Loss of suction after 7 years!

[ted209]

I've had my DC04 for about 7 years now, but lately it's lost a little suction.

I've cleaned the filter and followed the instructions on this page:

http://www.crazysquirrel.com/diy/dyson/ ... age-1.jspx

to clean out the cylinder. This improved it a lot, but I'm sure it used to lift the carpet up where I vacuumed.

I have abused it a bit over the years - by using it with plaster, brick dust and more while DIYing. What else can I do? Should I change the HEPA filter (under the cylinder)?

[dyson_balls]

That's a good guide! You've done almost everything you can do so yes, I would check the HEPA filter now.

The HEPA filter is the post-motor filter. It's there to prevent carbon from the motor brushes leaving the machine and to filter for allergy sufferers (on some machines). If the machine is 7 years old it could be clogged with carbon. Also if the pre-motor filter ever got really dirty some of that dirt might have passed through the motor and deposited itself on the post-motor filter.

There's a video of how to replace it here:

http://www.espares.co.uk/advice/vacuum- ... ilter.html

Good luck!

[ted209]

Ok thanks - if I want to replace it is there any advantage to using the genuine Dyson part? Unofficial ones are about £5 on ebay, genuine ones more like £20!

[dyson_balls]

I don't know if the pattern parts use the same filter material as the Dyson ones but I wouldn't be surprised if they did. On a 7 year old machine I'd go for the £5 option! Alternatively you could replace it with a standard (non-HEPA) filter if you don't have any allergy sufferers in the house.

[ted209]

Update:

I bought new pre and post motor filters, and that didn't help, so I guessed it must be the motor. I bought a new one off ebay (a non-genuine one for £16.75) and installed it using the following guide:

http://www.dysonmedic.com/DC07%20Folder ... hange.html

Now it's all up and running as good as new!

A tip for anyone replacing the motor:

When putting in the new motor, the rubber seal forms a very tight fit with the housing. The motor has to be aligned properly inside the casing (and it shifts while you're pushing it in), making it the hardest part of the install. I put a little grease round the rubber seal, making the motor maneuverable inside the casing. This made a huge difference, and it was then easy to finish this step.