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Author Topic: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches  (Read 5542 times)

Offline Jess

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R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« on: January 23, 2019, 06:19:10 pm »
Anyone with any experience with these? Have an older model picked up last week. Haven't finished checking it out quite yet. Had it apart to check the wiring as vent on the main motor casing had been mangled enough to wonder what might have been done inside. Found it had been hot wired past the switch for the vacuum & 1 of 3  grounds off. Lil repair there and fired it up. Nothing from the suction motor but water pump and wand motor working. Just wonder if anyone knows of wiring diagram for control switches. If needs new motor not sure what will decide to do with it. Tho appears motors are still available. Thanks.
From little research just begun seems the 'Carpet Express' is similar and uses same motor types. Next step to test if power getting to motor  but diagram of wiring to switches would be great.


Offline beko1987

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2019, 08:14:34 pm »
Never seen one of those before, wouldnt be surprised if the UK did not get it at all!

But non working motor... Does it smell of burning carbon at all? It's a VERY distinct smell! Find the exhaust vent, black with carbon dust like a 2015 BMW that's about to shit its turbo (again)?

If not, then figure a way to have it apart, remove the carbon brushes from the motor and check their not siezed. Look at the comm, black is fine, burnt is not.

Could be as simple as a dodgy connector. I got a vax 3 in 1 in the other month, just died on the lady as she was using it. Got into taking it apart, ready for a battle of the multimeter. Opened it all up, and a terminal had fallen off the switch. It had never been apart before (I broke it's seal (oo-er)) but was a factory refurb so I can only guess that it's just never been connected properly (locking crimp) and was happily dangling there ready to catch fire, but luckily it fell off
Collector and restorer of vintage vacuums, Dyson Appreciator! Come and see my blog, where I am uploading all my mountains of brochures, manuals and other vacuum cleaner paperwork, and also my youtube channel @beko1987!

Offline Jess

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2019, 10:14:57 pm »
Thanks Beko for the suggestions. I am hoping it is a faulty connector.  Or wired incorrectly - how I received it.

This afternoons plans are to tear it down again  and recheck connections and power/ w multimeter. Certainly the previous repair' so called' - of hotwiring past the suction control switch makes me question if anything but the wand power to brush and the connection to the water pump is/was correct.

If end up having to, will test power to the motor directly from power cord and bypass the innards wiring.

 The suction motor fan is moving when turned by hand- so not seized? - tho i could be wrong as more than one fan in it.  Hope for the best - but ready for the worst. Will take some pics of it apart this time of inside wiring.

Replacement motor's- turns out one can put a bigger one in that increases suction. These were all commercial units -best of my knowledge. Rented out so they saw a lot of repairs. I'm hoping the motor in it was already upgraded to the 7" increased suction - tho will be moot if motor is dead.

If manage to get motor going, will put in a proper off/on switch for the vac/suction control. Will put up pic's later in day of innards, its pretty simple, but would be simpler if knew how original wiring was supposed to hook up.

Smelling carbon, haven't noticed any smell other than overpowering bleach I used flushing out the tanks:>)

sidenote - its kinda interesting  that the odometer is still hooked up for how many usage hours on the machine considering the butcher job on jumping the power switch and destruction of vent cover and safety wire cover for the exhaust port. Wondering if the butcher job was because they went in thru that access rather than properly removing the motor from the unit. Would explain the terrible connection done for bypassing switch.

Offline Jess

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2019, 11:55:44 pm »
Well looking at it again, good chance connections could be the issue. Going back to test them all.
THO.. not too sure about wish to use it - if get it up and running. Unless reseal the fiberglass with a coat of sealant. The motor compartment is fiberglass and either the cover sealant has worn thru use or..? but it does exhaust from here.
Appears the water reservoir is still seal intact.


Offline beko1987

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2019, 12:33:59 am »
That looks like a Vax 121 motor!

Under the grey cover (usually screwed on, and the earth lead bolts to it), is there a black box? RF Supressor?

In the UK their notorious for it on the Vax, if a similar system was used there it might be an idea. Failing that I bet it's dirt common, £35 part here from Q ualtex (pattern part)

Good luck beeping it all out! I'm off to bed! (00.33 here)
Collector and restorer of vintage vacuums, Dyson Appreciator! Come and see my blog, where I am uploading all my mountains of brochures, manuals and other vacuum cleaner paperwork, and also my youtube channel @beko1987!

Offline Jess

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2019, 01:28:13 am »
5:14PM  here :innocent:
Hot wired the motor. It works! It's a Lamb (Ametek?) 115937-Z. 16,200 RPM. 7.2" so not sure from utube vid I came across if that means this is better at extracting more water- The fella was comparing old motor 5" with a new 7" for repair/replacement. Don't know if that applies to the 7.2" I  saw as the rating on this motor online.

OK so going to paint inside the cowling/ seal the raw fiberglass spots.

Figure out how to wire the darn thing properly and put in a proper switch. Pull the hours meter. Repair the wand hose where it fits to the handle and is leaking:>)

Then find a carpet to shampoo- actually- figure will do my Dad's place when weather warms this spring.

Tho my sister has been hoping it will work as wants to shampoo her carpet. Right NOW!.
Had already given two sisters small carpet cleaners I'd repaired  - but doubt they in anyway compare to the suction of this motor:>)
Win some/ lose some. Nice to get a win!
Thanks Beko for  your support!

Offline Jess

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Re: R40 Rug Doctor Shampooer - wiring switches
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2019, 05:25:47 am »
Ahh deflated - Researching suction etc, as got all excited about RPM's of the motor. On another site saw it rated at 17,000+. Then to further research and see that RPM may have no bearing on the ability to extract the water.

 Came across it rated at 350 (best of my recollection) Air Watts, which doesn't seem too impressive comparing say to top of the line Miele & the Miele doesn't need to suck up water.
Throw in the excessive length of hose the suction needs to get thru and of course where was the AW measurement taken?
Dunno. Is this a good motor? It's 10 times bigger than a household run of the mill carpet shampooer. (OK - exaggerate but certainly much bigger.)

Then to find .... carpet shampooers should be measured/compared by using '"Lift "..argh.  :reading:

All vacuums should be required to use the same ratings so consumers can actually determine what they are purchasing. Same for shampooers.

Watts, Air Watts, Lifts, CFM, etc etc.  Suction' is inches of water lift? - for Vacs /sounds good. Would be even better for a shampooer for sure then. Not that I have found that regarding this motor.

Is this a good motor. Anyone know.

Or is only measuring the amount of H20 put into carpet and amount extracted going to tell?

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