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Rainbow> Maintain Your Rainbow
Vacuum
Follow These Seven Valuable Tips to Prolong the
Life of Your Rainbow Vacuum and Keep it
Running at Peak Performance.
 Tips:
Okay, you spent upwards of $2300 or
more on
this investment, now what can you do to
keep it working like new for the next 20
years or more? Following the seven areas
of care below will keep your Rainbow
vacuum in top shape and help you to
avoid costly maintenance repair bills.
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Cord
An often overlooked
but very important part of any
appliance, especially your vacuum
cleaner. Be sure not to yank the
cord from the outlet from a
distance. Always walk to the outlet
and remove the cord from the wall by
grasping the plug. Avoid stretching
the cord to the limit when you
vacuum. We've lost count of how many
cords we've had to replace because
of pets. Vacuum cords are any easy
target for a puppy. Make sure Fido
is in another room when you vacuum.
Check the cord regularly for cuts
and scrapes. Never use your Rainbow
in wet areas. Clean the cord
(unplugged) occasionally with a damp
cloth and mild detergent. When
storing it, wrap it around the cord
wraps provided to avoid tangles and
crimping. Should the plug or
prongs on your cord become damaged,
we recommend replacing the entire
cord rather than installing a new
screw-on plug from the Hardware
Store. These replacement plugs are
fine for a lamp or toaster that
never gets moved, but vacuum cleaner
cords get tugged and stretched and
there is the danger of the wires
pulling loose. We have all Rainbow
replacement cords available
here. |
Hose
Your electric Rainbow hose carries
electricity to your Power Nozzle. Be
careful when dragging it around
sharp corners. The interior of the
hose is reinforced with stiff wire.
Stepping on the hose or closing it
in a door will cause the wire to
collapse and you'll be left with a
crimped hose which will clog very
easily and could break the wires
that carry power to your power
nozzle. We recommend that you store
your Rainbow hose on a smooth hose
hanger like the one on
this page to prevent kinking.
The short pigtail cord at the end of
the hose is not available separate
so use care when unplugging it. Did
you know that the little button lock
at the end of your hose is
replaceable? You can view it
here (Key # 21). |
Power
Nozzle, Brushroll and Belts
  
Power nozzles have to work very
hard at keeping your carpet clean.
The nozzle itself usually only
requires an occasional wipe down.
You can also remove the bottom plate
from time to time and clean the
interior. The brushroll and belt on
your power nozzle will require a
little bit more frequent care. The
job of the brushroll is to agitate
or vibrate the surface of your
carpeting so that it will loosen up
the dirt for easier vacuuming. Worn
out bristles, accumulated hair and
string, and stretched belts will
make your job harder and your power
nozzle less effective. You can
remove hair and string with a pair
of scissors or a seam ripper. You
can also pull the end caps off and
clean the bearings. We have found
that belts are one of the most
neglected areas of vacuum cleaner
maintenance. Belts stretch over time
which allows them to slip so your
brushroll does not turn as fast as
it once did. We recommend you
replace your Rainbow belt every 8 to
10 months. Brushrolls usually last
for several years, but you should
check to make sure the bristles are
long enough and stiff enough. Belts
are available
here.
Brushrolls are available
here. And last a word about
Berber Carpet. Several
manufacturers recommend against
using a motorized power nozzle on
Berber carpet, especially near the
seams. It is possible that a stray
strand could work loose. If this
strand gets caught in your brush
roll you could easily vacuum up
several yards of berber before you
get your vacuum shut off.
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Separator
The separator on your Rainbow vacuum
keeps the water in your water pan
out of the motor. If it gets dented,
or broken you should replace it
before using your vacuum again.
Replacement separators are available
here. Using a stiff
bristle brush, clean the
separator after each use. Retighten
the nut securely but do not
overtighten it. We recommend that
you occasionally clean the threads
on the motor shaft that the
separator nut screws to. Just brush
them clean with the separator brush
and apply a thin coating of
petroleum jelly.
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Filter
This is another area that sometimes
gets forgotten. The HEPA filter on
your E series Rainbow vacuum
captures fine particles to keep them
out of your air. Ideally, you should
replace the non-washable filter
every year. You can let it go longer
if you want but the more clogged
they get, the harder your motor has
to work. We've seen HEPA filters
that had'nt been replaced in 8 or
more years and it wasn't a pretty
sight. You can purchase replacement
Rainbow HEPA filters
here.
In our opinion, rinsing the washable
HEPA filter or HEPA neutralizer is
less than 100% effective. The
washable HEPA filter is supposed to
be rinsed under running water which
should flush out all the accumulated
dirt. We've rinsed many of these
HEPA filers over the years and I'm
just not convinced that it's
completely clean. I just don't see
how low pressure tap water can clean
a high density filter. It also takes
a very long time to get them dry.
You can reinstall a damp filter and
run your Rainbow to get the
remaining water out, but it takes a
long time to get it completely dry.
Maybe we're missing somethng here.
We invite your comments or
recommendations on this matter. Send
us an email at the Contact US link
and let us know your experience with
Rainbow washable filters.
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Water
Pan
Pretty basic maintenance tips for
the Rainbow water pan. Don't fill it
with water past the level indicated,
replace the water pan if it leaks,
don't vacuum if it's empty or the
water gets extremely dirty, don't
use anything in the water that could
damage the plastic and make sure to
rinse and dry it completely after
each use.
Replacement water pans are available
here.
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Storage
We highly suggest that you
store your Rainbow vacuum cleaner
separate from the water pan.
Moisture has a damaging effect on
bearings and electrical parts. Even
if you thoroughly clean and dry the
water pan after every use, there is
still residual moisture left. Over a
long period of time, this moisture
will corrode metal and damage
bearings.
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