Your Vacuum Cleaner Is Overheating, Smells Bad Or Like It Is Burning

Is your vacuum cleaner producing an unpleasant odour? Is it getting hot and giving off a burning smell? There are several things that can cause this. Here we explain these in detail so that you can resolve the issue.

THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS ISSUE

• The vacuum cleaner is dirty

• The extension tube or flexible hose is blocked

• The dust bag is full

• The filters are clogged

• The motor is short-circuiting

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.

The vacuum cleaner is dirty

If your vacuum cleaner allows, clean it with soapy water, making sure it's completely dry before you use it again. To get rid of bad smells, you can:

• Use bicarbonate of soda to prevent the vacuum cleaner giving off unpleasant odours. To do this, sprinkle two spoonfuls on the floor and suck it up with the vacuum cleaner. You will need to repeat this procedure each time you change the dust bag or empty the dust tank.
• Use essential oils to perfume the air expelled by your vacuum cleaner. Select a perfume you like and drip a few drops on a small piece of paper towel or cardboard (around 2 cm x 2 cm in size), then vacuum it up. Your appliance will then give off a pleasant odour each time you use it.

The extension tube or flexible hose is blocked

The stainless steel extension tube and flexible plastic hose on your vacuum cleaner will either slot together or be of a moulded design. Because the tube has a curved section and the hose is flexible, paper and other debris can sometimes get stuck inside. If this occurs, the vacuum cleaner will struggle to produce suction and the motor won't be able to evacuate the air properly. This will cause it to produce a hot smell. Try dislodging the object using an unwound metal coat hanger or a piece of stiff electrical wire.

The dust bag is full

The dust bag collects all the accumulated dust and other debris that the vacuum cleaner sucks up from the floor. Avoid waiting till it's ready to burst before changing it. If you allow it to get too full, the air will no longer be able to circulate through, which will force the motor to work too hard, causing your appliance to overheat and produce a hot smell.

Purchase a vacuum cleaner bag

The filters are clogged

Over time, dust can end up finding its way through the various stages of the vacuum cleaner's filter system, causing deposits to build up everywhere inside the appliance. When combined with the humidity in the air, it can form clumps that gradually get thicker and thicker. These will find their way into all parts of the vacuum cleaner and clog up the filters, preventing them from working properly. This will also have an impact on the motor's ability to cool, making it operate less efficiently and possibly causing it to overheat and produce a burning smell. Replace the filters on your vacuum cleaner as often as you can. This will keep the appliance's motor in good condition.

Purchase a vacuum cleaner filter

The motor is short-circuiting

Due to exposure to heat, the insulating parts of the motor may get too hot and deteriorate, causing a short-circuit, which might even be serious enough to trip your circuit breaker. If this happens, one or more parts of the motor (such as the rotor or the commutator) could get damaged or fail completely. This is an easy issue to detect, as the vacuum cleaner will rapidly start to give off a smell of burnt plastic, accompanied by smoke.