It was a cold Monday morning in my living room. I spilled a whole bowl of dry dog food. I grabbed my vacuum to clean up the big mess. I turned the power switch on with a quick click. The motor made a loud hum like it always does. But the Hoover vacuum cleaner brush was not spinning at all.
I felt a wave of pure stress hit me hard. I just wanted a clean floor for the new week. Instead, I had a broken machine in my hands. I pushed it on the rug, but it felt stiff. The wheels did not want to roll on the floor. I knew I had to fix this right away.
I leaned down and heard a high whine sound. Then a bad smell of hot rubber hit my nose. I turned the machine off fast to keep it safe. I have fixed lots of tools and vacuums over time. This bad smell is a big clue for me. It means a part is stuck and getting too hot.
Why Is the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Brush Not Spinning?
Vacuums are just simple machines when you look inside them. A motor spins a fan to suck up the dirt. That same motor turns a black belt made of rubber. The belt wraps on the brush to make it spin. If one part breaks, the whole thing stops dead. Here are the top things I see on my bench.
Hair Wraps Tight on the Roll
This is the top issue I find on most days. We shed long hair on the floor all the time. Our pets leave thick fur on the rug as well. The fast brush grabs all of it as it spins. The hair wraps tight on the ends of the roll.
Soon, the brush gets stuck and can not move well. The strong motor tries hard to turn the locked roll. But the thick hair holds the plastic brush too tight. You must cut the hair off to make it work. I will show you how to do this soon.
The Belt Gets Old and Snaps
The drive belt does a lot of hard work. It pulls tight from the motor to the brush roll. If the brush jams, the motor keeps spinning real fast. The hot metal rubs hard on the cheap rubber belt. This friction makes that awful bad smell I talked about.
If it gets too hot, the belt will just snap. Sometimes the belt just gets old and very loose. A loose belt slips off the roll and falls down. If the belt is loose, the brush will not spin. You have to put a new belt in its place.
Bad Ends on the Brush Roll
The brush spins on small parts called ends on both sides. Dust and fine dirt sneak in there day by day. They get very dry and full of hard grit. I have felt parts that lock up tight and stop.
If these ends die, the brush can not turn well. You will hear a loud crunch sound when it tries. You can not fix these small sealed parts at home. You will need to buy a whole new brush roll. It is a quick swap once you get the part.
Wrong Switch for the Hard Floor
We all make small mistakes from time to time. Many Hoover models have a switch on the top side. It lets you turn the brush off for bare wood. Sometimes, I bump this switch with my foot by chance. If it is on bare floor mode, the brush stops.
Always check this top switch before you take things out. It takes two seconds to look at the dial. Move it to the rug mode and try it out. You might fix the whole problem with a fast click. I laugh when I find this is the main fault.
The Motor Gets Too Hot
Hoover builds safe parts right in their machines for you. If the brush jams, the big motor gets too hot. A small safe switch pops to shut off the power. This saves your motor from melting down in your house. You might just need to push a switch to reset.
Tools I Use on My Work Bench
You do not need a lot of gear for this. I keep a small tool kit close by my desk. I use a screw driver with a plus sign shape. I grab a pair of sharp shears from the drawer. I also bring a damp rag to wipe off dust.
I make sure I have a bright light to see. A good head lamp helps me see deep dark spots. That is all you need to start the fun work. Let us get our hands dirty and fix this now.
Steps to Fix the Brush Quick
I like to work on a clear table or bench. You can use a clean spot on the floor too. Give yourself some nice wide room to spread parts out. Here are the steps I take to fix the machine.
Step One: Pull the Plug Out
Safe rules are my top goal when I fix tools. Do not open a machine that has live power in. Pull the thick cord right out from the wall plug. Look at the dials to see what mode is set. If it is on the rug mode, move down now.
Step Two: Look at the Bottom Side
Lay the machine flat down on its back side now. Look right at the space where the brush is held. Bring your bright light close to see the dirt. When my machine stopped, the roll was full of hair. I could not see the red bristles at all.
If your roll looks like a mess, you found it. This is the main fault that we need to clear. Do not pull the hair with your bare hands yet. It is pulled too tight and will hurt your skin. Let us use sharp tools to cut it off fast.
Step Three: Cut the Hair Right Off
Take your sharp shears and hold them in your hand. Find the deep line that runs down the plastic roll. Slide the thin tip of the shears in that line. Cut straight down to break the thick wall of hair. Do this a few times all the way across.
Now, use your hands to pull the cut chunks out. It can be gross to touch the old dirt clods. I find old string, fuzz, and lots of pet fur. Throw it all right in your big trash can. Try to turn the roll with your free hand.
If it spins round and free, you might be done. But if it feels stiff, we must look much deeper. I will show you how to open the base next.
Step Four: Take the Plate Right Off
Grab your plus shape screw driver in your right hand. Look for the screws that hold the base plate down. You will see four or six screws in deep holes. Turn them to the left to take them all out. Place them in a small cup so they stay safe.
I lose parts a lot if I do not use cups. Grab the edge of the plate and pull it up. It should snap right off with a small tug. Set the plate to the side of your work space. Now you can see the deep guts of the machine.
Step Five: Look at the Black Belt
Look at the belt that runs the length of it. Is it still in one round piece on the parts? Mine was snapped in half like a thin dry twig. It laid flat in the base of the dirt trap. I knew I had to put a new one in.
If your belt is still on, press it down hard. It should feel tight and spring right back to you. If it moves a lot, it is stretched way out. A loose band will not grip the fast spin roll. You will need to buy a fresh belt very soon.
Step Six: Spin the Small End Parts
Pull the long brush roll right out of the base. It will pop up once the top plate is gone. Slip the rubber band off the end of the roll. Hold the caps on the ends with your two hands. Try to spin the main part to feel the slide.
How does it feel when you turn it round fast? It should feel as smooth as ice on a rink. When I felt my old roll, the ends crunched loud. They felt like they had beach sand stuck deep inside. They would barely turn when I used my full strength.
If your roll is stiff, you need a new one. You can not grease these small sealed ends at home. Buy a fresh roll online to make it run smooth. It saves time to just swap the old part out.
Step Seven: Put Parts Back in Place
Let us say you have a fresh belt to use. Wipe the dust out of the base with your rag. Slip the new belt on the bright metal motor pin. Pull the next side to wrap on the brush roll. Pull the roll out away from the motor pin hard.
Push the square ends down deep in the right slots. The new belt will feel very tight to pull on. You have to use some force to snap it in. Spin the roll with your hand to test the band. Make sure the belt turns the metal pin with ease.
Put the base plate back on top of the roll. Drive all the screws back in with your hand tool. Make sure they are tight, but do not strip them. Your machine is whole and ready to clean the floor.
Step Eight: Turn the Power Switch On
Stand the tall machine up straight on its back wheels. Plug the thick cord back in the wall slot now. Step on the foot switch to lean the neck back. Click the main power switch on to test your fix. You should hear a nice smooth hum fill the room.
Look down at the base to check on the parts. The roll should spin so fast it looks like a blur. When I did this last week, it roared to life. My Hoover vacuum cleaner brush was not spinning before. But now it pulled dirt deep from my soft rug. I felt quite proud to fix it by myself.
Data on Broken Vacuum Cleaner Parts
I like to track the faults I fix on my bench. It helps me know what things to check for first. Here is a chart that shows what breaks the most. This clear data comes right from my own home work. Look at the numbers to see what fails the fastest.
| Fault Found on Bench | How Much I See It | The Best Fix to Use |
| Hair Wraps the Roll | Very High Rate | Cut out the thick mess |
| Belt Breaks in Half | High Fault Rate | Buy a fresh rubber belt |
| Belt Stretches Wide | Good Chance | Swap in a new tight belt |
| Ends Lock Up Tight | Very Low Rate | Get a whole new roll part |
| Heat Switch Pops | Rare to Find | Push the small red switch |
As you can see, hair is the top bad guy. If you cut hair out, you save the belt part. Keeping the roll clean is the best step to take.
How to Find the Safe Reset Switch
I talked a bit on the heat switch up above. If the motor is dead cold, look for this part. Not all models have this safe switch on the base. Look near the back wheels or low down the neck.
It might look like a small red square to push. It might be a small black dot in a hole. Press it in soft with the tip of your tool. You might hear a clear click sound when it sets. Wait for a half hour so the motor cools off. Then plug it in and turn the switch back on.
Tips to Keep Your Rug Cleaner Best
It is a fun thing to fix broken tools right. But it is more fun when they do not break. I have learned good habits that keep my tools fresh. I want to share my smart tips with you today. Follow these to save cash on parts down the line.
Clean the Roll Out Each Month
Do not let the roll get packed full of hair. Take five clear minutes at the end of the month. Turn the base up and look at the parts. Grab your shears and snip the stray strings right off.
A clean roll spins real fast and runs smooth always. It puts much less stress on the big drive belt. The motor stays cool and works for a long time. This is the top way to stop a bad break.
Hear the Noise It Makes First
Good tools talk to us if we care to hear. You just have to tune your ear to the noise. A clean machine has a nice low hum in use. If the pitch goes real high, you have a clog. Air can not flow deep in the dust trap tube.
If you hear a clack sound, a rock is stuck. Stop the machine right away when the tone shifts fast. Find the jam up before it breaks a key part. You will save a lot of work with this tip.
Keep a Spare Part Near You
Drive belts are cheap to buy in a big pack. They are made of soft rubber that breaks down fast. It is a smart move to buy two belts now. Keep the extra one safe in a desk drawer near.
When a belt snaps right in the middle of a chore, you smile. You have a fresh part ready to fix it fast. You will not have to wait for the mail truck. You can get right back to the job at hand.
Do Not Suck Up Huge Messes
Your machine is meant for fine dust and small dirt. It is not built to clean a big house frame. If I drop a box of thick noodles, I sweep. I use a stiff broom to pick the big chunks.
Huge bits will clog the thin pipe very tight. They can jam the fast roll and snap the belt. Clear the big trash by hand first to be safe. Let your machine do the hard work on the dust.
What Smells Tell You About Breaks
Smell is a top clue when you look for faults. If your brush is dead, your nose can guide you. Smell helps me fix things deep in my own shop. I trust my nose when tools act up or fail.
If you smell hot tire smell, shut it right off. That means the belt is burning on the hot pin. The pin spins fast, but the thick belt is stuck. This melts a good belt down in just one fast minute.
If you smell hot dust, the motor works too hard. It might be choked by a packed up dust cup. Clean the cup out to let the cold air flow. If a motor gets too hot, it dies for good.
When to Buy a New Good Machine
I love to fix old things to make them new. But some old things are just too broken to save. How do you know when to quit the long fight? You must look at the cost to fix it all.
If the main pin is bent, the motor is trash. If the plastic base is cracked wide, it is bad. Parts can cost more than a fresh new machine does. I had a great green unit ten years back then. The base melted on a bad rug one hot day.
I had to put it in the trash out front. It is fine to buy new when the old one dies. You get a nice clean tool with zero bad breaks.
Final Thoughts on This Easy Fix
A Hoover vacuum cleaner brush not spinning is no big deal. It is a fun job to learn on a free day. It is quite safe if you pull the plug out. You get to see how the gears work in line.
It feels great to fix a tool with your hands. I hope my quick story helps you clean your rug. Next time you smell the bad hot smell, stay calm. Grab your tools and take the base plate right off. You will have a clean home in a short time.