EnglishThe heart of any vacuum cleaner is the motor. It sucks up the dust and debris and carries it to an exhaust port.
Most vacuum cleaner motors are flow-through, meaning they use the air they suck in to cool themselves. This can distort testing results and make it difficult to compare products.
Power
Vacuum cleaner motors that create negative pressure, or suction, draw in air and suck dirt into the vacuum bag. Most vacuum cleaners use one motor, although some use multiple motors to drive brushrolls and other accessories. The most important specification of a vacuum cleaner motor is the amount of airflow it generates, known as CFM (cubic feet per minute).
The motor's power, measured in watts, indicates how much electrical current it draws when running. However, this metric only tells you how much electricity the motor consumes and does not indicate how powerful the motor is or how well it performs.
Another useful specification is the motor's sealed suction, commonly called water lift. This rating is made when the motor is completely sealed and measures how many inches of water it can lift under these conditions. It is a valid comparison of motor performance but should be used in conjunction with the CFM specification to make an accurate assessment of the motor's actual performance.
Efficiency
The efficiency of a vacuum cleaner motor is the ability to convert electrical current into mechanical power (in this case, suction) with as little loss of energy as possible. Vacuum cleaner motors convert electric current into mechanical power through a combination of resistance in copper windings and magnetic field in the armature and a significant amount of heat dissipated in the motor core.
The rotating fans in the motor generate suction by drawing air into an intake port. That air is then filtered through a bag or canister and discharged out the exhaust port.
Noise
Vacuum cleaners are loud, as they need to be in order to generate suction power to suck up heavy particles like dirt. However, if your machine is sounding abnormally loud this could indicate an issue with the engine itself.
A common cause of noisy vacuums is large debris in the hose or the machine’s filter. Make sure that the long plastic hose is not choked with anything that might be too big to pass through and also check that the inner and outer filters as well as the post-motor filter are not fully blocked.
Clogged filters will cause the motor to work harder to create the same level of suction and will therefore produce more noise. Clean these filters regularly as part of your normal maintenance.
Maintenance
The motor in a central vacuum system can be one of the more expensive parts of the entire vacuum cleaner to replace, especially if it goes bad. However, there are some things that can be done to keep the motor working at maximum efficiency.
Emptying the dust bag regularly, cleaning the filter and checking for blockages in the hose or floor tool are simple maintenance steps that can extend the life of the vacuum motor. Avoid overworking the motor by only using it for short periods of time or by removing larger objects such as nails, paper clips or thumbtacks from the area being cleaned to prevent them from puncturing the motor or hose.
Before doing any examining or disassembly of the vacuum motor make sure that it is unplugged and turned off. Disassembling a vacuum motor exposes many loose wire connections that can cut you if not handled carefully. Using a multimeter, test for continuity in the on/off switch to ensure that it is allowing voltage to reach the suction fan motor and beater bar drive motor.
