What Makes a Vacuum Belt Get Hot?

Friction With the Brush Roll

• The belt wraps around the brush roll to cause it to spin during operation. The rubber of the belt and the plastic of the brush roll are in constant contact as the roll spins at high revolutions per minute. Over time, the spinning causes the belt to heat up as you use the cleaner. After prolonged use, the belt may begin to transfer heater rubber to the surface of the brush roll where the belt and brush roll meet. The rubber from the belt, attached to the brush roll, and the rubber of the belt itself produces heat as the brush roll spins during cleaning.

Heat From the Motor Shaft

• The belt makes the brush roll spin as it transfers the spinning of the motor shaft. The motor shaft is commonly made of metal and is directly connected to the motor. When you're using the vacuum, the motor temperature increases from that use. The motor shaft warms as well. The motor shaft transfers heat from the motor to the belt.

Friction With the Motor Shaft

• The friction from the belt spinning on the shaft creates heat. Contact between the metal shaft and rubber belt causes the belt to be heated during cleaning. The heat warms the belt and causes the belt to stretch over time. The stretching of the belt causes the brush roll to not spin as efficiently as a taut, new belt. Eventually the wear requires a belt replacement and can lead to damage or breakage of the vacuum cleaner's belt.

Dust, Dirt and Debris

• The belt on a vacuum cleaner is commonly located inside the cleaning head. As the cleaner sucks dirt from the carpet, the dirt travels into the cleaning head before it is sucked into the vacuum's intake. Some of the dirt from the carpet is granular, with sharp edges that can grind the cleaner's parts before being deposited into the bag or dirt collection bin. The sharp, hard dirt causes friction as it wears on the belt, brush roll and inside of the cleaning head, producing heat during the operation of the vacuum.