How to Fix a Vacuum Brush Roller? Solved with Steps!

A vacuum cleaner is probably the most efficient way of cleaning your home but only till the time vacuum and its brush roller work properly. As the machine regularly operates, malfunctioning is bound to occur. Hence, regular maintenance of the appliance becomes necessary. 

The fact is that the brush roller which is a part of the vacuum does not often spin properly and that causes a vacuum cleaner failure most of the time. 

If you’re facing the same issue, simply follow the instructions mentioned below that will help you to easily fix a vacuum brush roller on your own. 

Cleaning of Vacuum Brush Roller

The vacuum brush roller may get clogged with various particles, particularly hair, which stops its spinning and reduces the performance of the vacuum. 

You will never come across this problem if you clean the brush roller of your vacuum regularly. Just make sure to take 15-20 minutes out of your schedule and complete this task if you want to clean your brush roller. 

How to Fix a Vacuum Brush Roller

Let’s start with the process of fixing the vacuum brush roller now…

1. Find an Appropriate Place 

To get started, look for a place that you won’t mind getting covered with dirt, filth, or dust. You can also cover the space using a dirty cloth or newspaper. Put the vacuum cleaner on either side to access its bottom where you will find the brush roller.

2. Examine the Brush Roller and the Belt

You will be able to understand how to take out the brush roller by consulting the instruction manual of your vacuum cleaner. It will easily come out if you pop it out or slide it out.

However, you may have to take out the access plate on the vacuum’s bottom first to be able to reach the brush roll. Typically, you will need to use a screwdriver. 

Before removing them, search the brush roll as well as the belt for any damages. You probably will need to change these parts if the brush roller does not spin using your hand or if the belt has been damaged. An accumulation of dust and hair on the brush roller may also interrupt it from functioning properly.

You must also make sure that the bristles are not extremely worn on the brush. When you slide your hand over the bristles, they must feel a bit rigid. The rigidity of the brush roller delivers the agitation required to pull the trapped dirt up from the surface. 

In case your brush roller is worn or visibly broken and needs to be replaced, then you do not need to clean it. You just have to throw it away. If so, proceed directly to the process of replacing the brush roller mentioned below.

3. Remove Built-up Dirt and Hair

You can start off the cleaning process of the brush roller after you have removed it from the vacuum cleaner. If it isn’t spinning, you will probably notice a good amount of hair, strands, or floss jammed into the bristles and wrapped around the roller.

Try undoing the tangle using your hands, and cut off the hair and strands, if necessary. 

You can go on to handle the minor stuff later once you are done removing the large junk. To properly clean the brush roller as well as the bristles, you can dampen a brush or a sponge and then use it for the cleaning.

While the brush roller is drying, you may also see the bottom of the vacuum cleaner to ensure that no trash is blocked there which might be reducing the suction capacity of the vacuum. 

Assemble the vacuum cleaner back once you have gotten rid of all the waste and the parts have dried too. This should solve your issue, but in case it hasn’t, let’s go to the next section.

4. Fixing the Vacuum Brush Roller

In case even after you have cleaned the brush roller, the vacuum cleaner is still running improperly, you might need to settle the problem. During your cleaning process of the brush roller, you might have seen a broken element. In case you did, you will have to repair or change this element. 

Before you start, you’ll need to find a spot to fix the vacuum without distressing over causing dirt on the ground. You must look for a flat surface where you can work. Moreover, remember to make sure you haven’t connected your vacuum cleaner to a power source while doing this.

Take out and examine the brush roller of your vacuum. Typically, you can find two major issues in the brush roller. The first one is wearing out of the strips of the brush and the second case is a damaged brush roller. 

Replacing the Brush Roller 

If you visibly notice any wear or damage to the bristles of the strips of the brush roller, you could simply replace them from the brush roller. Many brush rollers have brush strips that easily slide out making them convenient to replace. 

Not a lot of vacuum cleaners today include a beater bar, so all you would have to worry about is the brush strips.

The bearings on both ends of the brush roller have to be intact and usable for the brush roller to spin properly. This can be checked by turning the brush roller in its position simply with your hand.

The spindles or bearings at the brush roller’s end may be broken or worn if the brush roller feels difficult to spin or looks badly aligned. In this case, you need a new brush roller to replace the old one. 

Replacing the Brush Roller Drive Belt

A detached or broken belt is one of the common problems when the roller of the brush doesn’t rotate. Once the brush roller has been removed, search for the belt. This belt spins to help rotate the brush roller. Now, simply go on to replace this belt. Once you are done, assemble the vacuum back again and check if your problem is fixed. 

A damaged or broken belt is also a common issue. You will be easily able to get access to the replacement component in any regular vacuum cleaner store or by simply searching on the web. However, note that you must know the brand and model number of your vacuum cleaner to find the part easily and quickly. 

In case this happens again, you should have a few alternative belts kept at home instead of having to run to the store every time. Hence, try to buy a few at the same time. Take out the brush roller to see where the belt attaches. Get rid of the damaged old belt and substitute it with the fresh one. 

You can also watch this video to see fixes of the vacuum brush roller…

Conclusion

You can carry your vacuum cleaner to a technician if the above-mentioned steps don’t fix your issue or if you are unable to notice any visual proofs. If you fix up the issue on your own, it will certainly save you a few bucks. However, sometimes, you will not be able to make out the problem on your own.

You can also read our guides on how to fix a vacuum with no suction and how to fix a vacuum power cord.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)