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Dyson vacuum cleaner - Wand handle/ hose suction problems troubleshooting tips

If you have arrived here from a Google search please go to our troubleshooting your Dyson vacuum suction problems page first.
 
If you have lost suction from the wand handle on your Dyson vacuum, remove the handle and check the hose suction, if the hose suction is good then obviously you have a blockage in your wand handle. Common sense but its surprising how many callouts I have had for this simple problem.
To clear the wand handle get a wire coat hanger straighten it out but keep a hook on the end to stop you losing it down the handle. Shove it down the metal end of the handle as you want to try and knock the blockage out the same way it came in, again this depends on which model you have as some have reversible handles. Also you can get a pair of pliers and put a hook in the wire coat hanger and shove it down the handle and try and pull the blockage back out.
 
Once clear hold it up to a window and you should be able to see daylight you won't be able to see straight through due to the angle of the handle (unless you have a Dyson DC03). If you can't see daylight trust me it is still blocked even if a coathanger goes all the way through. A 2p piece is always a favourite as it gets wedged in the angle and spins so it looks clear but its not.

For the older style Dysons (not the ball type) If the handle is clear and hose suction is poor, pull the U-bend off at the back of the machine, you should be able to put your fingers in each end and touch them. Next take a pound coin stand the hose up straight with the handle and U-bend removed and drop it down if it drops out the bottom it is clear, if not well its blocked.
 
Check the hose all the way along for splits and tears usually they start under the top cuff but check the entire hose just in case (If the hose has a small tear in it and it is not fully stretched out then you are not going to lose massive amounts of suction, it will need replacing but don't buy a hose until you figure out what else is causing the loss in suction).

 

If you have an older style ball model DC24, DC25 or one of the later uprights such as the DC27, it could be the hose has not transferred over properly. When you put the handle back into your Dyson (looking from the back) you should see a small hose to the right that moves across, if not it may be stuck in the base position.

Remove the handle and tap the small hose to the left and it should switch over to the main hose, problem solved for now. Take some WD-40 or polish if you haven't got any and apply it to the spring to the bottom right of the main hose. Pictures will be coming soon as I understand this is hard to follow.

There is quite a rare fault with the DC25 and DC27 when the small transfer hose shortens with time causing a loss of suction, the only solution for this is to buy a new transfer hose.

 

For the newer style ball models such as the DC40, DC41, DC50, Dyson Light ball UP22 and Dyson Ball 2. The main place to check is the hose called the COV hose, short for change-over hose, this is a small hose that is difficult to see unless you remove the ball cover and filter.

What this hose does is transfers the suction from the wand handle to the brushes when the machine is moved from the upright to the tilted back cleaning position. What tends to happen is this gets blocked with something like a hairgrip and won't transfer causing the suction to be stuck in one position. This hose tends to split easily too causing a permanent loss of suction. It's relatively simple to unblock but very difficult to replace.
 

90% of the time the above will solve your problems, if not listen for strange noises from your Dyson vacuum such as whistling, air leaks etc. If you are a Dyson DC07 owner click here for a separate troubleshooting guide.

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