Is your Shark stick vacuum charging? Or has a malfunction occurred? Let’s talk about that
One of the biggest selling points of the Shark stick vacuum design is the amount of variation you can get, and this includes having a corded or cordless vacuum that can leave behind a lot of the troublesome issues that come with having to step over a long cord or not having one long enough to clean efficiently.
The cordless Shark stick vacuums will perform the same cleaning actions as corded vacuums, including a DuoClean feature and an anti hair wrap feature in most models which makes it easy to remove debris and stuck on dust from the most awkward floors.
You will however need to charge these cordless Shark stick vacuums to ensure they work efficiently, and there are a few indications it can give off to let you know when it’s charging up, when it’s finished or if somethings gone wrong, so it can be well worth knowing exactly what your Shark stick vacuum is telling you while you power it up.
Is Your Shark Stick Vacuum Charging – How To Tell
There is quite a large variety of Shark stick models all with several different ways to charge them including using a simple charging cord or an ion battery pack.
However regardless of model, all Shark stick variants will feature a light indicator near the battery that can flash different colors to indicate a few different things while charging.
This light indicator is what you will need to keep an eye on to check how far the vacuum is in terms of charging and it will appear on both the vacuum, if you are charging it while in use, and on the battery pack if you decide to dock the batteries while they charge.
It is also important to note that there are three light indicators on both the battery pack and vacuum and while they will all flash the same color, if only two of the three light up it can indicate a problem with the device.
Here are the different meanings behind each color including which indicates that the vacuum is fully charged or charging, and which indicates that there is an issue in the charging process.
Blue light
A blue light on a battery or charging port is a positive sign.
When you connect a cordless Shark stick vacuum to a charger you will notice the light will appear either at the bottom of the vacuum itself if you are charging on the go, or the three lights appearing on the battery pack.
A light blue color that flashes on and off slowly means that the vacuum’s battery is charging as it should. This color will also indicate when the vacuum is finished charging as the lights will stop flashing and remain in a slightly dimmer state.
Red light
A red flashing light means there has been a malfunction with the vacuum or the battery. A sudden red flashing light accompanied by the vacuum not actually working or turning on means that there is a problem, however it does not indicate exactly what it is.
This can happen as soon as you place the vacuum into its charging point, or at some point throughout the charging process if something is detected to have gone wrong.
One common issue that can cause this is holding up the brush roll and checking for any burning smells or if the roller looks burnt out or damaged. If this seems the case, the motor has most probably burnt out and will need to be switched before charging again.
A red flashing light while charging can also mean that the vacuum is overheating and needs to be cooled down before being charged.
This can commonly be the case if the Shark stick vacuum has been in use for a good amount of time, or if it has been placed on charge for too long.
If you notice a red light while you are actually using the vacuum rather than just charging it, it means the brush roll is jammed which can easily occur due to long hair strands and pieces of dirt wrapping around and will require cutting through the waste to allow the brush to move freely again.
No lights
If no lights appear on the battery pack or the vacuum while it is charging, it means the charger is supplying no power and is not working properly.
This can be caused by a few things, one is that the charger or battery itself is burnt out and needs to be replaced immediately.
Another common cause is that the charger has built up dirt over time and is blocking the connection between the contacts, or that the cord is damaged or the charger has not been plugged in properly.
What if Only Two Lights Flash?
If you have your vacuum plugged in to charge and notice there are only two of the three light flashing, it means the battery needs to cool down before its charging. All you need to do is leave it plugged in, and it will start charging normally when it’s cooled down enough.
How Long does it take to Charge a Shark Stick Vacuum?
For most models, they will fully charge in between 2 to 3 and a half hours. It will usually take the full 3 and a half hours to charge up the vacuum the first time you do it, however recharging usually only takes little more than an hour each time.
Shark Stick Vacuum Charging FAQs
What do you do if a Battery has Burnt Out?
If you use a vacuum for an extended period of time and it starts warming up, or if you have been using it constantly for a few months or years, the battery can soon become burnt out and wont charge.
You will need to replace the battery if this is the case and while they can be purchased and installed easily, each model uses a slightly different battery so just make sure you pick up the correct one.
How Long will a Shark Stick Vacuum run on Full Battery?
Luckily while there are quite a number of variants of Shark stick vacuums, they all have a decent running time of between 20 to 40 minutes when on full charge.
However, if you want to clean for longer you can still plug the charging cord into the hardback and clean while it powers up.
Depending on the size of your house and what you intend on cleaning up, make sure you choose the right model.
For larger houses and for very thorough cleans, opt for models with a 40 minute runtime when fully charged, this will ensure you get into every crevice at your own pace without having to worry about the vacuum suddenly switching off.
Summary
The key to knowing how charged your Shark stick vacuum is are the lights dotted across the side of the battery charging station and the vacuum itself.
Look out for the blue flashing lights as these indicate that the vacuum is charging as it should, however if you notice a red light, or if there is light at all, then it can indicate there is something wrong with the battery pack which can require some troubleshooting.