Thread Number: 15238
New member, my story & a Miele question 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 161773   12/11/2011 at 17:55 (4,512 days old) by luke (Alabama)        

As the title indicates, new member and first post!

My vacuum story begins when I was about 8 years old. Simply put, my mother got me to vacuum my own room with the Kenmore canister vac. What model was it? I can only describe it as being beige plastic, with external top attachment storage and front top loading dust bag lid. It was from Sears in the late 1980's. Anyway, I thought it was the coolest thing to peel up that velvety thick dust under the bed or behind a door. And those evil dust bunnies lurking around the periphery of a room... how do they regenerate so fast? And where the heck does all that dust come from anyway? These deep questions disturbed me even then ;) Well, I guess I was on a power trip or something... I wanted to vacuum the whole house from then on. And since I was a sensible and responsible kid I was allowed do to so! The initial thrill wore off, but only slowly, gradually...

Fast forward up to 2001 and I gain a deeper appreciation for indoor air quality through various online reading. Heard about Miele vacuums and watched a few videos. Fascinating. I want one to see if they really are that quiet. Must be like a luxury car I reckon... suddenly driving becomes a joy instead of a worrying nerve wracking ordeal.

And so, moving along, on January 24th 2012 I will have had the Miele Solaris 10 years. One of the best items I have ever bought, no regrets! It really did turn vacuuming into an even cooler new experience. This vac has had an easy life doing light duty in a small place, no pets, no kids, not much carpet. I avoid the highest 2 speed settings - just not necessary and reduces mechanical stress and heat on the motor. And filter materials too, no doubt. No problems, nothing broken, no complaints and all is well!

I've had the Miele vacuum apart a few times over the years to clean any stray dust and check out what's inside. Took many pictures for future reference. Got me wondering though... What routine motor maintenance could, or should, one do for maximum longevity? My interest in (older) air fans has taught me the importance of proper motor lubrication with the correct oil. Air fan motors are not directly comparable to vacuum cleaner motors - for starters, an air fan is expected to run for a great many hours before one need worry about checking the bearings and oil situation.
Nonetheless ~ since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ~ I'd thought I'd ask the real experts what the situation was with modern high quality vacuum motors. Do you guys, in your vac shops, ever do any routine motor lubrication? And what type of bearing assembly do the Miele's use? With a supposed rating of 1000 hours, do the Miele motors not need any maintenance? I find it hard to believe. An electric motor can run a whole lot more than 1000 hours if it is maintained and looked after.

Here is a picture I took of my spare S514 motor (not a Lamb) that I obtained from an e-bay vac store some time ago. (I like to plan ahead and obtain spare motors for all my fans too!) This pictures only shows half of the equation since the other bearing is concealed within.

Thanks everyone for a great forum. I only discovered it this morning and spent a few hours searching back through the archives to 2006 on Miele motors, hoping to find what I was looking for without having to create a new thread.

Luke



Post# 161774 , Reply# 1   12/11/2011 at 18:05 (4,512 days old) by director12 ()        

Miele Solaris...never saw one in years, with the Miele Art.

Post# 161775 , Reply# 2   12/11/2011 at 18:13 (4,512 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Well written and posted there new member, welcome aboard.

Post# 161780 , Reply# 3   12/11/2011 at 18:35 (4,511 days old) by joshdonnell ()        
MIele

 i own a Capircorn its the best that i have own . i do have to have a hepa filter on it . but i have some complants . the hose is ayonning and then the power head is kinda heavy then the cord way too short. Im gonna try sell Aerus vacuum and get paid in a vacuum

Post# 161787 , Reply# 4   12/11/2011 at 20:36 (4,511 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
I will also say the short hose and cord on mine is frustrating too.

Post# 161794 , Reply# 5   12/12/2011 at 03:56 (4,511 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Modern Vacuum Cleaner motors-they have factory lifetime lubricated bearings.When the bearing does fail-or gets noisey-you replace the bearing--or some cases-the motor.Love my Meile and Sebo canister vacs-so quiet,effective and powerful.Mine lead easy lives,too-mostly for dusting and bare floors.Kirby,Royal,PowerFlite,Sanitaire do the carpets.another thing for bearing-motor life for just about any vacuum-change the bags and filters frequently-and bagless machines empty after EACH use and clean-replace filters frequently-that will help keep dirt and fine dust out of your vacuum motors.

Post# 161805 , Reply# 6   12/12/2011 at 07:15 (4,511 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)        

countryguy's profile picture
The short hose and cord on my Capricorn, as well as the small wheels (which didn't allow easy mobility on plusher carpeting) are the reasons I got rid of my Capricorn.

Gary

Post# 161806 , Reply# 7   12/12/2011 at 07:20 (4,511 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

"small wheels" this could apply to most canister vacuums-they are tripped up by door thresholds,carpet edges---and their own cords.Vac makers should better address this problem.The BIG wheels do work BETTER.I do like hoses long enough to reach cobwebs in room corners,tops of high light fixtures,etc without having to lift the canister machine from the ground.Hoses a foot or so longer make a diffrence!

Post# 161813 , Reply# 8   12/12/2011 at 10:17 (4,511 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Amen!

Post# 161815 , Reply# 9   12/12/2011 at 11:01 (4,511 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)        

countryguy's profile picture
I really like the wheels on my FQ. I can go from floor to carpeting, over thresholds, etc. with no problem. And it swivels on a dime which I really like, makes it easier to maneuver in tight quarters.

Gary

Post# 161834 , Reply# 10   12/12/2011 at 14:42 (4,511 days old) by luke (Alabama)        

Thanks everyone for the replies! Especially to tolivac for the extra input regarding bearings. Preventing too much dust getting into the motor in the first place seems to be the best approach. Genuine bags, proper pre-filter, avoid vacuuming fine dusts.

That’s why I’ve always scratched my head and wondered why all the fancy filters are not placed before the motor, not after it. Right? Prevent the dust passing through the motor in the first place? Sounds logical. I suspect there are vacuums designed this way...

Here is another curve ball question:

Each box (new 8 pack) of Miele bags comes with 2 of the “Super Air Clean” electrostatic charged white filters. To use on the vacuum exhaust when you are not using the activated charcoal or HEPA filters. Okay… so the motor can push air through the “Super Air Clean” … why can’t it pull air through? So how about replacing the regular thin (see light right through it) motor pre-filter with a “Super Air Clean” one and really cut down the fine dust that enters the motor in the first place? Take the output filter off completely and put it on the intake side.

And yes I have done this now and again over the years. Oh it’s bad and not recommended I’m sure, like running the vacuum with a plugged up bag. I'm sure the vacuum will burst into flames at once ;) Anyway I did this as an experiment a few times to see the effect. I was watching for a reduction in suction or a change in motor sound, but didn't detect anything. I changed the filters back afterwards of course.

I'm certainly no fan of Miele. I agree with tolivac again about the hose being too short. Having to hold the vacuum while using it on high objects is ridiculous. The seeming lack of a longer "plug & play" hose replacement is absurd. I also find the official Miele product videos obnoxious etc.,

Anyway, looks like someone with the same vacuum as I have (and in the same region!) figured out a solution: www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-... Guess I'll have to try that sometime.





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