On days when you have a lot of cleaning to do, your Bissell carpet cleaner may seem like it’s going to rescue your life, but if it suddenly stops sucking water out of your carpets, it can rapidly become an awful nightmare! Have a look at these troubleshooting techniques to determine why your Bissell carpet cleaner is not sucking up any water. And there’s no need to be concerned; all of this won’t take more than ten minutes.
Why Is My Bissell Carpet Cleaner Not Suctioning?
- Make sure the tank is connected
One of the most common problems with a Bissell carpet cleaner is that it does not suction. Often, this problem occurs because the tank has been left unconnected or disconnected. To prevent your cleaner from losing suction and you from wasting cleaning solution, make sure that the tank is securely connected and properly seated onto the rest of the machine.
- If you’re still having trouble, check all connections are secure
Is your Bissell carpet cleaner not suctioning anymore? If you’re still having trouble, try the following troubleshooting tips:
- Check the vacuum hose and be sure that it is not clogged or in contact with any obstacles.
- Make sure all of the filters are clean and free of debris. The main filter can be cleaned by running water through it while turning it in a twisting motion to help clean it.
- You can also take it out from the back side of the machine and run water over it before turning it in a twisting motion. Take care when cleaning them as they will get wet and dirty again quickly.
- Rinse off any excess dirt on the outside of your machine with warm soapy water, then dry completely before putting them back into place.
- You’ll want to inspect for anything caught in crevices or cracks that might be causing a blockage when trying to suck up debris from carpets.
- Remove any objects blocking water flow
Place a bucket or towel underneath the water intake at the front of the machine to make sure it’s getting water. Check that your suction hose is attached to your upholstery tool and isn’t clogged by animal hair, fuzz or thread. If you can see light coming out of the hose, then there’s no clog and your machine should be working fine.
- Replace worn hoses and filters
A common reason why a Bissell carpet cleaner might not be suctioning is if the hoses and filters are worn. The following steps should help you troubleshoot any issues with your Bissell carpet cleaner’s suction:
- Check the hose, wand, and belt to see if they need to be replaced.
- If there are clogs in the water tank or soap dispenser, try using a long slender tool to remove them.
- If your machine has been flooded, unplug it and leave it out in the open for at least 24 hours before attempting to use it again.
- Take care of spills immediately, so that they don’t have time to dry up and turn into icky stains.
- Keep surfaces dry when vacuuming so that the dust doesn’t cling to floors and furniture.
- Vacuum along walls instead of over them because this will prevent dust from kicking up onto other surfaces.
- When cleaning severely filthy areas, such as the regions around the toilets and sinks, use a brush with stiff bristles.
- After vacuuming your carpet, you should give it a good rinse so that you don’t end up leaving behind specks of filth that might become obvious in the future. Before vacuuming the carpets, move the area rugs to the edges of the room and pull them back. If you don’t do this, the vacuum won’t be able to get beneath the rugs completely.
- Make sure you have enough water in the tank
If the floor tool on your carpet cleaner is spinning but the carpet cleaner itself is not suctioning, you may have a hose obstruction or an empty tank. Check that there is sufficient water in the tank by filling it with clean water and turning on the machine to see whether or not there are any leaks coming from the system.
- Check your vacuum head for blockages
Vacuum head blockages are a common cause of suction issues. In order to check for vacuum head blockages, unscrew the top cap or clear plastic lid of the vacuum hose. The area around the brush can be inspected by pressing down on it with your fingers. Vacuum heads should be replaced every six months and keep your vacuum hoses clean and free from debris (i.e., strings from clothes, pet hair, etc.).
- Check that both the front and back wheels are free to rotate, they may have jammed up with dirt.
If you’re having trouble with your Bissell carpet cleaner not suctioning and you haven’t been able to diagnose the problem, check that both the front and back wheels are free to rotate. If they have jammed up with dirt, try rubbing off the grime or gently shaking them out before vacuuming. Make sure the cord is plugged in properly: it may have unplugged itself when you were trying to move it around. This is a pretty common issue for most vacuum cleaners, so don’t worry too much if this doesn’t solve your problem; just keep trying!
- Run a cleaning cycle to test if all components are working.
If your machine is less than one year old, there’s a chance it will clean up all on its own. If you’re able to finish the cycle and the stain still remains, keep reading for some of our top tips for troubleshooting why is my bissell carpet cleaner not suctioning.
When you first use your Bissell carpet cleaner machine, start by pressing the Power On/Off button to turn it on. Check if any lights are lit up on the control panel. You may need to press Power again or wait a few seconds before starting a cleaning cycle. If no lights are lit up, check the electrical cord for any signs of damage or dirt that could be preventing power from getting through to the machine.