Top 3 Reasons Why Dyson Brush Bar Isn’t Spinning

Dyson Brush Bar Not Spinning? Dyson vacuums have an exceptional ability to clean floors. That is thanks to a combination of strong suction power and also a well-designed brush bar that agitates dirt off floors and carpets. But why would a Dyson brush bar have trouble spinning, either turning intermittently or not spinning at all?

If your Dyson brush bar isn’t spinning, it could be that the bar itself is dirty and entangled with long strands of hair or fur. The transmission rod which spins the brush bar could also be stuck for the same reasons. On the other hand, the cleaning head that spins the brush bar could lack power because of dirty electrical connectors throughout the vacuum.

First, we’ll examine a few of the most common reasons a Dyson brush bar stops spinning. Then, we’ll troubleshoot the brush bar that won’t spin in specific situations.

Related: Dyson V10 Not Working After Cleaning The Filter

Dirty Brush Bar and Cleaning Head

The brush bar consists of a spinning bar with bristles on it. The cleaning head turns it at high speed to agitate dirt, dust, and debris off the ground. From there, the vacuum’s strong suction will be able to collect all of that dirt more effectively.

The brush bar and cleaning head go together as one piece that attaches to the wand and the rest of the vacuum.

Why it fails:

The Dyson vacuum’s brush bar has no problems picking up loose pieces of dirt. However, the brush also comes into contact with longer items like human hair and pet fur, which are harder for the vacuum to suck up past the cleaning head.

As a result, things like hair will get tangled up in the brush bar’s bristles and other moving parts. Worse still, that tangled mess will grow increasingly larger each time you use the vacuum until the brush bar doesn’t spin anymore.

There might also be a buildup of dirt and hair around the rest of the cleaning head, which could prevent the brush bar from spinning correctly.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to clean the brush bar’s entanglement thoroughly. Firstly, open the lock on the cleaner head that keeps the brush bar in place. From there, you can slide the brush bar out entirely, which will make cleaning it much more manageable.

If the hair, fur, and dirt aren’t too thick, you can simply remove them by hand. However, thicker entanglements can be a lot trickier to deal with.

Using a pair of scissors is an excellent way to cut through the entanglement. However, you have to do it slowly and be careful not to damage the bristles on the brush bar.

While doing that, you’ll also want to remove any attachments on the cleaning head and remove all dust or debris that you find.

If the brush bar appears to be broken, you can always purchase it from Dyson directly for around 30$

Dirty Electrical Connectors

The Dyson cleaning head, which houses and spins the brush bar, is an electrical component of the vacuum. That means it receives power from the battery next to the motor, inside the handle that you hold when operating it.

Related: Why Is Dyson Vacuum Not Holding A Charge?

The battery delivers power to the cleaning head through several electrical connectors located throughout the vacuum. You’ll find these electrical connectors wherever the vacuum’s parts connect together, like at the cleaning head, the wand (i.e. the long tube), and even between the handle and the motor.

Why it fails:

Dyson vacuums tend to accumulate dust almost everywhere. Over time, dust accumulation also happens around where the parts connect to each other, which is also where the electrical connectors are sitting.

Electrical connectors that are caked in dust will not be able to transmit power all the way towards the cleaning head to spin the brush bar. 

If this is the case, you’ll find that the brush bar spins intermittently or not at all.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to take all of the vacuum’s components apart. Remove the cleaning head where the brush bar is, the wand, the tub that collects the dust, and even separate the motor from the handle where the battery is located.

Then, take a brush or dry cloth and wipe each of the electrical connectors free of any dust or obstructions. 

Once you’re done, reassemble the vacuum. The cleaning head should have no problem receiving the power it needs to spin the brush bar.

Blocked Wand Or Bin Inlet

Dirt, dust, and debris need to travel from the brush bar to the vacuum bin. While the brush bar agitates the dirt on the ground, the motor will generate enough suction to move all of that dirt to the vacuum bin.

To get there, the dirt travels through the wand (i.e. the long tube) and then passes the bin inlet before settling down in the bin itself. 

Why it fails:

Wherever dirt travels, there’s always a chance of a buildup. In this case, your Dyson vacuum is likely to have dirt, dust, and other nasties building up in the wand or the bin inlet.

As this buildup continues to grow, the vacuum will lose its suction power. A lack of suction not only slows down the spinning of the brush bar but it also causes dirt to build up around the brush bar faster as well.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to disconnect the wand from both the cleaning head and the bin inlet. Clean out any dirt that you can find, especially at both ends of the wand, which meet the cleaning head and the bin inlet.

To be thorough, shine a flashlight into the wand to identify and blockages deeper inside.

Then, clean the area around the bin inlet to ensure that air can flow into the bin without any problems.

Stuck Transmission Rod

The brush bar spins thanks to a motor that’s built into the cleaning head. That motor transfers its energy to turn the brush bar through a transmission rod that the brush bar mounts onto.

Why it fails:

As you might have noticed by now, dirt and dust get into even the tightest spaces in and around your Dyson vacuum. The same also happens around the transmission rod that is responsible for spinning the brush bar.

Human hair and pet fur also get caught around the transmission rod, reducing its ability to spin the brush bar.

How to fix:

To fix this, you’ll need to remove the brush bar and then the transmission rod. You’ll need a Torx screwdriver, as the transmission rod is held in place with a Torx screw. 

Once you’ve removed the screw and taken the transmission bar out, you’ll be able to remove all the dirt and dust, as well as remove any hair that’s tangled in there.

Troubleshooting Guide

Here are some solutions to specific situations when the Dyson brush bar won’t spin.

Related: Dyson Vacuum Troubleshooting Guide

Why Is My Dyson Brush Bar Not Spinning After Cleaning It?

If your Dyson brush bar is not spinning after you’ve cleaned it, the problem is likely elsewhere. Use the information above and check that:

• The transmission rod is not stuck. If it is, you’ll need to take it out with a Torx screwdriver and remove any hair or dirt that’s stuck.
• The electrical connectors are clean so that the cleaning head is receiving power to spin the brush bar. There are electrical connectors wherever two parts of the vacuum attach to each other (e.g. the bin inlet, the wand, and the cleaning head).
• There are no blockages in the wand or bin inlet.

Why Is One Side Of The Dyson Brush Bar Not Spinning?

Some Dyson brush bars have two sides (left and right), and one of side may stop spinning. In this case, it’s possible that only one side of the brush bar is stuck with hair, fur, or dust buildup and requires cleaning.

If the brush bar still doesn’t spin after you’ve cleaned it, then it’s likely that the plastic axle that the brush sits on has broken and needs to be replaced.

Why Is My New Dyson Brush Not Spinning?

If your Dyson brush bar doesn’t spin even though it’s brand new and still clean, check that:

• All of the electrical connectors are clean and can deliver power to the cleaning head.
• The transmission rod isn’t stuck. To test this, remove the brush bar and try to turn the transmission rod by hand. If it can’t turn freely, then you’ll need to remove it with a Torx screw and clean it underneath.

Why Is My Dyson Brush Not Spinning On The Carpet?

The Dyson brush bar might not spin on some carpets, especially on high pile carpets. That’s because the strands of the carpet get caught in the brush bar mechanism. You can prevent this from happening by switching to Eco Mode when vacuuming carpets. 

Bonus Prevention Tip

A lot of problems faced by Dyson vacuums, including brush bars that won’t spin, happen because the vacuum isn’t cleaned often enough. To prevent this and other problems from happening, be sure to take your Dyson vacuum apart and clean each component regularly.