My Record Power RSDE2 Extractor was purchased way back in 2009 and has been used extensively for over ten years. Recently when switching on there has been a firework display of sparks beneath the yellow cover lasting no more than a couple of seconds. This can be caused by worn brushes, a loose terminal connection or possibly (as suggested in another Forum) an indication that the interference suppression capacitor has reached the end of it's life!
The first thing to check are the carbon brushes. One in particular was almost completely burnt away and needed replacement (See photo). Always replace both even if they show unequal wear. Here you can make a big saving. Each brush can cost up to £16.40 (including delivery) which is a hefty £32.00 for a double replacement. However the part number for these (2311480) shows that they are identical to those used for the Numatic Henry vacuum cleaners. Two brushes on Amazon for next day delivery cost £6.99 (inclusive of delivery). There are even cheaper deals on E-bay but with longer delivery times.
What I did not do (and probably should have done in retrospect) was re-assemble the machine to see if that had stopped the sparking. As the sparking seemed to come from the vicinity of the capacitor (
NOT the motor) I decided that this was probably the main cause (although it might also have been a loose terminal connection which was also identified and repaired).
I have not been able to find a replacement capacitor but as it is not essential for the running of the machine I cut through the connecting wires and slid it out of the containing sleeve as shown in the photograph. This does not affect the functionality of the machine but may cause interference to TV reception etc.
Whilst I was at it I decided to replace the DX1500F Filter Cartridge which is advertised at a cost of £20.00 (including delivery) as a Record Power spare part. However this is identical to Paxanpax 27-UN-65 High Quality Universal Cartridge Filter which on Amazon is currently available at £7.73 (including delivery).
The extractor is now fully functional again and hopefully will last for another ten years!
Hope this is a help to other users of Record Power extractors.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MACHINE MUST BE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE POWER SUPPLY BEFORE MODIFYINGOne of the burnt out motor brushes. The arrow shows where the black carbon brush has almost completely burnt awayShows where the suppression capacitor wires were cut. Loose wires in an electrical appliance can be dangerous! So the blue capacitor with trailing wires should be slid out of the black plastic sleeve and removed completely