How to Set Your Vacuum to the Right Height
3 carpet cleaners!
Setting your vacuum on the lowest setting may not be the best option to get enough airflow for the suction action.
For the relatively little space they take up, vacuum cleaners come with many attachments and levers intended to enhance their performance and convenience. One augmentation that some users may overlook is the height adjustment mechanism, which is used to maximize effectiveness.
How do I adjust vacuum height?
Some vacuum cleaners — more often uprights rather than canisters — can be adjusted, usually with a foot pedal, according to the height of the carpet pile. For instance, an uncovered floor requires a lower vacuum cleaner height setting than a low-pile carpet. Setting it on the right height will help maximize its performance.
In the active mode, the back of the base is tilted up, moving the front closer to the ground. When inactive, the base is level.
Why is vacuum height important?
Though a lower setting will put the roller brush in closer contact with the carpet, carpet cleaning companies warn that it isn’t always desirable to do so. Some airflow is necessary in order to assist the suction action.
If the setting is too high, the vacuum action is rendered ineffective, as the pile blocks the entrance to the cleaner, and won’t pull the dirt into the machine.
Though some vacuum cleaners have as many as seven height settings, an increasing number of others are designed to adjust their height automatically without a loss of performance or convenience. Robotic cleaners also appear to adjust automatically to enable them to clean carpet, as well as hardwoods, tile and linoleum.
Why does my vacuum have weak suction power?
If a machine offers weak suction action due to an overall lack of power in the machine, the height setting is immaterial. Though many residential vacuum cleaners appear to lose their power over time, commercial cleaners may last longer.
If you’re unwilling to make an investment in a commercial-grade cleaner, you may want to hire a carpet cleaning company occasionally to give your carpet the depth of cleaning it needs.
Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article originally published on Nov. 28, 2011.
