Hi macman, thanks for the reply. I have checked that all the airways are clear, including the top cyclone. Debris is going into the canister fine. The suction is definitely stronger but the filters are getting caked in dirt within a few seconds of running the machine, even while no actual vacuuming is going on. I'm having to pull out the clumps of fluff from the filter compartment each time with a pair of long nose pliers. I'm at an absolute loss about why it's happening or where all the dirt is coming from.