What size vacuum bags does my ricar 8850 take

adjust the setting on the vacuum head to pile or plush carpet
it is a simple lever that raises the hood to allow more air under it to make it easier to push

Unless you have removed the plastic guard under the motor filter it is impossible for the toy to have lodged in the fan. The toy would have to go through the bag, through the motor filter and through the guard before it could reach the fan.

On the back towards the bottom

Reset button on the bottom back of the machine.

The light indicates a restriction, a full bag or clog or something restricting the airflow

Hi There,

This sounds like the Thermal Switch in your motor tripped. All Riccar vacuum cleaners have a motor reset switch, that will shut the motor down when it gets hot. Usually it's caused by a full bag, clog, or dirty filter.

Try resetting the thermal switch first. If this doesn't work, you may have done some more serious damage to the motor, and it might be a good idea to take it into a local Riccar dealer in your area.

Here's a step by step guide on how to check the reset switch on your Riccar 8850:

To reset the thermal fuse:

1. Unplug the vacuum cleaner
2. Check for problem – over–filled bag, clog in hose, clogged filters, etc.

Remove the vacuum bag, and see if you can visibly see any obstructions, or replace the bag if it's full:



Also inspect the Secondary filter while you have the vacuum bag removed from the machine. If the filter is clogged or dirty, rinse under warm water, and air dry completely before reinstalling it into the vacuum. It's best to wash this filter every 30 days, and replace after 4-5 washings.

Here's a link to the secondary filter on our website if you ever need to purchase one:
Riccar 8800 Series Secondary Filter



Your Riccar 8850 also has a set of exhaust filters that are on the front of the vacuum, near the bottom where the upright body meets the agitator housing. These filters when clogged may also cause the thermal switch to trip. These filters are recommended to be replaced every 6-12 months, and are not recommended to be washed.

Here's a link to 2 sets of the exhaust filters for the Riccar 8850 on our website:
Riccar 8850 Exhaust Final Filters, 2 Sets, 4 Total Filters



It's also possible that you may have clog in the suction port inside of the agitator housing. Remove the bottom plate from the vacuum, and look for the tube that runs on the left hand side from the tray to the rear of the agitator housing. Make sure that this tube is clear from obstructions:



Locate "tripped" fuse – the small white button located on the bottom of the back side of
the main body (roughly one inch to the right of the left wheel)


Using a pencil, paper clip or other pointed object, push the reset button in, you should hear a clicking noise when it resets.

Plug the vacuum cleaner back into the wall, and try turning the vacuum on. It should come right back on. If not, it's best to take your machine into a local Riccar authorized repair facility for further more advanced diagnosing.

Please feel free to ask any follow up questions by adding a comment to this repair, I'm always more then happy to answer any and all follow up questions if you need some clarification. If this was helpful, please rate the repair helpful or leave some feedback for me. Thanks so much,

Chris Jones
Govacuum.com

Greetings from GoVacuum,

If the light on your Riccar 8850 is coming on, but the motor is not coming on, this indicates that your motor has gone bad. There is a reset switch on the back of the vacuum cleaner that sometimes trips if the bag is too full, or the filters are not maintained, but when this happens nothing on the vacuum comes on including the headlight. If the headlight is coming on, this indicates that electricity is making it down to the headlight, and the current is going through, but just not activating the motor. This is a tell tale sign of your motor being bad, and needing replacement. You can purchase the motor for the Riccar 8850 (12 AMP, 2 stage motor, Riccar part D113-1700 $122.44) from GoVacuum by giving us a call, as we don't yet have this part on our website.

I hope this helped you. We have been fixing Riccar's for over 30 years, and they are great vacuum cleaners, and the age of the model 8850 is probably the life expectancy of this vacuum cleaner.

Chris Jones
GoVacuum.com

Greetings from GoVacuum,

The reset buttons on the Riccar vacuum cleaners are located at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner in the back, underneath of where the wand sits on the vacuum cleaner.

Here's a picture of a Riccar 8925 which replaced your 8850 a few years ago, but the reset switch will be in the same exact location on all Riccar uprights;




Here's a closer look of the reset switch;


I hope that I was able to answer your question. You can avoid the reset switch flipping in the first place by always ensuring that you change the bags frequently and when full, as well as the motor filter that sits underneath of the bag. Also keeping the vacuum from clogging will prevent this.

If you found this repair solution helpful to you, may you please click the 4 Thumbs Up Icons in the top right hand corner to help me out here on Fixya? I really do appreciate it, thank you so much.

Chris
GoVacuum

Are you sure that you have the right size of belt? This is the correct belt:

Riccar 8850 Belt

Replace your belt. Remove the baseplate, remove the brushroll, place a new belt around the motor pulley, then around the pulley on the brushroll, and pull the brushroll back into place in the nozzle. Spin it by hand to make sure it spins, (otherwise you'll break the belt again,) and then replace the baseplate. Party.

-R