How to Remove and Replace a Central Vacuum Motor

A popular alternative for homeowners looking to save a lot of money is to substitute their central vacuum motor rather than swapping out the entire vacuum unit. The central vacuum motor is one of the most vital parts of a central vacuum. This instructional article leads you through the process and provides tips and tricks to make it as simple as possible. The complexity level is “easy-medium” and should not take more than one hour to perform. You only need to use the best hardware designs for an efficient system.

You can switch your vacuum motor for a new one, instead of buying an entire new system.

Guidelines on Removing a Motor

1. Be confident no power is going to the vacuum unit by unplugging the cord from the wall or turning off the house circuit breaker.

2. Units that empty from the bottom: The motors are in the top section of the vacuum tank. To get to the engine, remove the top “lid” of the unit.

3. Units that empty from the top: The motors are on the bottom of the vacuum unit. Remove the group from the wall, turn it upside down, and open the base or bottom section to reveal the motor.

4. Each motor has two or three wires that may run to other cables, relay, or mini-breaker. Disconnect the motor wires from these components. The new engine may not have the same connection as the old motor. If that is the problem, it may be easier to leave the motor connected to the component and cut the wire off the engine. You can use a wire nut to tie the old cable to the new wire from the new motor.

5. Following, remove the motor by taking off the nuts or screws holding it down along the extensive horizontal section of the motor.

6. Every motor sits on some gasket. If the gasket is thick and detaches from the engine then reuse it, a replacement is not available. If the gasket is thin, then we recommend buying our gasket.

7. If the motor has a “horn” for the exhaust and something is connected to it, extract the attached piece. If the part is not salvageable, then buy different motor coupling.

Replacing the Motor

1. Your new replacement engine must sit on a gasket, or there will not be a seal, and your suction will be weak. Place the gasket on the engine and put the motor in place.

2. Keenly tighten the new motor into place without overdoing it. The motor shell can move up, causing the motor fan to scrape on the lower casing.

3. Each vacuum motors have neutral polarity, meaning either white or black or the two blacks (depending on the old and new engine) can be connected to either white or black. You can’t mess the motor or parts up if the motor wires are switched. Reconnect the motor wires. As said before, if you don’t have the proper ends, use a wire nut to splice the new wires into the old ones. Some motors have a green ground wire that will connect anywhere on the metal of the vacuum tank.

   

   Replacing the motor on your central vacuum should be followed by thorough testing.

4. TEST THE MOTOR. Before putting everything back together, plug the motor into power, test it using the on/off switch on the vacuum unit tank, or short it across the two low voltage connections on the outside of the container or plugging the hose into a valve in the home.

5. Insert the vacuum back together and be sure it is appropriately and securely in place on the wall. Be sure the low voltage wire is connected correctly, and it doesn’t matter which cable is connected to which connection.

References and Resources

• Hardware Considerations for Vacuum Systems