How to Prevent Clogs on a Bissell Steamer Carpet Cleaner
One of the most frequent repairs in our repair shop is on the Bissell Proheat Carpet Cleaner. Especially the 2X model. 90% of the time the complaint from the customer is that they are just not dispensing cleaning solution. We almost cringe when we see them coming in because we know that the repair estimate on these machines is going to be more than 50% of the value of it. It just means unhappy customers and no profit for us.
Although we do find an occasional bad pump or pump belt and once in a while a failed solenoid valve, the majority of the time it’s because of clogs in the heater and tubing. Most of the Bissell Proheat carpet Cleaners and the Proheat 2X models have a heater in them to heat the shampoo and water that passes through it. The heat causes the sediment in all water systems and the shampoo solution to harden up. This plugs up the heater. Chunks of the sediment break off and become clogged in the spray tips and many tubing junctions that are connected to the solenoids and pump. It takes several hours of labor to clean out the heater and disconnect all the tubing and blow it out – not an economical repair choice.
The only surefire prevention of this situation is to never, ever turn the heater on. This will ensure that the hardening of the shampoo solution and sediment is kept to a minimum. We have also had some positive feedback from customers who have faithfully flushed the Carpet Cleaner out after each use. Here’s how it works: After each use; dump the dirty water and take your Bissell Proheat outside to the porch, patio or sidewalk, fill the baffle with clean water, fill the shampoo bottle with WHITE vinegar, run this vinegar/water solution through the carpet cleaner at least once until the lines have been flushed out. Make sure to run some of this solution through the upholstery hose attachment as well.
The vinegar/water method may also be a possible cure for an already clogged machine. Pour some white vinegar full strength into the baffle and detergent bottle. Turn the machine on and pull the dispensing trigger several times to attempt to get some vinegar into the lines. This may take some time and several tries, but you just might be able to get enough of the vinegar into the lines to eventually dissolve the clogs.
We hope this helped you solve your problem with your Bissell Proheat Carpet Cleaner. We invite your comments – please let us know with your comments.