My bissell proheat float door keeps closing and stays closed until I shut machine off. No suction through hand held tool.
I know exactly what you are talking about, Craig please enlighten us as to which page in the manual will be the quick and easy fix to this problem. Since you are not understanding exactly what the problem is, you simply think the person asking can't read it didn't bother trying anything else. But since the problem is not a typical problem, they asked here, looking for someone who fully understands exactly what they are going through.
The problem is that there is no problem, what's actually happening is this. Normally Bissells steam cleaners really don't have all that much suction power and that means less air moving through the system even if there's higher pressure to do so, but some of their cleaners are sucking better which moves more sir through the system and inside the tank where that flapper cover piece is located, there's also the fill hole and the bladder laying in any which way it may be.
When the air is drawn into the tank, it can create some bursts of higher air movement in the tank as the nozzle moves along the carpet top. There may be times when you are pulling it back and stutter a bit which will allow more or less air in the nozzle which created a stronger flow through the tank and right there where the flap is located, there's very little room for the air to pass around that door without making it start to close due to that quick burst. Once it catches the flap in a gust it has no where else to go and brings the flap up due to the suction at that small sized opening.
so what's wrong with your cleaner is called engineering failure, the flap was not designed correctly and fails to operate normally. If the opening for the air was larger or the flap was made heavier or in a different more open area in the tank this would never be a problem. The only solution I have come up with that's an easy fix is to remove the flap. Of course the flaps intended purpose is to keep water from entering the motor. So removing it means you would have to be much more careful with how you move the cleaner around, turning it off before doing and tipping around it fast movements that would cause water to splash. But if you can't even use it like it is then who cares if you have a wall chance if damaging the motor.
Other option is to add some weight to the flap so it will not be as easy to get caught by the air movement at that point. This is only going to work if you take the time to experiment with exact weights and to where it's added. Since it is water adding iron based metals is out. I have figured the best way to be using a stick of the 2 part epoxy type "claylike" bars that you knead together and apply it across the top outside edge of the flap which will make the air pressure be higher to lift the door. I can't say his much will be needed, it depends on how much air is moving and it the weight is not too much that it interferes with the normal closing as the bladder empties and fills the outside where the arm pushes it up and closed. So that's where it needs testing. It may not work at all if the air is swirling around vigorously, a smoke test should really be done to see exactly what's going on with that area.
I have removed mine and it works better than any other bissell I have ever tested, although I think bissell makes the most problematic cleaners in the world and would never keep one to use for myself when I can use a hoover which will never have all these constant problems that every bissell model since the started with the tank that splits in half. Absolutely the worst cleaner ever made, it's no great loss if the motor goes out IMO if it makes you buy a hoover, then you're already going to be better off. You won't be wasting your time constantly trying to get the bissell to work, your carpet will get clean for the 1st time and you will be able to walk on your carpet after a few hours of drying since the hoover will extract 50% more water from your carpet to begin with. Especially after both cleaners are 5 years or more old, the hoover will continue to work like new for 10 or more years while you'll be lucky to get 3 years from a bissell and you'll be fighting it the entire time.
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