically, you should just run lukewarm water through these filters until you see that the water is coming out clear. Then, let the filters dry completely before you put them back into your Shark vacuum.
If your vacuum is still not picking up dirt, you might need to replace the filters.
Is the Hose Damaged?
A vacuum cleaner’s hose is very important when it comes to suction. As such, if your hose is damaged or deteriorating, this could very well be the reason why your Shark vacuum has lost suction.
The majority of Shark vacuums have two hoses that you can check. There’s the short hose between the main vacuum head and the base, and there’s also the hose that you’ll find between the handle and the wand.
Over time and with repeated use of your Shark vacuum, the hoses will get old. They’ll also start to crack and peel. Even if you don’t see an obvious crack in the hose, there could be micro-cracks that cause poor suction.
You might wonder what you should do in this situation. It’s probably not a viable option to fix the hose; instead, you should replace it. Fortunately, these hoses are usually pretty inexpensive; you can get them either on Amazon or directly from Shark.
What to Do If None of the Above Are the Case…
If you checked for all of the above problems, this is pretty much all you can do. Generally, if none of the suggested solutions improve your vacuum suction, it just means that your motor is going bad.
There is an option to buy a new motor. However, most of the time, a new motor will cost just as much as the vacuum itself. Also, it’s not easy to replace the motor on a Shark Vacuum if you don’t have a lot of technical expertise in this area.
If the motor on your Shark Vacuum is going bad, you’ll most likely just need to get a new vacuum cleaner.
How to Prevent Suction Problems with a Shark Vacuum
There’s no way to prevent the problem of your Shark vacuum losing suction completely. After all, just like any machine, it does have a shelf life. However, with proper maintenance and care, you can maximize the shelf life of your Shark vacuum cleaner.
You should clean your Shark vacuum cleaner thoroughly at least once a month. This means that you should take the time to check for blockages, make sure that the canister is clear, and clean out the filters. This way, you can get the most years possible out of your vacuum cleaner.
Why is this the case? The reason that frequent cleaning will likely extend your vacuum cleaner’s life is that a clean vacuum cleaner will put a lot less stress on your motor. If you make sure that there aren’t any blockages and the filters are clean, the motor will last a lot longer.
As you know, because the motor costs just as much as the vacuum cleaner itself, the motor’s life is basically the life of the vacuum cleaner.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, after taking these steps, your Shark vacuum will work the way you expect it to. You bought a Shark because you wanted the best, and with a little care, it should keep your floors clean for many years.