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I was somewhat into home audio for a while, and I would read about guys who goto yard sales, and this one guy came across someone literally dumping all of their own McIntosh equipment from the 70's because it was 'to big'. He asked if he could put it in his car rather than throw it away, the owner actually helped the guy load the car with 10k worth of stereo components and power amplifiers. (In working condition no less!) That may be the best deal I have ever heard of, but what happened to me yesterday was as close as I will ever come to that sort of deal.

I had to go out yesterday to the store, so I walk down the street and a neighbor has a couple odds and ends out on the sidewalk he is halking, books, a crappy end table, some horrible lamps, and a giant blue piece of plastic. I walk over to him after going to the store and give him my best 'what the hell is this thing' shmoose line. He says 'oh, its a 1500$ carpet extractor a tenant of mine left at the house, I am trying to unload it.

I say, 'Well does it even work, I would be interested if it actually works, I goto do the carpets in my house soon anyway'. So he plugs it in, I ask him not to turn on the pump but the vacuem sucks air pretty good, not tear your hair out powerful, but for a 2 inch hole, pretty solid.

He says he could go into the long story, but he didn't want to waste my time, so I ask him how much. He says 'Eh, I am looking for 100$', I say...'how about 75' ....answere from him 'eh...I guess thats fine'. I felt like this...:deal:

Deal of the century if the extractor pump and everything else works. I haven't had anytime from yesterday to try it out and read up on how to use this thing, but if it works, ....what a frigging deal! :gidiup: (Just found some specs, 2-stage vacuum with around 155" of lift I do not have the heated model, so I will just use boiled water and 303 fabric to do my carpets, the car 'carpets' are going to be the test bed before I work on the house! Retail price of the Comanche model is 1400$ usd!)


Link = http://stillmaninteriors.netfirms.com/Images/extractor2.JPG

Sorry for the poor pictures...They were large, so they are links, made it difficult to read the post.

Link = http://stillmaninteriors.netfirms.com/Images/extractor.JPG


*** Update!...Not good news! **
The pump would not prime/pump any of the liquid into the tool that you use to clean the carpets with, after a long investigation, and taking apart and rebuilding a pressure valve, I started to take a closer look at the pump itself. Well, it was pretty clear that something was wrong with my pump and I would need to take a closer look at it. Maybe even replace it, update to follow.


*Update on the Pump fiasco*

It is really difficult to find a pump for your extractor, the GPM flow rate, the flow curve when under pressure, matched with what tools you have, it becomes very confusing, oh yeah and there are literally thousands of combinations to choose from. All with slightly different materials and specifications that will work on the space shuttle, but not on your carpet extractor. In the end, because I originally wanted to repair my own, I decided to buy a brand that I could always get parts for no matter the 'problem'. The image below is why mine wasn't working (notice the goop/glue and the large crack around the shut-off switch).

<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1354.JPG">


Everything else was fine, but the pump would just keep pumping air since the crack was letting in so much. I decided to try to find the part, but of course, that part is not available for this model. So I was forced to buy a new pump. Cheapest/best pump I could find with replaceable everything and in stock and had the right resistance to chemicals with the approximate flow rate across all pressures and had the demand switch (so you don't burn out the pump when you aren't spraying) was here:

http://www.tri-plextech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&amp;ProdID=381]Shurflo 100 PSI Viton Pump with Demand Switch - 800-812-288 DS

This is actually a very good pump from my research for what I needed to match. You can go the ebay route, but you won't get the right flow rate most likely, you will pay 1/2 price what a retail one costs, and you will not have a warranty for 1 year. Why bother? Updates to come when the pump is installed. Here are some more pics of disassembly:

Taking out my first screw
<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1350.JPG">


More half-assed 'repair' work, pathetic really considering we are talking about 100psi, it needs to be super airtight!

<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1356.JPG">


Here's what was inside after the pressure switch assembly was removed

<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1360.JPG">


If you ever wondered what a check valve is, this is it (on the bottom of the upper assembly housing, most pictures were of the top so far of that housing)

<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1357.JPG">


All parts taken out with exception of the upper housing itself, and the motor. Beginning in the far right going counter clockwise:

bearing on top of motor
diaphragm assembly with metal plate and rubber diaphragm plate
switch assembly
more switch assembly
Pressure plate of the switch assembly
seals and springs of the pressure switch assembly
tiny impeller that I don't know what it does??
check valve
<img src="https://stillmaninteriors.sslpowered.com/Images/DSCN1359.JPG">

Grouse:3.Slow

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