Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro Loss of Nozzle Suction

Squeeze the two tabs at the bottom of the nozzle on the back and pull the hose off. In the L-shaped plastic base, check to make sure all debris is cleared and there isn’t anything stuck that could cause the hose to cease suction. Next, check the hose itself. Feel along-side the hose to check for a blockage. If a blockage is present, use a tool to pull out the blockage. If there is no blockage in the hose, check the suction release valve at the handle of the hose. There are two arrows on the valve; make sure they are turned all the way to the right so that the valve cannot move anymore.

Another place to check for clogs is in the hose that attaches to the base of the vacuum. Lean the vacuum all the way down to the floor, pull the hose from the base, and check for blockages. The side of the hose that attaches to the main body of the vacuum also detaches; make sure there is nothing blocking this pathway.

The last place to check for clogs is in the tube on the main body of the vacuum. Click the red button that releases the tube from the main body. Check for clogs in the tube.

If you could not find any blockages in the vacuum’s air ducts, the vacuum’s filters might need to be cleaned. If both your foam filter and felt filter have not been cleaned in the past month, this may have caused your vacuum to lose suction. To clean the foam and felt filters, remove the dust cup and pull out the two filters that are on the top of the motor base. Rinse the filters with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Let the filters dry fully before putting them back into the vacuum. If the vacuum is still not picking up dirt and debris, your filters may need to be replaced.

If you have checked for airway blockages and have cleared your filters, a damaged or deteriorating hose may be causing your vacuum’s loss of suction. On most Shark vacuums, there are two hoses to check, the short hose between the main vacuum head and the base, and the hose between the handle and the wand. Over time, these hoses can start to crack and peel, and even if there are no obvious splits, there may be microcracks causing a loss of suction. Fortunately, replacement Shark vacuum hoses are relatively inexpensive and are available on Amazon.com and directly from Shark.

If you can feel air coming from the filter but not the hose base, take the bin and press the grey tab at the top of the bin, releasing the latched cover. Pull the component in the top of the bin out. Open the component over the trash, and tap the top, where the tiny dirt particles will collect in the filter at the base. If you have access to compressed air (you can go to a gas station), blow air over the top to release the fine particles. Do not blow with your mouth as moisture can cause the cyclone array to grow mold.

If you have tried all of the previous solutions and your vacuum still refuses to pick up dust and debris, your vacuum’s motor may be at fault. If there are no obstructions in any of the hoses, unclip the back hose from the body of the vacuum. If you cannot feel the air being sucked into this compartment, check the filter. Take off the dirt bin by pressing the grey tabs that connect it to the main body of the vacuum. At the base of where the bin sits in the filter component. Put your hand over this component and turn on the vacuum. If you can feel the air in the filter component, but not in the hose attachment in the rear of the vacuum body, the problem lies in the cyclone assembly. However, if you do not feel air coming from the filter, there is most likely a problem with the motor or fan and you will have to contact Shark.