Treasure Valley Sew and Vac

Treasure Valley Sew and Vac Repair sewing machines and floor care equipment. Sharpen tools knives and scissors. Install watch batteries. Buy, recondition, sell anything useful.

Buy, recondition, sell anything useful; including sewing and floor care equipment, power tools, watches and clocks, kids' toys, knives and swords, all kinds of hand crafted items (jewelry, knit, crochet), small appliances.

08/09/2022

I had an interesting situation with a vacuum cleaner. The customer told me that the brush wouldn't spin. It spun for me right away. I'm sure she didn't realize that her particular vacuum had a switch that was activated by unlocking and pulling the handle back. A great many vacuum cleaners work that way. I hope this information will save you a trip to the fixit person.

11/22/2020

A reminder to replace your needle. When the machine just isn't acting right, don't go to a repair person without first changing the needle. A customer dropped off a machine with a damaged needle. When I told her what was wrong, she said, "I'm so dumb! I'm sorry to have wasted your time." I said, "No waste. I love what I do and the folks I do it for. A few years back, a fellow repairman laughingly said that he charged full price to change a needle. Sorry! That's not me.

08/25/2020

I want to share some thoughts with those of you who are making masks. My repair business has jumped 5 times in volume since you all started making masks. Many of today's sewing machines just aren't up to the strain of going through the pleats. Most of the requests for help are to put the machine back in time. In many of today's machines, the timing belt is made of reinforced rubber and the belt jumps out of the cogged pulleys. The vintage machines, like the old black Singers, are better suited for this kind of work. I suggest that you use 16/100 or 18/200 needles and work slowly. Of course if you run your machine too slowly, it will heat up. Sometimes you just can't win.

01/25/2018

I had a head scratcher yesterday. A lady brought a vacuum cleaner in and said it needed a new switch. Naw, the switch checked out fine. Her thermal switch automatically shut off the vacuum because the motor was overworking. I checked everything, I thought, without success. Then the face palm. The brush roll was set to the lowest pile carpet and hers was medium to high pile. That'll put a strain on the motor!

12/08/2017

Another possibility for a hot vacuum cleaner motor: The brush roll is being prevented from turning easily. A large obstacle is caught between the brush and the nozzle edge. Sometimes you have to remove the bottom plate to see it. Or, junk is wrapped around the brushes (hair, fur, thread, string, carpet fibers). It's easier to get at it if you remove the brush from the machine, but you don't have to. Use a seam ripper, knife, or scissors to cut it all loose. Or, the end bearings on the roll are gunked up. Sometimes you can pull them off to clean them out. Sometimes you can't (replace the roll). Put a drop of oil in each end to lubricate the bearings. Last, but not very often, the belt is worn out and slipping, making the motor run faster. Change the belt anyway every 6 months or so.

12/06/2017

Vacuum cleaner tip - Clearing clogged airways. I've seen some unusual clogs during the years, but the most common are in the hose and in the filters. On some uprights, the accessory hose needs to be released by undoing some screws. However you do it, get the hose free of the vacuum. Drop a quarter in one end. If it doesn't come out, you've got a plug.. Use a long handled broom stick to push it out. I use a little grabber tool to pull them out.

There are other possibilities all along the air path. I've found clogs inside a Dyson ball. Another place is the pre-motor filter. I've seen them solidly blocked by pet hair and debris. A lot of them can be washed. Never put a wet filter back in the machine. Let it dry for 24 hours. I look for at least 3 different filters in a machine. Some only have 2. Some need replacing.

12/05/2017

I get a lot of vacuums from owners that shut down during use and won't turn back on. By the time I get it, it turns on. What most folks don't know is that many of today's vacuums have a thermal cut-off switch. When the motor reaches a dangerous level of heat, a switch operates much like a circuit breaker in the home. It protects the motor. After about 45 minutes, the motor cools down and you can turn it back on. Some vacuums have a reset button that you need to push before restarting. But, I wouldn't do that until I find out why the motor overheated. There are a few possibilities. It's either a plugged airway or something is preventing the brush roll from turning freely. I will discuss clearing these in another post.

10/20/2017

Some of us play the roles expected of us. Others create their own. Both are acceptable.

09/25/2017

Upgrade the role you play. It will improve your life.

Address

424 W. Cherry Lane #1
Meridian, ID
83642

Telephone

+12088708148

Website

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