There are few appliances in your home that are more important—and perhaps more ignored—than your vacuum. Unfortunately if you’re not paying attention to when your vacuum needs some attention, you might end up without a working vacuum when you need it most. Here are a few signs that it’s time to get your vacuum in to a repair shop for a quick checkup before it gets damaged to the point that you can’t use it or you have to replace it.

1: No Suction

Some things are difficult to grab from carpet, like ground-in dirt or pet hairs, but if your vacuum won’t even pick up a random dust bunny or a pile of large crumbs, it’s a sign that there is a problem with your suction. Many loss-of-suction issues are simple fixes, so take it to a repair shop to get it checked out.

2: Strange Smells or Noises

One of the easiest ways to tell that your vacuum needs a tune-up is when it starts to emit strange smells while vacuuming, or make noises that don’t sound like normal suction. You might also notice that the vacuum sounds like it’s working overtime just for a basic job, and in many cases these noises and smells are indicative of a problem. It might be something as simple as needing a new belt or replacement motor, but if you wait too long then it could get damaged to the point that you can’t repair it and will need to buy a new vacuum instead. In this case, preventive maintenance can save you a lot of money.

3: Dirty Filter

This one is a little bit harder to tell from just daily use, but you should be checking your filter every so often. If you have a vacuum with a bag, it’s recommended that you change the filter after five or six bag replacements. If your vacuum is bagless, you will need to check the filter at least once a year—and more often if you use the vacuum a lot—to see if the filter needs to be cleaned. Some machines have filters you can rinse with water and air dry, while others will need to be replaced with a new one.

4: Randomly Shutting Off

A lot of vacuums today have a feature that shuts the machine down before it can overheat. Vacuums overheat when something goes wrong, like a hose that is plugged or a setting that isn’t quite right for the type of flooring you have (such as a low setting used in high-pile carpet rooms). If yours is randomly shutting off during your vacuuming sessions, first check the settings to make sure you’re using it correctly, and if that doesn’t correct the problem, get it checked out by a vacuum repair shop.

The good news is that vacuum repairs are usually easy and a lot less expensive than buying a brand new vacuum. Bring yours into Vacuums 360 today if you’re experiencing a problem and let our professional team help you get it fixed.