Vacuum cleaner is one important invention of 20th that has eased our lives by mechanizing floor and carpet cleaning. With the passage of time, we have witnessed a lot of advancements and value addition in vacuum cleaners. These machines are classified into types depending upon features, shapes, style and other specifications. Selection of right vacuum cleaner requires several features of vacuums to be considered.
Everyone wants the right use of their hard earned money and wants a product best suited for one’s specific needs. Vacuum cleaners come with different attachments and tools that assist in providing quality clean for hardwood floors and carpets. Vacuum cleaners are classified into two types on the basis of beater bar i.e. vacuum with beater bar and vacuum with no beater bar. In this article, we will discuss about Beater bar on a vacuum, its working, applications, pros and cons. Lets proceed towards beater bar introduction.
What is a Beater Bar and How does it operate?
Beater is smoothly contoured metal agitator bar fixed to the rotating brush rolls. It is located at the bottom of vacuum cleaner. Layman finds it difficult to differentiate between beater bar and rotating brush roll. It is rare to find beater bars on modern vacuum cleaners.
Hoover, a popular vacuum cleaner manufacturer first invented beater bar back in 1920. Primary purpose of this agitator bar was to dislodge dust particles from deep within carpets.
Beater bar basically creates a beating action on carpet that helps in loosening dirt from deep fibers of carpet. It brings dust and debris to the surface through beating action, whereby dust is sucked up by vacuum cleaner. Working mechanism of beater bar made Hoover to market their vacuum cleaner with beater bar by a slogan;
“It beats, a it sweeps, a it cleans”
Hoover noticed that beater bat resulted in vacuuming efficiency increased to 101%. The agitation produced by beater bar was termed as “Positive Agitation”.
Nowadays, you would rarely find a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar. In pursuit of improvements, beater bar has been improvised in the shape of brush stiffeners. Brush stiffeners come in different brush lengths and stiffness’s that would remove dust deep from carpet followed by brushing. It has been designed to replicate the procedure previously accomplished by beater bar on brush roll

Beater Bar and No Beater Bar Vacuum: A Comparison
Beater bar vacuum cleaners agitate the carpet fibers, helping remove dirt from deep carpets. Vacuum cleaner with a beater bar works well on fiber and fluffy carpets. It is also efficient in removing yarns deep embedded in carpets. It is pertinent to mention here, that vacuum with beater bar may cause damage to certain carpets. To protect your elegant carpets, you may consult Carpet and Rug institute and your carpet manufacturer, so that you may get clear idea of beater bar suitability on your specific carpet.
No beater bar vacuum is recommended for shag rugs, hardwood, laminated and vinyl flooring; otherwise you would end up in ruining your floors and shag rugs.
Many upright vacuum cleaners offer the provision of switching off the brush roll rotation and rely solely on suction. It may be used as a multi-purpose vacuum cleaner.
Beater bar on a vacuum comes with hassle of maintenance. Brush roll at the bottom rotates on high rpm, making bristles to worn out quickly. To continue effective cleaning, you would need to change the roll. Moreover, beater bar drive belt may also require replacement, in case of noisy operation.
Pros of Beater Bar Vacuum
- Beater bar vacuum cleaner performs quite well on fluffy and fiber carpets.
- It is best suited for homes with pets. Beater bar or brush roll with bristles are highly recommended for homes with carpeted floors and pets.
Cons of Beater Bar Vacuum
- This type of vacuum cleaner is not suited for hardwood, vinyl and tile floors.
- Beater bar at the bottom requires maintenance and change over’s on frequent usage.
Conclusion
After reading the article, you would most probably be in a better position to differentiate between beater bar and no beater bar vacuum cleaner. It is very important to purchase a vacuum cleaner with right features and attachments to best suit your requirements.
Best selection is dependent on concise assessment of your needs. To summarize the things; if you have a home with carpets and also have pets, we recommend you to buy a beater bar vacuum.
In case of hardwood or vinyl flooring, a vacuum cleaner without beater bar is recommended. It could possibly cause damage and scratch your elegant floor.
Some homes have mix flooring types. You may consider a vacuum cleaner that provides the option of switching off the beater bar. It will help you to use the vacuum on hardwood floor as well as carpets, making it a perfect choice for multi-surfaces.
We expect, this article would help you in selecting a right vacuum cleaner for your home.
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