Dyson filter(s) getting dirtier as the vacuum ages

Here's an observation I made on my Dyson DC07 Animal, which is about 13 years old and still runs great.

For the first few years of ownership, the pre-motor filter had remained clean-looking, and I made sure to wash it every 6 months. However, in more recent years, some dust has been passing through the cyclones and into the filter. Sometime around 2010, my mom vacuumed off a very old air purifier, which was packed with dark, fine dust. That made the yellow case of the filter dark, but the vacuum never lost suction. I washed the filter (the black discoloration wouldn't come off) and it still looked clean after many uses.

But then, in mid-2014, following my parents' divorce, my mom took the Dyson to her new apartment, and, noticing that the vacuum had a bad smell to it, bought some Arm & Hammer carpet powder in an attempt to freshen up the machine. The powder resulted in a change of pitch to the cyclone noise (less whistling), but the Dyson kept on going. The dog smell didn't come out, though. Some of the powder made its way to the pre-motor filter, which she or I didn't bother washing. The powder was used again a year later, when she moved to a different apartment and wanted to freshen up the old one. She didn't use powder again after that.

Then, in 2018, the Dyson had some parts replaced under my mom's ownership, namely the clutch and HEPA post-motor filter (which was BLACK). However, oddly, the vacuum wasn't picking up properly on carpets. I later discovered that the internal hose wasn't attached properly, so I fixed that.

In 2019, I gifted my mom with a new Hoover Air Steerable vacuum, as the Dyson was getting to be too heavy for her. This enabled me to take the Dyson back home. Since then, I hardly used carpet powder, but even if I didn't use it, the pre-motor filter would get soiled fairly quickly. It has also become faded from normal wear and tear.

This may sound trivial, but do Dyson filter(s) really get dirtier as the vacuum ages? Or did the carpet powder do a number on the cyclones? The last time I washed the filter was around February of this year. I also recently bought a new filter to replace this one because it looks so bad.

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size


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Post# 435731 12/1/2020 at 19:00 (1,241 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA)
Checkrate/Likes Here's an observation I made on my Dyson DC07 Animal, which is about 13 years old and still runs great. For the first few years of ownership, the pre-motor filter had remained clean-looking, and I made sure to wash it every 6 months. However, in more recent years, some dust has been passing through the cyclones and into the filter. Sometime around 2010, my mom vacuumed off a very old air purifier, which was packed with dark, fine dust. That made the yellow case of the filter dark, but the vacuum never lost suction. I washed the filter (the black discoloration wouldn't come off) and it still looked clean after many uses. But then, in mid-2014, following my parents' divorce, my mom took the Dyson to her new apartment, and, noticing that the vacuum had a bad smell to it, bought some Arm & Hammer carpet powder in an attempt to freshen up the machine. The powder resulted in a change of pitch to the cyclone noise (less whistling), but the Dyson kept on going. The dog smell didn't come out, though. Some of the powder made its way to the pre-motor filter, which she or I didn't bother washing. The powder was used again a year later, when she moved to a different apartment and wanted to freshen up the old one. She didn't use powder again after that. Then, in 2018, the Dyson had some parts replaced under my mom's ownership, namely the clutch and HEPA post-motor filter (which was BLACK). However, oddly, the vacuum wasn't picking up properly on carpets. I later discovered that the internal hose wasn't attached properly, so I fixed that. In 2019, I gifted my mom with a new Hoover Air Steerable vacuum, as the Dyson was getting to be too heavy for her. This enabled me to take the Dyson back home. Since then, I hardly used carpet powder, but even if I didn't use it, the pre-motor filter would get soiled fairly quickly. It has also become faded from normal wear and tear. This may sound trivial, but do Dyson filter(s) really get dirtier as the vacuum ages? Or did the carpet powder do a number on the cyclones? The last time I washed the filter was around February of this year. I also recently bought a new filter to replace this one because it looks so bad. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 6 View Full Size

Post# 435749 , Reply# 1 12/1/2020 at 22:54 (1,241 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes Never use carpet powder on bagless vacuums, both vintage HEPA and modern ones with sponge filters, it will clog up the filters. It turns into a cakey nasty mess. It's not too bad with bagged vacuums, but it does a nightmare on bagless vacuums. Like all Dysons I am sure you will need to break out the Torx screwdriver and open up the root cyclone assembly and fully wash and sanitize it in enzymatic soap. It's probably packed. With a Dyson you really cannot let the bin get full to the max fill line because if the dirt gets too close to them, the vortex of the cyclones will actually suck dirt inside the assembly backwards and it just ends up packing itself in there bit by bit. It's an engineering flaw with the technology. dysonmedic.co.uk/why-a-dyson-dc0...

Post# 435754 , Reply# 2 12/2/2020 at 02:13 (1,241 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Yeah for sure thoroughly clean the cyclone if you haven't already. It may be that after 13 years, the foam filter is beginning to perish. And perhaps it has effectively less air paths in it, and clogs easier. You may find the new filter (hoping it's actually fresh stock) works out better.

Post# 435756 , Reply# 3 12/2/2020 at 02:50 (1,241 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA)
Checkrate/Likes *Forgot to mention this earlier, but...* I have actually taken apart the Root Cyclone assembly and washed it out a couple times. The cyclones have NEVER become packed, just coated in normal household dust. It's because I always empty the bin as soon as the dirt reaches the MAX line. Then I shake and tap the bin firmly to remove the fine dust from inside the cyclones. Also, lint and dust tend to build up on the shroud over time, so I remove the clear bin from the cyclone assembly to brush it off when necessary. A few years ago, for fun, I wanted to see what would happen if I overfilled my Hoover WindTunnel 2 Rewind Pet vacuum's dirt cup, which was dual-cyclonic. The vacuum didn't lose suction, but more hair and lint got sucked into the inner cyclone and landed on the filter, clogging it quicker. It also made the vacuum smell bad. That's where I found out about the importance of max fill lines on bagless vacuums. MadMan, I bought the new filter from eBay for only $15. Although it didn't arrive in a sealed bag (just a simple mailer), the filter was 100% genuine and unused. It was a good deal.

Post# 435776 , Reply# 4 12/2/2020 at 14:15 (1,241 days old) by vacuumdevil (Vacuum Hell )
Checkrate/Likes 1 Despite the manufacturer claims you really should change them regularly. Typically I see washable filters last one to two years before needing to be completely replaced. You should also replace your HEPA filter once a year no matter what.

Post# 435855 , Reply# 5 12/4/2020 at 15:20 (1,239 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *vacuumdevil* I completely agree with you; there is no such thing as a "lifetime" filter. Every filter fills up and wears out over time; washable ones can only be washed so many times before they start to wear out, and HEPA post-motor filters fill up with carbon dust from the motor. My original Dyson HEPA filter lasted 10 years before needing to be changed; new ones cost around $30, and a flathead screwdriver is needed to pry off the filter cover on the vacuum.

Post# 435858 , Reply# 6 12/4/2020 at 18:22 (1,238 days old) by Rolls_Rapide (-)
Checkrate/Likes I noticed that photo #6 shows the filter cover... plus some grit. I experienced that too, with the DC07. Dyson would have the general public believe that their wonderful cyclones spin the air clean. In fact, the cyclones can only remove a certain quantity of dust and dirt from the airflow. The remainder of the dust has to arrested by a filter. Months ago, I came across a Japanese study which indicated that cyclones can increase airborne allergens. This is because larger particles entering the 'high-efficiency' cyclones are pulverised and decimated into much finer particulates. These fine specks no longer have enough mass to exit via the downward flow and centrifugal force, instead remaining entrained within the reverse airflow en route to the vortex finder.

Post# 435877 , Reply# 7 12/5/2020 at 02:38 (1,238 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA)
Checkrate/Likes *Rolls_Rapide* I wonder if the cyclone issues with the DC07 occur because the inner cyclones are mounted upwards? It's the only Dyson with this type of cyclone design. To be fair, the DC07 is their first machine with Root Cyclone technology. Every subsequent Dyson has the inner cyclones mounted downwards. My theory is that by having the cyclones pointing downwards, gravity allows them to do a better job of throwing the small particles down into the inner chamber, making the Root Cyclone system even more efficient.

Post# 436492 , Reply# 8 12/19/2020 at 17:32 (1,223 days old) by Rolls_rapide (-)
Checkrate/Likes *niclonnic* I suppose gravity might have a small bearing upon efficiency of the cyclones - but I remember reading that James Dyson - I think it was - said that the cyclones worked at any angle. But I'm not entirely convinced. It was also suggested that the short air path between the shroud and the high-efficiency cyclones made that design very efficient. On the other hand, I've seen DC04 dual cyclone, and DC14 and DC15 root cyclone machines with grit in their filters - admittedly not a lot - but still present. They all used the downward cyclones. I'm more inclined to think that the DC07's problem was actually just bad design. First of all, the seven high-efficiency cyclones each ejected their dust load upwards, out over the top, relying on gravity to drop it down into the common inner core. This core (where the bin release rod sits) clogged quite readily - and I've seen a later version with the central core absolutely clogged and backed-up with fine dust. Had to use a stick to poke it out. Secondly, because the seven high-efficiency cyclones fire upwards, each of their vortex finders are at the bottom. If the air entering the machine is reduced (i.e. clogged hose/fabric blocking nozzle) then the airflow through these cyclones is also diminished. This means that the dust particles don't have enough transport air to get to the correct spin-out speeds, so basically end up short-circuiting in a fish-hook pattern... straight to the vortex finders. Then you end up with dirt and grit on the pre-motor filter. The 'suction release' valve on the DC07 was on the pre-motor filter cover. I always thought that was a daft place to put it. It might have benefitted by having one in the area of the clear bin, or in the dirt inlet tube en-route to the clear bin, in order to maintain constant airflow through the cyclone assembly.