| The belts for vacuum cleaners can come in many | | | | the motor bearings. The round belt is still |
| styles and hundreds of different sizes. Normally, | | | | common, and used even today. |
| vacuums use a belt to drive an agitation device, | | | | The flat style of belts are most often run in a |
| which is also known as a brush roller. With very | | | | circular fashion as well, unlike the twisted route |
| few exceptions, most vacuums will use either a | | | | the round belt takes to deliver the performance in |
| flat belt, round belt, or a geared style belt. | | | | the proper direction. |
| The type of belt that your vacuum uses is very | | | | The style allow manufacturers to run the belt off |
| important, not only for durability, but performance | | | | of one side of the brush roller, instead of the |
| as well. The condition and type of belt your | | | | center where all of the dirt is. This is truly a great |
| vacuum uses will have a lot of impact on the | | | | innovation, as you can eliminate premature failure |
| systems ability to clean carpet. The proper use of | | | | due to the soil and dirt in the belt path. |
| agitation is almost 70% of the cleaning ability of a | | | | The latest belt design is considered to be the best |
| vacuum cleaner. | | | | in the industry. Even though there are many |
| Suction is also very important. The suction is what | | | | variations out there, the geared belt is the most |
| pulls the dirt that is removed from the carpet into | | | | efficient means to drive a brush. The geared belt |
| the collection area of the vacuum. The suction, or | | | | is also known as a positive brush system because |
| airflow, is the key when cleaning hard surfaces or | | | | the energy of the brush motor is transmitted |
| when using attachments. Without suction, a | | | | directly to the brush. |
| vacuum cleaner could only bring more dirt to the | | | | Both the brush and the motor are locked by |
| surface of carpet. Even though both agitation and | | | | fixed teeth to each other through a cogged belt |
| suction are important with vacuuming, the | | | | without tension. The resulting direct connection |
| agitation is what actually cleans them. | | | | results in higher cleaning efficiency because the |
| Almost all manufacturers use brush rollers that | | | | brush can be driven at a faster speed regardless |
| are made of wood, metal, or even plastic that is | | | | of the age of the belt. |
| driven by a suction or brush motor through the | | | | The flat style can stretch as they become warm, |
| use of three different kinds of belts - round, | | | | which will cause them to lose tension. When you |
| geared, or flat. | | | | use your vacuum, the belt is always going to |
| The round belts are the earliest type as they | | | | stretch. Believe it or not, it will lose it's tension the |
| were easy to produce and easy to engineer. The | | | | moment you put it up to rest in the closet. |
| round style, unfortunately, is normally run in the | | | | There is however, one real drawback to geared |
| same space as vacuumed dirt. What this means, | | | | belts - the cost of the vacuum. Geared belts are |
| is that almost all of the dirt, staples, and hair you | | | | normally used on two motor vacuums. Not only |
| vacuum up will pass around the belt; cutting, | | | | does this require a separate suction and brush |
| nicking, or even scratching it along the way. | | | | motor, but it also requires electronic sensory |
| Vacuum cleaner belts have to stretch quite a long | | | | systems to tell you when something is wrong |
| way, placing even more stress on the roller and | | | | with the brush. |