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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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27th Apr 2017, 10:38 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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1930's Electrolux Z25
Got a pretty good deal on this stunning looking cylinder vacuum cleaner. Looks pretty much complete too.
Just wondering if anyone has any information on this model? All I have found out is it was made between 1934 and 1939. Does anyone have a manual for this or similar model? Thanks Ryan |
28th Apr 2017, 6:46 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,345
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
No personal experience with this model, but it resembles the generic one shown in the classic book published by Odhams: "Radio Television and Electrical Repairs", with editions published in 1948, 1952 and 1956. I would think the section relating to vacs in my 1956 edition was carried over from the 1948 edition and almost certainly reflects pre-war technology. Copies often come up on ebay at sensible prices, and it is a must for anyone who repairs vintage electrical appliances.
Yours is certainly a nice machine, and, unlike current models, probably blows as well as sucks. I find the "Blow" facility on these older cylinder vacs very useful for blowing out dust, drying out anything delicate, as well as inflating air beds etc. Last edited by emeritus; 28th Apr 2017 at 6:55 pm. |
28th Apr 2017, 7:24 pm | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 1,875
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
(I sprayed a van with one of these on 'blow' and a special spray gun attachment, once. The finish was...3D! )
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28th Apr 2017, 8:33 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I had forgotten about the spray attachment: In the depths of the garage I must still have one from my mother's mid-1950's Electrolux. I did use it in the early 1970's to spray a replacement panel for my Hillman Imp, and it actually worked quite well, once I had got the proportion of spraying cellulose thinners right.
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28th Apr 2017, 10:58 pm | #5 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I had no idea it blew. I will have to try and get the spray attachment. The only issue with mine is, is the Electrolux metal badge sign is missing a stud to hold it down. Anyone have any idea of a replacement I can use to fix it back down?
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29th Apr 2017, 1:08 am | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,345
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I perhaps should have mentioned that using it on "Blow" is an excellent way of rapidly defrosting your fridge or freezer and getting it really dry: the blast is not strong enough to damage anything, but strong enough to blow water droplets out of crevices in the heat exchanger matrix. I used to take my late 1970's Electrolux into work when the kitchen fridge got too bad and defrost it in the lunch hour: defrosted and bone dry in 10 - 15 mins.
Last edited by emeritus; 29th Apr 2017 at 1:13 am. |
1st May 2017, 7:26 am | #7 |
Octode
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 1,076
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I used one of the spray extras to spray my Lambretta with fairly good results.
Seem to remember the spray gun had a glass container and that the cellulose had to be pretty thin to climb out of the pot. I graduated to a Burgess Sprayit,(I think that was the name), which was much better. Mike. Last edited by AC/HL; 1st May 2017 at 12:03 pm. Reason: OT aside edited |
2nd May 2017, 10:53 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 4,259
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
It does indeed, and a black bakelite top. Here's mine where it currently lives, on a not very accessible cobwebby shelf together with a half full, or half empty, bottle of Electrolux carpet shampoo.
Paul |
2nd May 2017, 11:00 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,273
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
Gosh I sprayed our garden shed with ours, even emulsion paint had to be watered down. Isn't that the one where you block 2 holes with your finger to make it work?
__________________
Kevin |
5th May 2017, 6:43 pm | #10 |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 147
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I seem to recall my late Mother once mentioning a type of vacuum cleaner that somehow could also be used as a small washing machine, that would probably be the late 40's or early 50's. Does anybody remember such a thing?
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11th May 2017, 10:14 pm | #11 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
The Electrolux arrived this evening. (I put a delay on it) as was working weird hours for passed two weeks. Its a great little cleaner. However, just wondering how to make it blow, do I attach the hose to the opposite end?
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12th May 2017, 12:23 am | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,345
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I don't know this model, but for older cylinder vacs, you do normally just screw or click the hose into the socket at the opposite end. For some post-war models such as the late 1970's Electrolux 345, the connector is on the top, and you have click off the cover of the air vent and remove the filter to find it. It is advisable to empty the dust bag, point the hose out of the window, turn it on, and give the hose a few knocks to dislodge the dust it contains before using it in blow mode.
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12th May 2017, 7:08 am | #13 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Shropshire, UK.
Posts: 3,051
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I don't know about a vacuum cleaner, but I believe an accessory basket was available for Hoover washing machines to enable use as a dishwasher.
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12th May 2017, 8:15 am | #14 |
Hexode
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Box End, Beds. UK.
Posts: 271
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
Still have and use a late 40s early 50s Electrolux that my grandmother bought second hand in the early 70s. I clean out the fans periodically, other than that it gets no maintenance. At least one can unscrew the fans on it; later ones are pressed together and cannot be serviced.
Certainly on this one the hose fits on the back to blow, as it did on the Electrolux my parents bought new in the early 60s. That died when one of the motor bearings gave up, and the fans rubbed things they shouldn't; dad didn't reckon it was worth fixing, but the Electrolux that replaced it didn't last long before the armature failed. A new motor was fitted that cost nearly as much as a new complete machine, and that too failed rather too quickly. A Panasonic replaced it which outlasted them both |
12th May 2017, 8:43 pm | #15 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
Hi all,
yeah the hose screws on the opposite end for blow. One thing to ask though. What is the air filter at the back of the motor made from? To me it looks like a composite of cloth like material, but I was concerned it might be made from asbestos or something so didn't really want to handle it. I know they did use asbestos filters in certain early electrical things. |
15th May 2017, 9:22 pm | #16 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 902
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
i have a z65 and regularly use it to spray my garden fence .It works a treat and beats using a brush
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16th May 2017, 8:09 pm | #17 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
Can you still get motor brushes for this model?
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16th May 2017, 8:52 pm | #18 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
Does anyone know if these brushes https://www.amazon.co.uk/CNBTR-Elect...Carbon+Brushes would be compatible?
I have measured and they seem to be 8mmx5mm in size on the remaining ones |
16th May 2017, 9:16 pm | #19 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 1,875
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I just filed up (well, I used a belt linisher but a file would be fine, they're dead soft) the closest brushes I could find for a small, old Stuart-Turner electric water pump. I'd buy the closest you can find and then just make them fit. Careful how you hold them - they'll crush in a vice - easier to lay the file on the bench and rub the brushes over it. I cut the wire tails off mine (didn't need them) - you might need to ensure any you buy have tails long enough, and you might need to snip bits off the brass plate the tail terminates on, too.
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16th May 2017, 10:27 pm | #20 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,345
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Re: 1930's Electrolux Z25
I had to cut some brushes down to size for the motor of my elderly lawnmower, which did have wire tails. I couldn't find any to fit on the web, so looked through the selection of brushes stocked by our local repair shop (fortunately we still have one only half a mile away), and found some for a Dyson that also had tails and were larger in all dimensions than the old ones. As Mark says, carbon is relatively soft, and I did have to re-fit the old terminations to the tails, which fortunately were longer than the old ones. Because I needed to remove a substantial amount, after scribing cutting lines for the final size, I used a metal blade in a junior hacksaw to cut to slightly oversize and then finished to size by rubbing the brushes on a piece of emery paper laid on a board. For sawing, I did hold them in a small vice using pieces of rubber on both sides ( it was a few years ago and I think I may have used some wide rubber bands) to prevent damage.
Last edited by emeritus; 16th May 2017 at 10:32 pm. |