Why does My Vacuum Cleaner Get Hot?

If you have landed on this page it’s likely you’re experienced an unpleasant burning smell coming out of your vacuum cleaner? Or perhaps felt a much hotter than expected vacuum canister. If YES, then it is a clear sign of an overheating vacuum cleaner. This article talks about things why your vacuum cleaner gets hot and how you may get rid of it.

An overheating vacuum cleaner emits a burning smell or will make a strange noise. Which is a clear sign that your vacuum cleaner is struggling to operate. Read on the key reasons why your vacuum cleaner gets hot and starts acting weird, here in this article.

Reasons Why A Vacuum Cleaner Gets Hot

If your Vacuum Cleaner is getting hot it will likely be due to one of these 6 common causes of overheating….

1. A Full, Smelly Dust Canister.

In most cases, people forget to clean the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner. That makes the dust bag crowded and dirty. Remember, the dust canister or bag of your vacuum cleaner needs to empty on regular basis. The dust canister portion holds all the crumbs, hair, dirt and dust particles, and other wastes of your home. It keeps dust and allergens away and off your floors. After frequent vacuuming, it will become smelly if not emptied regularly enough. This causes less air to be able to circulate around the vacuum and will cause things like smells and overheating. It may also lead to a sudden equipment failure as many systems rely on a partially empty bag.

2. It Has Clogged Filters.

The filter is what separates your vacuum hose from your cannister. It builds up a thick layer of dust and needs to be cleaned every know and then. This dust layer causes the vacuum to overheat and will also result in a burning smell when it does so. Day by day, as the time passes by the dust particles around the filter gradually build lumps inside everywhere (as there is a lot of humidity present in the air). When a thick layer of these lumps completely, or partially, clogged the filter system, then the problem arises. Likewise, the motor gets hot and hot over time, and become one of the main reasons for overheating vacuum cleaner.

3. The Unit’s Belt Has Slipped or Broken.

The belt is strangely one of the most important yet fragile parts of any vacuum cleaner. If it dislodges or breaks then the motor may go in to overdrive with nothing there to control it .This belt is located to act in between the roller brush and the motor shaft. As vacuum cleaner belts are built of rubber, they may get broken, slipped, or become jammed due to any number of reasons. Check whether the vacuum belt is failing – if so, then use the replacement belts which are readily available to buy online and not *that* hard to replace yourself.

🎥 Watch Videos: How to Fix a Vacuum brush roll that isn’t spinning.

4. A Clogged Vacuum Hose.

As you know a vacuum hose is made up of flexible plastic so that it can easily manoeuvre your home freely. Sometimes waste paper or any other small things or objects get stuck inside the extension tube and vacuum hose. Which will result in this curved section struggling to suck the things inside the vacuum bag. As well as then failing to circulate air. This can definitely cause your vacuum to get hot.

🎥 Watch + Read: How to Unclog a Vacuum Hose.

5. The Vacuum Cleaner Motor Is Sparking.

Not all old is gold. An old motor may cause excessive sparking in the vacuum cleaner. This, in turn, may become a reason for the bad overheating and associated smell. First, inspect the motorised brush roll for issues and if any, tend to this immediately. In other cases, when there may be any blockage in an electric motor. This could cause the fan to stop working or may rotate at a much slower speed. As you know that the fan is used to control the temperate inside motor. A fan that doesn’t work well can’t cool off the motor.

6. Other Electrical Issues.

The truth is there is a vast array of electrical elements in today’s clever vacuum cleaners. If you have done your best to diagnose the overheating vacuum cleaner by going through the above checklist then it may come down to a small electrical element in the control panel not working. You may notice any other damage inside motor parts, breakage in the shaft, and cracks in wires. Any damage to the internal part of the motor or fan could well lead to your vacuum cleaner getting hot.

What To Do With An Overheating Vacuum Cleaner

My honest advice for what to do if your vacuum cleaner gets hot?

Honestly, the most important thing to do (eluded to in the first two points above) is to just give your vacuum cleaner a really good clean.

Take it apart as much as you feel comfortable and confident with and remove all dust and debris that you can. I can promise you that you will be amazed with what you find. This is a little mini-service that most vacuum cleaners don’t get in today’s day and age. Of course, our commercial vacuum cleaners were always treated with such respect and the difference was ah-mazing post a clean and service.