This video describes fixing a Shop-Vac motor that suddenly quit working. The problem was an internal quick connector that burned open. The fix was easy.
Thank you! I had a much smaller model, different brand, but had the exact same issue. The key word for me was "quit right after running for a second," which is what mine did. Would have never found the problem without this demonstration.
I got the Idea, but instead of a jumper, a thermal fuse is what goes there. It is inside that little white box. Must vacuum cleaners uses a 192 degrees C rated at 15 amps, 120 volts. For some reason the thermal fuse melted by high temperature. Could be a loose connection inside the little white box, low air flow to cool the motor or low voltage. Also there is a sound baffle for the exhaust that needs to be cleaned. It is a horse shoe shaped foam filter that blocks the air flow when dirty resulting in a high temperature around the fan motor. A thermal fuse can be installed in the same way of the jumper shown in the video. Shop Vac does not sell a replacement , but hey are cheap in the internet. It cannot be soldered because it melts during the process. Just plug it in like the brass shim jumper.
Anibal Sonera Thumbs up, replacing a thermal shutoff like that with a jumper, even though it makes it work again is potentially very dangerous. Mostly fire hazard and bodily harm if done the way I have seen this video and another one. Thank you for making this text comment as I would have suggested it myself.
Thank you very much for sharing this info. Mine just stopped working in the same way as described in this video and I am familiar with thermal fuses and how they work. I've disassembled my shop vac a few times to lubricate the squealing shaft, but will check the fuse when I pull it apart again. I think I may have to replace the entire motor on mine since it has had an ongoing issue with the shaft and/or bearings.
I contacted Shopvac and asked for them to make this fusible link available as a part. I told them guys were putting in jumpers, car fuses, all sorts of improper fixes.They said to buy a powerhead. In other words trash a powerhead for the lack of an 89 cent fuse. So Shopvac would prefer to have guys installing a jumper where a safety fuse would be, it seems. If mine goes belly up I'm not spending $150 or more for a powerhead, that probably isn't available anyway. I'm putting in a thermal fuse! I have done it before for space heaters, pressure cookers, and so on. Maybe they figure they are not liable if shade tree Jimmy puts a jumper and starts a fire, but if the same guy screws up the install of a Shopvac provided part, they might be.
This type of repair is called a little devil , when you repair the problem but not what caused that problem in the first place , when it fails it will fail way worse that’s the magic of the little devil 😈 a Mexican favorite 😂
That absolutely was the issue but just looked to me after pulling it apart there was some type of a jumper across there that had broken. I took a piece of .030 welding wire folded over and shoved it behind both spade connectors then just bent the ends over to secure it in the plastic housing and reinstalled the whole thing. Now bearings are roaring!
While your fix will work, it's a fire waiting to happen because you replaced the thermal cutout which is supposed to protect the motor windings from overheating at 121 Celsius and bursting into flames - the plastic then burns very fast... It does happen. That's why they put the thermal fuse in it - as long as you know the risk and don't pass this on to anybody else go for it.
Have you ever seen a thermal cutout? A thermal cutout is not a piece of copper as was there originally. A thermal cutout opens up based on temperature. A coffee pot uses a thermal cutout to regulate water temperature. At thermal cutout re-sets itself and is used again and again. A fuse is a one time use item. At best, the piece of copper that got bypassed is a crude fuse, designed to render your shopvac useless when the motor bushings get dry. When the bushings get dry, the motor current increases. The wires and connectors in series with the connection in question will open next if the motor draws too much current. The wires are just big enough to carry the required current. Fuses are designed to protect wires. A person could put a wire that is two sizes under-sized in place of the open fuse and have a fuse. There is redundancy built in to the design. Use a power-strip with a built in breaker for this modification for best use practices. This video is designed to show you the point of failure for this issue and the proper fix is up to you. My fix is to prove the my diagnosis was correct. Fix at your own risk.
What did you use to replace the piece “keeper” to hold the fan on? I’m trying to find something to replace mine that has broken and so far no lock washer fits. :(
Mine comes on, seems power is not there. Does pick up anything and I would say about 1 min in , smells like something is burning . Open it up like you did brased it and turn it on. What I saw was a light show of sparks.No idea what's going on..
Not a thermal fuse in the white box..... Guess again.... It's possible the geniuses who designed this connection intended for it to physically burn out if too much current passed through it..... but it is a juvenile design.... notice it's not close enough to the motor to serve as a thermal motor protector.
You're definitely right. It's a normal fusible link. It's nothing special, but it's obvious the manufacturer did not intend for the fuse to be replaced. The only time it draws enough current to burn out is when the spherical brass bearing at the top of the motor shaft becomes too worn. This is also why they make that terrible "screaming duck" noise. It's a common problem with Shopvac and like designs. In fact I'm waiting on a ball bearing I just ordered to replace that POS in my own vacuum. If it weren't for that design "feature" these things would last for ages.
@@user-px1wj2uv3r Sadly, you know that nothing is made to last these days. Such a shame, too as most of the younger generation have been conditioned to throw everything away and just buy a new one!
Thank you! I had a much smaller model, different brand, but had the exact same issue. The key word for me was "quit right after running for a second," which is what mine did. Would have never found the problem without this demonstration.
I got the Idea, but instead of a jumper, a thermal fuse is what goes there. It is inside that little white box. Must vacuum cleaners uses a 192 degrees C rated at 15 amps, 120 volts. For some reason the thermal fuse melted by high temperature. Could be a loose connection inside the little white box, low air flow to cool the motor or low voltage. Also there is a sound baffle for the exhaust that needs to be cleaned. It is a horse shoe shaped foam filter that blocks the air flow when dirty resulting in a high temperature around the fan motor. A thermal fuse can be installed in the same way of the jumper shown in the video. Shop Vac does not sell a replacement , but hey are cheap in the internet. It cannot be soldered because it melts during the process. Just plug it in like the brass shim jumper.
Anibal Sonera Thumbs up, replacing a thermal shutoff like that with a jumper, even though it makes it work again is potentially very dangerous. Mostly fire hazard and bodily harm if done the way I have seen this video and another one. Thank you for making this text comment as I would have suggested it myself.
Thank you very much for sharing this info. Mine just stopped working in the same way as described in this video and I am familiar with thermal fuses and how they work. I've disassembled my shop vac a few times to lubricate the squealing shaft, but will check the fuse when I pull it apart again. I think I may have to replace the entire motor on mine since it has had an ongoing issue with the shaft and/or bearings.
I contacted Shopvac and asked for them to make this fusible link available as a part. I told them guys were putting in jumpers, car fuses, all sorts of improper fixes.They said to buy a powerhead. In other words trash a powerhead for the lack of an 89 cent fuse. So Shopvac would prefer to have guys installing a jumper where a safety fuse would be, it seems. If mine goes belly up I'm not spending $150 or more for a powerhead, that probably isn't available anyway. I'm putting in a thermal fuse! I have done it before for space heaters, pressure cookers, and so on. Maybe they figure they are not liable if shade tree Jimmy puts a jumper and starts a fire, but if the same guy screws up the install of a Shopvac provided part, they might be.
This type of repair is called a little devil , when you repair the problem but not what caused that problem in the first place , when it fails it will fail way worse that’s the magic of the little devil 😈 a Mexican favorite 😂
That absolutely was the issue but just looked to me after pulling it apart there was some type of a jumper across there that had broken. I took a piece of .030 welding wire folded over and shoved it behind both spade connectors then just bent the ends over to secure it in the plastic housing and reinstalled the whole thing. Now bearings are roaring!
While your fix will work, it's a fire waiting to happen because you replaced the thermal cutout which is supposed to protect the motor windings from overheating at 121 Celsius and bursting into flames - the plastic then burns very fast... It does happen. That's why they put the thermal fuse in it - as long as you know the risk and don't pass this on to anybody else go for it.
Have you ever seen a thermal cutout? A thermal cutout is not a piece of copper as was there originally. A thermal cutout opens up based on temperature. A coffee pot uses a thermal cutout to regulate water temperature. At thermal cutout re-sets itself and is used again and again. A fuse is a one time use item. At best, the piece of copper that got bypassed is a crude fuse, designed to render your shopvac useless when the motor bushings get dry. When the bushings get dry, the motor current increases. The wires and connectors in series with the connection in question will open next if the motor draws too much current. The wires are just big enough to carry the required current. Fuses are designed to protect wires. A person could put a wire that is two sizes under-sized in place of the open fuse and have a fuse. There is redundancy built in to the design. Use a power-strip with a built in breaker for this modification for best use practices. This video is designed to show you the point of failure for this issue and the proper fix is up to you. My fix is to prove the my diagnosis was correct. Fix at your own risk.
Good deal. have had a few go on me. I'll try it out bro,thanks
Thanks, I will give it a try
Gracias por compartir!!
thanks a lot for the info my big problem is finding replacement brushes would you happen to have any suggestion thanks cheers from Canada
What did you use to replace the piece “keeper” to hold the fan on? I’m trying to find something to replace mine that has broken and so far no lock washer fits. :(
I have had the same shop vac for nearly 30 years. With regular maintenance, these things don't happen.
Mine comes on, seems power is not there. Does pick up anything and I would say about 1 min in , smells like something is burning . Open it up like you did brased it and turn it on. What I saw was a light show of sparks.No idea what's going on..
Not a thermal fuse in the white box..... Guess again.... It's possible the geniuses who designed this connection intended for it to physically burn out if too much current passed through it..... but it is a juvenile design.... notice it's not close enough to the motor to serve as a thermal motor protector.
You're definitely right. It's a normal fusible link. It's nothing special, but it's obvious the manufacturer did not intend for the fuse to be replaced. The only time it draws enough current to burn out is when the spherical brass bearing at the top of the motor shaft becomes too worn. This is also why they make that terrible "screaming duck" noise. It's a common problem with Shopvac and like designs. In fact I'm waiting on a ball bearing I just ordered to replace that POS in my own vacuum. If it weren't for that design
"feature" these things would last for ages.
@@user-px1wj2uv3r Sadly, you know that nothing is made to last these days. Such a shame, too as most of the younger generation have been conditioned to throw everything away and just buy a new one!
@@Laggin6 That's the sad truth. It's okay though....the more they throw away, the cheaper my projects gets lol