DIY Vacuum Cleaner Repair

The Bissell Cleanview Helix is an upright vacuum that comes with several attachments. One of them is the Turbo Brush, which is useful for vacuuming steps and narrow places. If the Turbo Brush gets clogged with hair or dirt, it can prevent the brush from spinning. Cleaning the Turbo Brush is a regular part of maintaining the vacuum, and is easy to do.

1. Remove the screws

There are two screws on the bottom of the Turbo Brush, near the neck. Remove these screws with a Phillips screwdriver.

2. Remove the cover

With the screws out, pop the clear plastic cover off. (It snaps in on the end closest to the brush.)

3. Remove the brush

The brush is mounted onto the frame by a black plastic end cap on either side. Pull the brush straight up and remove it from the frame. The end caps may fall off; if they don't, remove them yourself.

With the end caps off, slide the brush out from the belt.

4. Clean the brush

You can probably pull most of the dirt and debris off of the brush's bristles and teeth by hand. If there's hair wrapped around the brush, cut it off with scissors. Once you've removed all of the dirt from the brush, rinse it with water and let it dry.

5. Clean the rest of the unit

Hair and other debris may also get stuck in the timing belt or on the gear. Inspect the rest of the Turbo Brush unit for dirt. All parts of the unit can be rinsed off with water.

6. Reassemble the Turbo Brush

Once everything is clean and dry, slide the belt back onto the teeth of the brush (while keeping it attached to the gear). Put the end caps back onto either end, with the flat side of each end cap facing down. Put the brush back onto the frame, and slide each end cap down into the slot on either side.

With the belt and brush back in place, make sure everything is installed correctly. Turn the gear by hand -- the brush should spin freely.

Reattach the clear plastic cover by latching the tab on the front end of the cover (closest to the brush) under the protrusion on the bottom frame, then pushing the cover down until it is flush with the bottom piece. Secure the top and bottom with the two screws.

🛈 The Turbo Brush pictured above is green. Some models may be red (or another color) but they all contain the same parts and come apart the same way.

(Originally published on Helium.com, 2011)