I am having a lot of trouble lowering the vacuum on my DC40 animal it takes sometimes five minutes and endless tries to eventually, it has been a problem since new

Maureen, Check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
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Replacing the belt

Dyson Light Ball DC40 DC42 Resetting the brushbar

All Vacuum Center Dyson DC40 Roller Not Turning

http://www.dyson.com/support/dc40/dc40-multi-floor/my-machine-is-not-working/my-brushbar-is-not-rotating/check-the-brushbar-video

Hi there, it's Jack at Dyson.

As with most Dyson upright vacuums, DC40's brush bar is engineered to shut off for protection if something jams it. Once you've checked the cleaner head for any obstructions and removed any threads or hair from around the brush bar, you should be able to reset your machine:


The brush bar will never rotate when the machine is standing upright, so make sure you recline it into the normal vacuuming position before testing it.

I'm confident this will resolve the issue, but if you'd like some further help from our experts after giving this a try, you're welcome to call the Dyson Customer Helpline on 0800 298 0298 (UK), 1-866-693-9766 (US), 1-877-397-6622 (CA) or 1800 239 766 (AU). In the unlikely event that a repair or a replacement part is needed, we can also confirm if your DC40 is within the Dyson guarantee period.

Hi Marin, it's Jack at Dyson.

DC40 is a powerful mid-size Dyson upright vacuums, and we wouldn't expect you to have any concerns about performance on hard flooring or carpet. As long as the machine is used and maintained as described in the User guide we would not anticipate a change in performance, and we're on hand to help if Dyson owners need assistance.

It's important to note that for effective pickup, the cleaner head needs to form a close seal with the floor surface. Simply placing a hand under the cleaner head does not give an accurate idea of suction as you're not creating a seal, as you would be when you place your hand right across the end of the wand or hose. If you turn on and recline the vacuum, turn off the brush bar then lower the cleaner head onto something like a sheet of newspaper, you should see the newspaper held tightly against the soleplate by the vacuum's powerful suction.

We're keen to discuss this with you, and to help ensure your DC40 is working as well as it should be. Please email your full contact details to my colleagues at [email protected], and one of our experts will be in touch as soon as possible to provide further assistance.

Hi there, it's Jack at Dyson.

I'm sorry to hear you feel your DC40 has too much suction. This sounds unusual, and in order to help you resolve things we would need to take some further details about your machine, and the particular flooring type you're having difficulty with.

When you have your machine to hand, please call us directly so we can talk you through some simple troubleshooting checks to make sure everything is correct with your DC40. You can reach us on 0800 298 0298 (UK), 1-866-693-9766 (US), 1-877-397-6622 (CA) or 1800 239 766 (AU).

We'll look forward to speaking with you.

All the info for cleaning your machine can be found here on the Dyson website:

Hi Wendy, it's Jack at Dyson.

Our current generation of Dyson Ball upright vacuums uses a pedal-free stabiliser mechanism. When you've finished using the machine, stand it upright firmly. You should hear two clicks - the first is the suction changeover valve redirecting the suction to the hose and wand. The second click is the upright lock mechanism securing the body in place.

As long as you've stood the machine up firmly enough, you shouldn't have any difficulty with it not remaining upright - this may take some getting used to if you've previously owned a vacuum cleaner with a pedal-based system.

If you would like any further help with your machine you can reach our experts directly by calling the Dyson customer Helpline on 0800 298 0298 (UK), 1-866-693-9766 (US), or 1800 239 766 (AU).

broken catch on clutch assembly non ball type or broken catch at rear of machine if it is a ball type .

click this link for help
http://www.dyson.co.uk/support/dc40/dc40-animal/maintaining-your-dyson-machine/removing-blockages-from-the-main-body