There are two distinct types of Power Nozzle’s in their range; fortunately, both use the same Rainbow vacuum belts.

Even more pleasing, they’re inexpensive to replace and the task can usually be carried out at home. No experience is (generally) necessary.

The two types of Power Nozzle’s in the Rainbow vacuum range are noticeably different. There’s the flat rectangular R Series, often denoted by the tortoiseshell strip, or the more triangle shape PN series power nozzle head.

Freeing the Power Nozzle to access Rainbow vacuum belts

If you’re still unsure which type you have, the difference will be immediately noticeable once you get inside the casing, a necessary evil if you want to change your Rainbow vacuum belt yourself.

Safety first! Remember to disconnect your vacuum cleaner from the power supply before attempting this or any maintenance on electrical products.

Turn the power nozzle upside down so you can access the bottom area of the brush roll assembly.

PN-type power head belt replacement

Once upside down, you’ll notice on the PN-2E version, there is a tab you will need to turn to the ‘unlocked’ position. With the brush roller further away from you than the metal wand, this screw will be on the left-hand side of the unit. The PN-2 version does not have this tab.

Once unlocked, you’ll then be able to lift the bottom plate away. Squeeze the two tabs in the middle and pull away from you. The base plate will lift up and away from you to expose the belt cover.

Rainbow Vacuum Belt On the PN version power heads, the belt runs centrally from front to back, one end around the brush roll assembly, the other around the motor’s shaft.

You may notice that your old belt is very large in comparison to the new one. Once a belt stretches, it can’t torque the brush roll as hard to clean properly.

Now might be an ideal time to test and clean the roller, too. To ensure that the bearings still turn smoothly, run the roller beneath your hands; it should rotate freely.

On average, a roller brush will last 2-3 times longer than the belt on a Rainbow power nozzle. A sharp object like the edge of a scissor blade is great for cutting hair and other debris away from the bristles ready for re-use with your replacement belt.

You can now wrap the belt around the center of the roller whilst it’s still out of the unit and wrap the other end around the motor’s shaft. Be sure to look for the small groove that is cut in the wood on the one end of the brush roll assembly. This groove needs to be installed on the same side as the spare belt compartment. Otherwise you will get poor performance.

Replace the brush roller back into the unit, snap down the belt cover and again run your hands over the roller.

The belt cover should snap into place easily and if the roller is turning without great resistance, you’ve almost finished. The last step is to install the bottom cover and if you have an PN-2E version, turn the screw into the locked position and you are good to go once again.

Replacing the R-series vacuum belt

The procedure for replacing the rectangular-headed Rainbow power nozzle belts is extremely similar to that of the PN. But there are slight differences in the layout and mechanics.

Again, disconnect the power supply and place it upside down with the roller brush facing away from you.

Rather than a locking screw to the left as in the PN heads, the R-series heads have two phillips screws, positioned either side of the neck, but on the bottom plate. These screws need to be removed, as does the plate.

The brush roller itself is in a similar position to the PN head, but the belt is positioned at the right hand side of the roller rather than centrally.

The vacuum belt on this occasion may be a little tight after installation. Wrap the belt around the motor shaft first this time, then stretch the belt over the end pulley of the roller.

Although it will be tighter, the brush roll assembly should turn freely as you test the belt installation to ensure that it still turns.

Replace the base plate on the power head and, after one final check that the brush roller turns uninhibited, you’re good to go again.

Recommendations for how long a belt will last differ greatly. The more regular the use, the more often the belt will need changing. Once per year is a good rule of thumb.

For how inexpensive they are and considering that many people stock both genuine and generic replacements, you’ll know yourself when they need replacing.

Your Rainbow vacuum is an investment. Providing that you take care of it, there’s no reason why your vacuum won’t go on returning that investment year after year.

Furthermore, easing undue stress on other parts by replacing Rainbow vacuum belts regularly will prove to be a very cost-effective measure over the long term.