Your ever-smiling cleaning buddy, Henry Hoover, can serve you without any trouble. That’s because it’s a straightforward and hardy device. However, in the absence of complete maintenance for a long time, you may find that your Henry Hoover is not working.
Henry Hoovers may refuse to start or keep cutting off due to problems in the PCB, cable, plug, carbon brushes, or copper contacts. You may also experience suction problems due to a clogged filter or dirtbag, holes in the hose, or a blockage. Even the motor or the stitch may malfunction.
Suction issues are the easiest to fix with no technical knowledge. But if you have a basic understanding of tools and the hardware of appliances, you can also replace the faulty parts causing other problems. So keep reading to know more.
Henry Hoover Not Working: Causes and Solutions
Below are some common problems your Henry vacuum cleaner might have faced – and their solutions.
1. Henry Hoover Not Turning On
If your Henry Hoover is not turning on, check the basics. Make sure it is properly connected to the power socket and whether the switches are on. Also, check the fuse.
If there is no careless mistake or fuse problem, there might be a fault in some parts, which can be fixed by replacing them. Take a look:
a) Faulty Cable
Since your Henry runs on electricity, any kink, damage, or tear in the power cable will prevent the appliance from getting a power supply. The cable assembly sits inside the black “hat” on top of Henry’s happy face. Thus, cables are quite easy to access and replace.
Start by detaching the hat from the canister and turning it over. Undo the four screws holding the motor cover and the outer cover. Once you separate the outer cover, you will gain access to the cable reel moulding attached to a handle inside it.
You’ll find more screws that must be removed to dissemble the reel moulding assembly. The cable remains attached to the moulding with the help of metal contacts. Detach the cable ends from the contacts by unscrewing them at the terminals.
Now, take the new cable and connect it with the contacts. Put it around the moulding and follow the above steps backwards to reassemble the reel moulding and the entire assembly inside the head. Here’s a video to guide you through the process.
b) Plug Issue
If the plug of your Henry’s cable is broken on the outside or the inside, the appliance will not get a power supply. Changing the plug will help solve the problem. And, if you know the basic concept of tools and wiring, you’ll manage to take care of it yourself.
First, you must cut off the plug along with a part of the cable, which must be discarded. Next, measure 50 mm from the cut end of the cable – and use a sharp knife to remove the outer insulation. Be careful not to cut the wire underneath.
The wires inside will most likely have another insulation layer, which will also have to be removed to reveal the metal wires. These will go into the new plug. So unscrew and open it to access the metal clamps.
Now, attach the open wires of the vac’s cable to these and tighten the clamps. Reattach the other half of the plug, and your wire will be as good as new. Here is a video that will show you the details of how to replace old plugs.
c) Contact or Capacitor
Another reason your Henry may have stopped working is a faulty capacitor or contacts. As a result, they get in the way of proper connection between the cable wires and the unit’s motor. Replacing them should fix the problem and get your Henry working again.
We have already told you how to change the cable in the Henry vacuum. You must have also understood the location of the contacts and the capacitor. The contacts sit on the cable reel moulding, and the capacitor is between the two terminals.
You must have understood how to change the cable. So the process of changing the capacitor and the copper contacts won’t seem like rocket science. You can easily buy these parts – and put the new ones in place of the old contacts and the capacitor.
You’ll need to detach the cable from the moulding first, and after the replacement process, you can reattach the wire as described above. You may change the full cable reel moulding assembly if multiple parts are damaged. Click here to find a video describing the whole process.
d) PCB Malfunctioning
Your Henry has a small PCB, i.e., a Printed Circuit Board, that allows electricity to pass through. The vacuum cleaner may have stopped working because the PCB is malfunctioning. While this small fellow might seem complex, its replacement is a straightforward process.
Before you change the PCB in your Henry, make sure to pick the right replacement (yellow or green), depending on the model. The PCB is part of the motor assembly inside the machine’s lid. So you can access it by undoing all the screws under the lid.
This will let you remove the motor cover to reveal the PCB. This board is linked to wires, which you will need to remove. But before doing that, make sure to take a picture so that at the time of rewiring, you can make sure that the terminals go in the right place.
Now take the new PCB and attach the wire terminals to it. Once done, place it back into its slot and reassemble the vacuum head. Click here to find a video that gives a clear description of how to change the PCB.
e) Issues with Motor Brushes
Henry vacuums use brushed motors in which the carbon brushes help with the transfer of power. Naturally, if they are not working properly, the machine won’t start. But once replaced with new brushes, Henry vacs can run properly again.
You have already seen how to locate the motor. It sits inside the lid, connected by wires that need to be detached from the motor. Then, tug the motor out and turn it upside down to find the motor brushes on the sides.
The brushes remain linked to the motor with the help of retainer clips. So remove the screws and lift the retainer clips so that the brushes become loose. Then, remove them and put the new brushes in their place.
Put the retainer clips back to ensure that the brushes are secure. Now you can begin the reassembly process by putting the motor in its slot and putting the whole lid back together. If it sounds complicated, check out this video!
f) Switch Problem
If your Henry vac’s power switch has stopped working, the machine won’t turn on. The switch is set inside the black lid of the unit, and you can access it easily to change it. Different Henry Hoover models have different types of switches, but the replacement methods are similar.
First, remove the top lid from the canister and turn it over. Undo the four screws on the outer ring to separate the outer plastic cover and access the switch, which sits behind a cover. Remove this cover and pinch the sides of the switch to pull it out.
The switch is connected to wires that need to go back in their correct places. So before disconnecting the wires, it would be wise to take a photo of the setup. Now, unclip the wires from the old switch.
Next, rewire them in the right places on the new switch. Don’t forget to refer to your photo at this point. Finally, push the switch back in its housing and retrace the steps above to reassemble Henry’s head – as shown in this video.
2. Henry Hoover Cutting Off
When you turn on your Henry Hoover, it may not always refuse to turn on. Instead, it can run intermittently. This is also a power issue, and the reason behind this might be the same problem leading to a dead vacuum cleaner.
A Henry vac may keep cutting off even after turning on because of a fault in the following parts –
- Switch
- Cable
- Plug
- Contacts
Changing these parts is the simplest way to fix the problem. And we have already explained how to change each of the above parts to ensure that your appliance runs smoothly!
3. No Suction (or Poor Suction)
Another major problem in a frequently used or old Henry is a suction problem. It can lose its capacity to suck dust and dirt – either entirely or to a great extent. You’ll hear the motor run, but the device won’t clean. Below is a suggested list of solutions –
a) Dirty Filter
If you have not cleaned your vacuum cleaner’s filter for a long time, it may be clogged with dirt and dust. This can lead to suction problems and can be fixed easily when you clean the filter.
Though it’s best to use a vacuum cleaner to clean it, as shown here, a brush or cloth should be fine too. Use these to remove all the debris stuck to the filter, including the filter grid.
Remember that filters should not be cleaned in the washing machine or with warm water to prevent the clotting of the debris. If the filter is worn out or damaged, use a new one in its place.
b) Full Bag
Henry vac canisters have dust bags that collect everything the appliance withdraws. But if the vacuum bag is full, you’ll need a new bag to maintain the suction power.
The bag’s mouth remains joined to the internal nozzle. So pull the full bag away from the nozzle and pop a new bag in its place – as shown here.
You can also use washable dust bags with zippers to collect the dust. These bags need to be emptied when full and washed properly before they’re put back in the canister.
c) Blockage
A lump of pet hair, small pieces of toys, coins, or any other object can form a blockage to disrupt the airflow in the vacuum. This can lead to poor suction.
If the hose or extension tubes have a blockage, use a coat hanger or broom handle to clear it. If it’s in the neck of the floor tool, a little bit of prodding with a stiff wire will help.
If the floor tool with the brush roll is blocked with hair, use your fingers and scissors to tug and remove the strands. You can also disassemble the attachment to clean it, as shown here.
d) Hole in Hose
If the hose has holes in it due to breakage or kink, the vacuum cleaner will fail to suck dust and dirt. The best solution is to buy a new hose instead of trying temporary fixes. Remove the hose from the old hose from the canister – and screw in the new one.
e) Motor
A suction problem can also result from a malfunctioning motor, in which case it will need to be replaced. We have already told you how to locate and remove it. You can place a new motor in its place, as shown in this video.
Final Words
We hope that the above solutions and ideas will help you when you find your Henry Hoover not working. While the suction problems are the easiest to solve, you’ll need some basic tools to tackle the rest.
However, if you are not entirely confident about the problem or fixing the issue yourself, contact an expert and follow their advice. That way, you will be able to ensure that your Henry is happy again and has a long life.
