Reasons Why a Vacuum Can Become Really Loud Vacuuming may not be your favorite household chore, and it can become even more bothersome when it starts making a really loud noise. A loud vacuum noise can have one of several possible problems. Most problems are easily fixed. In some cases, you might have to take your vacuum cleaner to the repair shop. If your vacuum has suddenly become very loud, check the filter, as it may be dirty. When the filters on a vacuum become excessively dirty, the vacuum may start running louder because it is working hard to create suction. If your filters are dirty, your vacuum is likely not suctioning appropriately, either. To fix this problem, simply remove the filters in your vacuum, rid them of the dust and debris and rinse them out with warm water. Replace the filters once they are dry, and your vacuum should run at its normal sound level. Typically, vacuum cleaners have one or two filters. One filter is near the debris bag on standard vacuums. The other filter may be a HEPA filter.

Clogs are often the culprit when your vacuum cleaner is making a lot of noise. While vacuuming, you may have sucked up an object -- a button or a small toy, for example. Additionally, the clog may be making the vacuum work harder. Check for a clog in the tubes of your vacuum. If you find one, remove it by hand. If it's a tough clog, try removing it with a knitting needle or stick. If the clog is bad, take the vacuum cleaner to the repair shop. A broken brush bearing may be the problem. When a brush bearing breaks, the vacuum cleaner gets loud and starts to vibrate. To remedy the problem, remove the brush and replace it. If you're not comfortable making the repair yourself, take the vacuum cleaner to the repair shop. The fan in the motor of your vacuum may be broken, causing the vacuum to run louder than normal. When dirt runs through the motor of the vacuum, it can collect on the fan, causing it to break. If the fan in your vacuum motor is broken, it will need to be replaced.

Again, you can do this repair yourself. vox vacuum cleanersBut if you don't feel comfortable making the repair, take the vacuum cleaner to the repair shop.vacuum cleaner blocked Troubleshooting Kenmore Progressive 12-amp Vacuumsvacuum cleaner bumper guards How to Fix a Hoover Vacuum's Suction Problem Why Is My Dog Scared of the Vacuum? How to Repair an Oreck Vacuum Cleaner How to Fix a Kirby Vacuum A new study in Pediatrics suggests that some noise machines can produce sounds so loud that they could potentially damage infants’ hearing and auditory development. Here is Dr. Harvey Karp’s take on the study: This is a useful, rather common sense, study that says loud noise (85dB)…like putting a hair drier  or blasting music 12″ from a baby’s head for 8 hours straight…is potentially damaging to a baby’s hearing.

Unfortunately, this article is being used to scare parents and ignores the key – even life saving – benefits of using white noise all night long. Tired parents always need to be reminded of the safe way to do things. Swaddling is great, but you don’t want to overheat a baby or restrict the hips…car seats are great, but they can actually cause infant deaths if not properly installed. And similar caveats are true for white noise. The best analogy may be rocking a baby…when a baby is sleeping gentle swaying is best and is helpful for prolonged periods (that’s why they stay calm for so long in infant swings), but as the baby gets upset any experienced parent starts to rock faster and more jiggly…that is what fussy babies need to be calmed. Surprisingly, babies cry usually reach levels up to 100 dB (as loud as a power lawnmower…and 10 times louder than a hair drier ). Loud sounds, like vacuum cleaner and hair drier sounds, have been recommended by pediatricians and parenting books for decades to calm fussy babies.

But, it is very important to remind parents to only use very loud noise during infant crying. However, the new study just released by the journal Pediatrics  omitted 3 critical points: 1) In the womb, all babies are exposed to the sound of whooshing through the arteries…that is louder than a vacuum cleaner (measured at 75-92dB)… 2) Moderate sound – used all night – is perfectly safe and has been shown to be helpful in boosting sleep, which is why so many families use white noise CDs and downloads. 3) Noise injury is primarily related to the high pitch of sound. The 3 sleep sounds on The Happiest Baby white noise CD are specially engineered to reduce high pitch and amplify low pitch frequencies. That makes them safer…and makes them closer to the sounds babies actually hear in the womb than any other source of white noise. When considering recommending white noise for babies, it is  extremely important to consider the potential life saving benefits of white noise.

Poor infant sleep causes parent exhaustion..and that leads to many very dangerous situations…including postpartum depression, maternal obesity, child abuse and sleep deaths because the exhausted parents put the baby on the stomach or bring the baby into their bed…which causes ~1000  accidental suffocation deaths/year. By enhancing sleep (and reducing crying) low pitched, rumbly white noise may help prevent these very serious problems. So when a baby cries, increase sound level – for a few minutes – to the level of a vacuum cleaner. And, for safe naps and all night sleeping keep the sound about the level of a soft shower. (Encourage parents to place the sound within a few feet of the baby’s sleep area…and to listen to the sound themselves…to judge whether it is too loud.) In the study’s conclusion, the authors correctly recommend sound machine sellers to instruct parents on the dangers of loud sound played for extended periods. However they cite no evidence to support their recommendations that the sound needs to be as far as possible and as quiet as possible.