Vacuums need power to be able to get dirt off of surfaces. They’re not going to do any good cleaning without strong suction. That’s why a good, powerful vacuum is always better than a weak one.
Like a lot of power tools, though, vacuums also lose some “power” as time goes on. A case of this is any Black and Decker hand vacuum that’s not picking up as it should. But, we can fix this problem and bring back its strength!
Black and Decker Hand Vacuum Not Picking Up
- Dying Battery
Specific hand vacuums from Black and Decker are infamous for having batteries that don’t exactly last a long time. The biggest culprit of this is probably the dustbuster series, which is what I have myself.
Unlike a lot of other black and decker tools, these don’t use external battery blocks. Instead, they come fitted with a rechargeable battery that users aren’t meant to take out.
Positive side of this is that you don’t have to worry about storing and charging the battery. Negative side is that it’s really hard to determine issues with the battery once they show up– and they DO show up.
Related: Black and Decker Hand Vacuum Not Charging: Solutions I Recommend
Any battery in the world starts getting weaker with time. These are no exception. Once that happens to the batteries of your Black and Decker hand vacuum, it won’t pick up like it normally would.
Now, unfortunate thing is that it’s really hard to replace the battery. Most Black and Decker hand vacuums aren’t exactly the type of tool that you’re supposed to open up and tinker with.
Manually extracting the battery pack after following a guide or manual featuring your particular model is the best option. Then, you can buy a replacement battery pack and put that in there instead.
A new battery should give the tool that extra kick it needs to start picking up like usual again. Just make sure to find a battery pack that’s compatible with your vacuum.
- Clean The Hand Vacuum’s Filters
Less drastically speaking, dirty filters can also prevent good pick-up from a vacuum. It’s a big cause of lowered suction and may be why your tool is having issues if it’s not old enough for battery problems.
Take out the filters to see just how dirty they really are. There’s likely a lot of gunk on them if the suction is THAT bad. Use the manual for your vacuum to see how to remove the filters.
Cleaning these things regularly is a big part of vacuum use. Any hand vacuum will start to lose its suction if the filters are too clogged.
Clean the bin regularly too. Letting it fill up too much can affect suction as well, and it’s best to empty it out after every use instead of letting junk pile up in there.
Deep cleaning the filter with a toothbrush and some water is a great way to get all the dirt out, and how I personally do it. Just remember to let the filter dry out before putting it back in the vacuum.
- Correctly Align Filters and Bin
This next solution pretty much speaks for itself. A misaligned bin or filter can be why the Black and Decker hand vacuum isn’t picking up like it normally would.
Always remember to put the bin and filter on properly after cleaning them. It’s easy to misalign them, which ruins suction and can even stop the vacuum from running in some cases.
Skewing the filter while putting it back on or not closing the bin all the way are both common mistakes. Try avoiding that so you don’t run into issues with pick up anymore.
With the bin, ensure that you lock it in place like I’ve done in the image up there. As for the filters, just align their position correctly and make sure it’s even instead of sticking out from one side.
- Clean The Motor
A dirty motor that can’t spin right won’t be able to produce the suction a Black and Decker hand vacuum needs to pick up properly. So, we’ll try to clean it to get it working at full power again!
Reaching the motor to clean it is the hardest part. Users will have to take apart the screws on their vacuum and find the motor through the manual. On my Dustbuster, the motor is near the handle.
After finding the motor, use Q-tips to clean it. Remove the dirt buried inside and clean the fans as well as you can. Try using some dry lubricant to get the motor to run smoother as well.
Put everything back in place properly after cleaning the motor. These are small and sensitive tools that can stop working if something goes even slightly wrong.
But, after proper cleaning, your Black and Decker hand vacuum should now be picking up just fine. It’ll have good suction and do the job as well as it always does!
