To Suck Or Not To Suck: That Is The Question

Our vacuum doesn’t suck. And while not sucking is an admirable quality in pretty much everything else, it turns the vacuum into a glorified coat rack. The vacuum used to suck, but it sucked a little too much and now there is a plastic squid stuck somewhere deep in its bowels. So while the sucking mechanism probably still works great, a squid can be a mighty obstruction. In addition, one of the axles got broken when we moved last year and although it still rolls, you have to push it mighty hard to keep it moving. The compartment that holds the bag is held on with a zip tie. And the crevice tool disappeared about two years ago when Matthew went through a phase where playing with the vacuum cleaner attachments was the height of entertainment. I was hoping I would find it when we moved last year, but had no luck. All these things lead to the inevitable conclusion that it is time for a new vacuum.

So I got online and started researching. I found a vacuum that will suit our needs, is definitely in our price range, and gets great user reviews. I got a rockin’ deal at Amazon and was super excited when the new vacuum arrived. About two days after we got it, Nathan was vacuuming and came to tell me something about lights on the vacuum. Now this is a basic model vacuum. It doesn’t have any lights anywhere. So I went to check it out and sure enough, lights. And not in a good way. Every time we turned the power switch to the off position, sparks were very clearly visible along the sides of the switch. Sparks in electronics are never good. So we packed it back up, initiated a return through Amazon, and dropped it off at the UPS Store.

Three days later we got our replacement vac from Amazon. Kev took it out of the box, turned it on, and guess what? Sparks! So in an attempt to get more info so I could decide whether or not to pursue this particular model or find a different one, I e-mailed Hoover through their website to see if the sparks are a known problem. Their response? “I don’t show a service center in your area. Please call for further assistance.” Wow. Didn’t even touch my actual question. So I got on their website, located a service center (Ummm, duh?), and called. The repairman told me that there has been a recall on the switch and that they would repair it under warranty. Good news, right? You’d think so, but when Kev picked it up after it was fixed, there were still sparks. But he was smart enough to check it out while he was still at the service center, so he just left it there and they said they would fix it . . . again.

After the second repair the sparks are mostly gone, only making a rare appearance. Kev can fix it if it comes right down to it, so we’ve decided to keep the vacuum. Hopefully it will continue to suck for a good long time without developing any unexpected fire starting skills.