Thread Number: 33523
/ Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
VitaVac III History and.... |
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Post# 365127 , Reply# 1   1/14/2017 at 17:12 (2,630 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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Would anyone please email me a copy of the User's Manual. Can't seem to find one anywhere. Thanks, Garry |
Post# 365128 , Reply# 2   1/14/2017 at 17:58 (2,630 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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Up in the right hand corner of your post, click on the black and yellow icon. It will take you to vintage manuals. You can look for the Air-Way Sanitizor Manual, which will be just the same as a Vita Vac. I believe it is 3.99 and you can pay through paypal etc. Original bags are getting harder to find. Look on ebay for those or for Air-Tec bags, either will fit, but again they are harder and harder to find. Air-Tec is now out of business as well......If all else fails for bags, look for Tom Gasko's post on how to use the top of the sanitainer with another paper bag insert......
PR-21 Bud |
Post# 365129 , Reply# 3   1/14/2017 at 20:02 (2,630 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)   |   | |
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As per my good friend, Tom Gasko...
"Do not buy any non original Air-Way bags. They are much thinner, and will damage the motor. Go to your local Vacuum shop and purchase Simplicity or Riccar Freedom Cloth HEPA Bags. These might be labeled as bags for the Simplicity Freedom. Cut the bag directly below the collar, and insert it into the Vacuum where the bag should go. Now insert the plastic Air-Way Bag collar, and fold the rest of the bag material over the collar." Of you need a Bag Collar, I have some. I do not have any more genuine bags. Hope this helps! Andy |
Post# 365135 , Reply# 6   1/14/2017 at 21:09 (2,630 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)   |   | |
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Post# 365139 , Reply# 7   1/14/2017 at 21:53 (2,630 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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Garry,
Do an internet search on cut to size vacuum filters and you will find a few sites. You should see a white hepa type and a black charcoal. They are square and you could use the dimensions of your bag top to cut a pattern. Other than that you can look for Royal Type J bags and filters. The J bags kind of look like an air way bag. The hole may have to be cut or taped if too large. The royal after filters look too thick to use unless they could be sliced sideways...Just some thoughts. Using too thick of after filters could put strain on the motor. PS I am by no means an expert here, I just happen to have an Air Way Centurion I bought from Tom Gasko and when they were being discontinued, I found Air-Tec and used their bags and filters, but they are now out of business also. Frequent Ebay searches can lead you to NOS bags and filters, but if you find them, snap them up if you are serious about using you Vita Vac.... Hope this helps, PR-21 Bud |
Post# 365149 , Reply# 10   1/15/2017 at 09:19 (2,629 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)   |   | |
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If the white bags are regular paper DO NOT USE THEM! Those brown bags in the paper package are Generic. Air-Way always "marked" their bags on the paper or the collar with their name. I had thought my package that style was genuine, until Tom told me the correct information. The bag on the left, and in the middle of my picture are Genuine. The one on the right is not.. If you zoom in on the middle bag, you will see the Air-Way name embossed.
Andy
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Post# 365156 , Reply# 11   1/15/2017 at 14:21 (2,629 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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Then the vintage package of bags, with Air-Way on the package and the identical paper are generic. Odd. Then I guess I have a large quantity of "collars" to use with Hepa bag material. |
Post# 365158 , Reply# 12   1/15/2017 at 14:30 (2,629 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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Does anyone have any information about the vacuum I just got. Older or Newer model? AND What about the Air-Way / Vita-Vac's makes them unable to use generic bags? |
Post# 365161 , Reply# 13   1/15/2017 at 15:16 (2,629 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 365163 , Reply# 14   1/15/2017 at 15:52 (2,629 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)   |   | |
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Post# 365185 , Reply# 16   1/16/2017 at 09:10 (2,628 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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Please post a picture of the handle end of your hose, and I'll let you which power nozzle to order to make your machine virtually 'original'. You'll note on the paper bag pack it says "genuine filter paper", which is not the same as Genuine Air-Way Sanitizor filter paper Sanitainers. These do not filter as well as genuine, and clog with dirt very fast.
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Post# 365225 , Reply# 18   1/17/2017 at 08:48 (2,627 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)   |   | |
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This may be a stab in the dark but I had this same model and I'm wanting to say I found a date on it of 2001? Mine had the plain white Douglas made power nozzle with rug genie label on it. I sold the vacuum to another collector as I found myself never using it because I wasn't very pleased with that power nozzle. I bet a good old Eureka virbra groomer power nozzle would work with that.
When I serviced mine the black rubber motor seal said Hoover on it. A few years later I found that my 88 also had a rubber seal saying Hoover. Did Air-way out source the seals or was this a vac shop replacement? |
Post# 365277 , Reply# 21   1/18/2017 at 11:43 (2,626 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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That machine would have originally had a Douglas power nozzle. Eureka wands would fit that hose handle end. You could choose whichever power nozzle to use with it that you like. The machine cleans very well, you might consider a Wessel-Werk nozzle as I feel it's a great nozzle to pair with an Air-Way.
The gaskets were sold by Hoover to Air-Way, which I always found strange as they could have more easily used the Filter Queen gaskets. At the factory, they used Vaseline to lubricate them when installing the motor section. I had several people with Signature Series models who complained about vibration when the machine was running. Indeed, upon inspection, it seemed the gaskets allowed the motor vibration to transfer to the air evacuator assembly. I solved this for these two customers by replacing the gaskets with Filter Queen gaskets, which I had, used, in the 'boneyard' that most vac shops have in which they 'steal' parts. I had many traded in Filter Queens at the time, so gaskets were not a problem to obtain. |
Post# 365296 , Reply# 22   1/18/2017 at 17:34 (2,626 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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The gaskets I have are in great shape. I will try them. The particular Eureka wands I have fit the PN or course, but the top wand is tight. |
Post# 365556 , Reply# 24   1/23/2017 at 16:32 (2,621 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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reassembling both the Vita-Vac and Air-Way 88. In future, I will not separate the base where the motor attaches, from the body shell. If I ever find a need to clean the inner shell and bag basket, I will remove the motor and clean it assembled. |
Post# 372330 , Reply# 25   5/18/2017 at 17:16 (2,506 days old) by fantomfan57 (Central Texas)   |   | |
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Got these today... |