Belt Replacement and Rotating Brush Cleaning for a Dyson Vacuum

Dyson vacuums have very powerful suction but occasionally you may notice it is not picking up the way it should. You may hear a loud ratcheting noise which tells you something is wrong. The problem is either the rotating brush has stopped or the belt that turns the brush is broken. The ratcheting noise happens when the brush is constricted and needs to be cleaned. The noise may not happen when the belt is broken and needs to be replaced. Replacing a broken Dyson vacuum belt is an easy process.

Replacing the Belt

Always cover your work area to protect it from dirt and unplug your Dyson vacuum cleaner before attempting any repair. To access the belt the Dyson must lay flat on its front with the cleaner head released and not in the usual upright position. The rotating brush is housed in the cleaner head and secured with the soleplate. You can identify the soleplate by its three 3 colored screw head fasteners. Use a coin or large flat head screw driver to remove the soleplate and expose the rotating brush. Once the soleplate is off you will have easy access to the broken belt making it simple to remove the pieces.

The belt fits around one end of the brush and winds around a bracket in the cleaner head. The best way to replace the belt is to put the new belt on the bracket in the cleaner head first. To replace the belt you will need to free one end of the brush by removing it from its bracket exposing the area where the new belt is placed. The belt will be tight and require a little muscle to get the brush back in place. Once the belt is in place, snap the soleplate into place and screw in the 3 fasteners.

Clean the Rotating Brush

While you are changing the belt take the opportunity to clean the rotating brush. Over time with use the brush picks up string, hair, and debris. Cleaning the brush is effortless because the shape of the brush is flat. This makes if very easy to get pair of scissors close to the brush for cutting. Cut the fragments away from the brush bar and pull off the cut pieces of debris. Repeat the process until the brush is clean of fragments. This should be done regularly for maintenance.

Tip

Use a digital or cell phone camera to take a picture of the area you are about to repair. If you ever have a problem remembering how everything fits back together a picture is a great help.

When replacing the soleplate it is important to replace it correctly (you will hear a click). If not, the 3 screws head fasteners will be difficult to turn. Never force the screw head fasteners because they are made of plastic and the heads will damage easily, instead readjust the soleplate.