Thread Number: 14992
kirby classic omega bag and the blowing dust question
[Down to Last]

Vacuumland's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate vacuumland.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 158927   11/13/2011 at 22:55 (4,519 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
i need to wash my classic omega bag i think... if i havent used it for a few days the first start up, dust shoots out of the bag on all sides. but what is weird is, after that, during use, its fine. ideas? wash? or do i need to get my friend to sew a new inner filter fabric in it?

Will


Post# 158950 , Reply# 1   11/14/2011 at 09:01 (4,518 days old) by BrianKirbyClass (Eudora Kansas)        

briankirbyclass's profile picture
Yep, time for a bag wash or replacement. If its original to the machine, id recommend replacement with a new bag, and save the old one for show.
First tho,before washing, after a thorough shaking out, vacuum the inside of the bag with another vacuum and crevice tool. I like to use an Electrolux or TriStar for this, as all of the dirt will then be easy to dispose of. I like to quickly turn on and then turn off the Kirby, just long enough to inflate the bag, shake the bag with the Emptor tray closed, then vacuum out the Emptor, close again, and repeat, until the dust stops falling into the Emptor.(you know you've gotten most of it by now)
Then entirely remove the Emtor and bag from the Kirby, and go over the inside of the bag thoroughly with the crevice tool,,then remove from the Emptor and take the top off, turn inside out, and wash by hand in cold water and Woolite, and let air dry. If the bag is extremely dirty, you may need to change the wash water once or twice,,and be sure to rinse thoroughly under running water. Also be sure to wash and rinse the Emptor itself, the bag guard, and make sure the seal around the Emptor tray and neck are present and tight.
Yes, you could have a new liner sewn in, but if its an original, i wouldnt.


Post# 159008 , Reply# 2   11/14/2011 at 20:03 (4,518 days old) by vac_whisperer ()        

Bag blowing dust, eh?

If I were you I would check for any leaks.


Post# 159009 , Reply# 3   11/14/2011 at 20:14 (4,518 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
i shouldve noted, the bag spring is very tight and not the problem. and the bag itself doesn't "leak" i tested that when i got it. it holds the dust well and doesn't spray it everywhere when in use. this only happens after period of days of non use and only on the first fire up. and it shoots out of the fabric itself, not air leaks holes. after that during use it doesn't do it.

Will


Post# 159024 , Reply# 4   11/14/2011 at 22:04 (4,518 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        
Well

broomvac's profile picture
From my experience, they all do that to an extent. All 3 of my shakeout Kirbys (2 of which are from the Classic line) do that even though they have bags in good condition. They just don't have terrific filtration. Its just a part of using a shakeout Kirby as a daily driver, which is why I avoid them except for show, and use my Kirby G3 every day instead.

You will also notice that your vacuum will not only puff dust at startup but also if you lightly hit or punch the bag while the vacuum is running.


Post# 160405 , Reply# 5   11/28/2011 at 03:38 (4,505 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
brian, i washed the bag, and the problem disappeared. it was probably the first time in the 36 years of the vacuum's existance the bag was ever washed. i vacuumed the upstairs and dusted my room with the omega for a prooving test for the bag. it passed with flying colors. now to tackle the next thing, restoring my classic III...

Will


Post# 160553 , Reply# 6   11/29/2011 at 11:25 (4,503 days old) by BrianKirbyClass (Eudora Kansas)        

briankirbyclass's profile picture
Yay! good job Will!

Post# 160559 , Reply# 7   11/29/2011 at 12:26 (4,503 days old) by normvac (COLUMBUS, OHIO)        
An Orginal Problem !

Will
With being one of the senior members of the Club. I will to attest to the fact that your dust leaking problem on you Kirby Omega is not due so much to age !
Coming from a family of Kirby owners over the decades, not years ! LOL! There
was a Family member that had and loved a Kirby 513, bought brand new. Then bought
an new Omega (keeping the first Kirby). Had the very same problem of the Omega shotting the dust from the bag. It must have had something to do with the rubber
coating (if that's what it was, correct me if I am wrong). As the Royal Hand vac bags
from the early 80's had the same type of coating. I still have one, and they tend to do the same thing. So I am glad you were able to solve the problem, but it is
only for now. As it is not cureable, if used on any regular basis.
Someone correct me if I am mistaken, but believe Kirby changed the bag style on the later Omega's. just before the Classic III came out.
Norm


Post# 160574 , Reply# 8   11/29/2011 at 17:04 (4,503 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        
Omega Bag

broomvac's profile picture
I believe they did change, for I have seen bags that are pinstriped and others that are not. Not sure which came last, but I have a feeling it was the pinstripe, which is the one I had.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong


Post# 160575 , Reply# 9   11/29/2011 at 17:05 (4,503 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
*have.

Post# 160576 , Reply# 10   11/29/2011 at 17:16 (4,503 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
The omega bags came as follows. Yellow corduroy. First after the 1cr. Tan with brown pinstripes. Then the longest lasting production bag was the one I have, with the little diamond dots on it.

Will


Post# 160577 , Reply# 11   11/29/2011 at 17:22 (4,503 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
Also the diamond dots was the last bag on the omega. They always had a cloth bag, but the pinstripes or dots were rubber. The dots came out in early 1975 or late 74 if I remember right.
And as long as it emptied properly. It doesn't pull a pigpen. I demoe'd my omega at a collector friends (sean curry) last nite like a kirby dealer would have and it worked just fine.

Will


Post# 160585 , Reply# 12   11/29/2011 at 19:29 (4,503 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        
Pin Stripe Bag

eurekastar's profile picture
I heard that the pin-striped bag was problematic because it didn't breathe well. The pores would quickly clog because of the plastic weaving and thus restrict airflow. The bags would then blow off the Em-Tor sometimes. I gave away most of my Kirby collection before I moved last summer, but I kept the Omega with the corduroy bag. I had another Omega in my collection with the dotted bag, but I never found an original pin-striped bag. I've always wanted one.

Post# 160596 , Reply# 13   11/29/2011 at 21:53 (4,503 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
bill, i've seen pinstriped bags come across on ebay from time to time, but they are not common. and you are correct about them blowing off the emtor, two collector friends have comfirmed that with thier's. they blow off if you don't empty the bag after every use like you're supposed to.

Will


Post# 160704 , Reply# 14   11/30/2011 at 20:14 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
Well, I guess I'm lucky! When my local Kirby store gave me my Omega I never thought too much about the bag except for the fact that I thought it had crappier airflow than the original bag on my Classic 1-CR. Here are some pictures of the bag (and vacuum!)

Post# 160705 , Reply# 15   11/30/2011 at 20:19 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
Here is a close-up. These stripes make the bag have a stiffer and rubbery feel, but does make it seem MUCH more durable than the 1-CR bag. Thankfully, this bag has pretty much zero wear (probably because the durability), with no tears, holes, frays, stains, scuffs, or wear evidence.

Post# 160706 , Reply# 16   11/30/2011 at 20:22 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
The whatever-they-call-it pocket used for scraping out the inside of the bag is made of some vinyl instead of cloth. The material feels much like what tents are made of, just thicker.

Post# 160708 , Reply# 17   11/30/2011 at 20:25 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
Ready for action! I have never had this bag blow off the emtor before yet I have filled it quite full many times.

Post# 160709 , Reply# 18   11/30/2011 at 20:26 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
Side view...

Post# 160712 , Reply# 19   11/30/2011 at 20:35 (4,502 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture
I'm not certain about this, but I think that may be an aftermarket bag. The reason I'm thinking that is because the "Classic Omega" emblem is missing. I had one like that on a machine I once had, but it was rotted and moldy so I threw it out. That bag certainly has the look! My favorite is the simple corduroy bag. But I'd love to have them all some day! Maybe someone else can answer the emblem question.

Post# 160734 , Reply# 20   11/30/2011 at 22:37 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
I also wondered about that missing logo as well. The bag seems quality enough to be an original Kirby bag, but pinstripe Omega bags of any kind seem to be pretty elusive and through the years I really haven't seen any other Kirby Omega bag that could be described as pinstripe outside of mine, so I guess I can't think of any other pinstriped Omega bags to compare it to. I just assumed it was the same type of bag people referred to. Any input on the originality of this bag would be appreciated.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that I feel that this bag filters a little better compared to the others because of the thicker material. Still doesn't beat a modern white "Micron Magic" bag, though!


Post# 160742 , Reply# 21   11/30/2011 at 22:50 (4,502 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        

broomvac's profile picture
Ok, after a little searching throughout this site, I came up with some info:

I found this thread (link below) discussing the various bags, and there is a picture of a pinstripe bag that seems darn identical EXCEPT it has the logo! That makes me wonder if the logo was sewn on or like ironed or glued on. If the logo was not sewn on, perhaps the bag on my Omega used to have one but it fell off. That's a wild guess, but that's what came to my mind after looking at how similar they look.

Again, more info would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!


CLICK HERE TO GO TO broomvac's LINK


Post# 160748 , Reply# 22   11/30/2011 at 23:37 (4,502 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
the patch is most definitely sewn on. no matter what one of the 3 bags it is. and that is DEFINITELY a rare pinstripe kirby bag. perhaps from a rebuild. but its not a 3rd party. its def genuine kirby. on the back of the bag, near the top of the middle, a little tag sewn into the center seam saying "kirby" or "scott fetzer" should be a 100% dead giveaway to its authenticity.

will


Post# 160749 , Reply# 23   11/30/2011 at 23:40 (4,502 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH)        

bnsd60m9200's profile picture
actually, my omega bag doesn't have the center seam tag. so it may not. but the bag is original for sure. sans logo patch, which is unusual.

Will


Post# 160808 , Reply# 24   12/1/2011 at 19:06 (4,501 days old) by broomvac (N/A)        
Sorry to hijack the thread...

broomvac's profile picture
Maybe I should create a new thread. Just tell me if you want me to and I will.

Now, getting back to my Omega bag, I was pretty sure it was genuine (because it is), but I was questioning its originality. You mentioned it may be a bag from a rebuild, but I flipped the old beast over and the serial plate did not say rebuild. This does not entirely rule out the rebuild idea, but I believe it wasn't shipped to be rebuilt at the factory that they would have changed the plate. I have a feeling it was locally rebuilt though, since our local store pretty much does only Kirby refurbs and Kirby repair. When I was given this vacuum (from the same store mentioned, as a matter of fact) it had a plastic fan and a Kirby Service Center sticker on it, showing that it could possibly have been locally rebuilt. The reason the bag looks identical to the original pinstripe just without the logo is probably because it was a Kirby replacement during a rebuild. I have a feeling it is a similar setup like how Kirby now makes modified G3 bags for replacements and rebuilds that looks close to the original one but (like my Omega bag) lacks the logo on the front.

So, does the lack of logo make this bag MORE or LESS rare? lol


Post# 418055 , Reply# 25   1/3/2020 at 11:49 (1,546 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        
I just received an Omega

kloveland's profile picture
with the pinstripe bag from another collector. Instead of the usual spring mine had a clamp. The clamp looks original and it was much easier to get on the emptor.

  View Full Size
Post# 418060 , Reply# 26   1/3/2020 at 14:28 (1,546 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
kloveland

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Kenny,

That's odd -- the pinstripe bag (which I got from Scott Hanson) on my 1974 Omega seemed to have the spring instead.

~Ben


  View Full Size
Post# 418064 , Reply# 27   1/3/2020 at 15:48 (1,546 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        

kloveland's profile picture
I'll post a picture of the clamp when I get home. Wasn't the clamp installed to help with the bags blowing off the emptor? I seem to remember reading it in a service bulletin.

Post# 418072 , Reply# 28   1/3/2020 at 16:25 (1,546 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)        

rivstg1's profile picture
My old time kirby tech informed me thatKirby may have had the regular spring earlier on in production, but they started using a rubber belt...that would often fail so the fix was the metal strap/clamp

Post# 418091 , Reply# 29   1/3/2020 at 22:09 (1,546 days old) by Kloveland (Tulsa)        
It was in a service bulletin

kloveland's profile picture
That is correct Kelton..

  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 3         View Full Size

Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

Woops, Time to Check the Bag!!!
Either you need to change your vacuum bag or you forgot to LOG-IN?

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy