The basic maintenance for most central vacuum systems is changing the central vacuum bag. Changing the bag or filter rids the system of the dirt that has accumulated over prolonged use. So, how do you change the central vacuum bag of a Kenmore vacuum system?
You can change your Kenmore central vacuum system by opening it up and finding the compartment with the vacuum bag. After finding the bag, you’ll remove the protective seal over it and separate the paper and cloth bags. The paper bag is the central vacuum bag you can replace with an alternative.
In this article, you’ll learn how to change a Kenmore central vacuum bag to maintain the system. You’ll also learn some other maintenance tips for Kenmore central vacuum systems that don’t require this hectic exercise.
How to Change a Kenmore Central Vacuum Bag?
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Changing a Kenmore central vacuum bag isn’t different from changing a regular one, even if it’s an unnecessary maintenance procedure. Instead of changing the entire bag, you can empty it at intervals to reuse the bag. However, If the bag has been reused so much that it has started to show its age, you won’t have much choice.
Here are the procedures required to remove and change a central vacuum bag on a Kenmore central vacuum system.
Find the compartment for the central vacuum bag
If you’ve had any experience changing bags for any central vacuum system, this is the only step that might differ. Your Kenmore central vacuum system will likely have its central vacuum bag in a different location from other systems. It’s vital to locate the specific part of the vacuum bag before proceeding.
You can find a guide to your central vacuum system components online. The user manual is also a great way to learn about the vacuum bag compartment of your central vacuum system. If you’re willing to take risks, consider opening up the central vacuum system to see the compartment at first glance.
After locating the vacuum bag compartment, you must also determine how to open it up. Since it’s a specific model of the system, read on to learn the best way to open up your central vacuum bag.
Remove the seal holding the bag in place
Kenmore central vacuum systems use a rubber seal to hold the paper vacuum bag in place. To access and change the bag, you must remove this seal first. Since the bag was designed to be easily replaceable, removing this seal and retrieving the bag is pretty easy.
Pull the seal gently to remove it from the bag and store it securely. You don’t want to lose the seal, as you’ll need it to attach another vacuum bag to the system later. Removing the seal should uncover a tab that you can use to disconnect the bag from the central vacuum system.
Remove the central vacuum bag
Typically, the paper central vacuum bag will be supported by a cloth bag. Both of these bags usually stay together, and you’ll pull out the paper bag with the cloth bag. After removing the seals holding the central vacuum bag, you’ll need to separate the paper bag from the cloth bag.
You can separate the paper bag from the cloth bag by pulling the cloth from underneath it. Separating the bags without damaging either will make it possible to reuse them. Separating the bags will be unnecessary if you’re not considering reusing them.
However, you can shake out the debris in the bag if you’re planning to reuse the bag. I’ll assume you’re skipping this step since this is a tutorial about changing a Kenmore central vacuum bag.
Put the replacement paper bag into the cylinder
If you have a replacement paper bag for a change, you can put it into the cloth bag here. If the new central vacuum bag fits, pull the elastic neck outside the new bag to close it up. It would help if you only used a replacement bag from Kenmore to ensure that it fits perfectly.
When the paper bag fits against the plastic bag, you can hang it inside the cylinder to complete the change. The rim of the bag should rest on the cylinder’s rim. You should also confirm that the loop is connected before resealing the central vacuum system.
Reseal the cylinder and close up the system
After fitting the replacement bag back in the cylinder, you should reseal it with the seal you removed earlier. If the seal doesn’t fit well, the replacement bag might be bigger than normal. Try an alternative bag to see if the seal fits over it.
If you can’t get another bag, you can try the one you plan to replace. If you can efficiently rid the cylinder of debris, you can reuse it without facing any major issues.
If the bag you’re using works, you can reattach the lid of the central vacuum system to close it up securely. If you got the replacement right, the Kenmore central vacuum system should close properly without any protruding components.
How Often Should You Change a Kenmore Central Vacuum Bag?
Your Kenmore central vacuum bag will accumulate slowly, getting to about half-full every other month. Therefore, to avoid issues with your central vacuum system, you should consider changing the central vacuum bag every other month.
However, you don’t need to change your vacuum bag for a new one each time it’s getting full. Kenmore central vacuum bags are designed to be reusable; you can simply get rid of the debris to reuse them. After many use cycles, however, you may need to change the vacuum bag with this guide as a help.
Summarily, you should change your central vacuum bag every two to three months to avoid issues. By changing, I mean getting rid of the dirt either by replacing the bag or shaking the debris.
Are Central Vacuum Bags Universal?
While most central vacuum bags are the same size, no rule mandates a manufacturer to use a specific size. Therefore, any random central vacuum bag should work for your Kenmore vacuum system, but there’s a minuscule chance that it won’t.
Since it’s best to be safe than sorry, you should generally stick to buying vacuum bags by Kenmore. That way, if anything goes wrong while changing the vacuum bag, you know the mistake is from you.
Are Kenmore Central Vacuum Bags Reusable?
If you’ve followed this post from the start, you should already know it suggests emptying your vacuum bag. However, if the bag isn’t reusable, getting rid of the debris accumulated in the bag will be counterintuitive.
As expected, Kenmore vacuum bags are reusable, but they don’t last forever. After emptying the bag a couple of times, you’ll have to buy a replacement vacuum bag for the system.
You can pick up a central vacuum bag at Walmart, Amazon, and most other online stores that sell similar items. Since they sell for very low prices, consider buying multiple vacuum bags as a potential replacement when they start leaking.
If you’re confused by the C and Q on most Kenmore central vacuum bags, you shouldn’t be. Furthermore, you shouldn’t even be paying attention to the letter markings as both vacuum bags work on all Kenmore vacuum systems.
