My Bissell ProHeat won't spray water?

Always run clean water and vinegar mix through your machine when done using it to clean carpet. Why? It will avoid all these issues. And i must add that store bought cleaners function is to clean, look good for a little while then make your carpet get dirty faster. Don't believe me? Run just a water vinegar. Mix to actually clean your caroet. BUBBLES! Illnever use store bought caroet cleaner again. Also dawn dish soap works great too. And you don't use a lot. Less is more here or your carpets will be sticky messes.
My stepmom always used a lot of cleaner and because of it everytime i clean the carpets i get bubbles and so much black water from sticky carpets it's unreal. Vinegar amd water is all you needamd spot treat if absolutely necessary.

AbbsLovesBissel
May 2022

I know I’m late to this party, but proper credit to Martin, Jason S, and Suzanne in helping me fix the problem with my unit. You’ve probably already watched the video that as a suggestion tells you to put some water in the flow indicator (little red spinny thing) well to see if it drains out the bottom. That’s the outlet tube. There’s also an inlet tube that was where the problem was for me. Look at the black plastic ring that holds the red spinner in place. You’ll see an area where the thin plastic that forms the ring folds back, making the u shape Jason and others mentioned. That’s where you have to stick a toothpick ( or the end of a paper clip as I did) to unblock that line. (Don’t stand directly over it as you do. I took a face full of water as it squirted out when I dislodged the clog.) I had to screw the cover back on, run some water, repeat the whole cleaning process several (like 6-7) times before it started running clean. In the end, the Bissell lives to clean another day! Thanks for the help, all!

Moni
August 2021

Water came out the wand but not on the floor. The red outlet nozzles above the brushes were blocked.

I had to take the cover off to get easy access to the nozzles, put handle down then 6 screws, 2 at front, 2 in middle and 2 at rear. The nozzles just clip in the bar at the front of the machine.
Remove the clip and take nozzles off pipe then dislodge debris. If you don’t take the nozzles off the pipe the debris stays in the pipe and reblocks.

Happy repairer
April 2021

My flow indicator was clogged. When you unscrew the top of the indicator and remove the filter there is a hole in the middle of the indicator, that one was not clogged. But if you take the top off the machine you will see that there are two hoses that go to the flow indicator. My clog was in the one you can't see from the top of the machine. I just removed the hose and cleaned out the little white plastic piece it attaches to with a paper clip. Easy once you know where to look.

L.N.
June 2017

My flow indicator was clogged. When you unscrew the top of the indicator and remove the filter there is a hole in the middle of the indicator, that one was not clogged. But if you take the top off the machine you will see that there are two hoses that go to the flow indicator. My clog was in the one you can't see from the top of the machine. I just removed the hose and cleaned out the little white plastic piece it attaches to. Easy once you know where to look.

L.N.
June 2017

See Martin, April 2014, comment - I tried everything with no result. All the Youtubers concentrate on the heater, which I took apart and cleaned, although it really didn't contain a lot of sediment. Didn't do the trick. Since videos were no help, went back to the internet and found this forum. I tried Martin's advice with the toothpick in the u-shaped hole at the edge of the flow indicator - actually, I bent a hairpin straight and used that too since it's longer than a toothpick. I reamed out the hole in the middle of the flow indicator too, just for good measure. Put the indicator back together, gave it one more go and VOILA! WATER SPRAYING!! After 2-1/2 hours spent on this thing, not much time left for carpet cleaning, so I'll have to get to it later. But I was determined I was NOT going to go to an "authorized dealer" and pay probably what a new one would cost to have this one fixed.

Suzanne
June 2017

If water is coming out of the wand only then you need a new trigger valve assembly in the hand tools handle. It's a $3-$4 part at your local vacuum repair place. I had taken mine apart, cleaned everything, checked it, re-checked it, it was driving me crazy. Took forever to find the issue. Hopefully someone will be helped by seeing this! good luck

Davida Hedley
March 2017

Bissell, Preheat carpet cleaner is crap. I used it once when I bought it for one room. Did not use it for 2 year and when I went to use it, it was all clogged up.
I cleaned everything, took it apart. The Heater core was clogged, had to take it apart and clean the inside. Found out that the calcium deposit inside the heater core had eaten through the core. That is probably why the water leaks from the bottom. The Bissell Solenoid Valve is probably clogged as well. $350 machine useless. Bissell must have know this for years and have done nothing to fix the problem except produce more useless machines. Fool me once shame no you Bissell., Never again.

Sunny
July 2016

My Bissell is stuck on tools cause I broke handle, can i take it apart and switch it to floor setting?

rene
September 2015

where is the heater, how do i get to it!

BEA
February 2015

Great read. Unfortunately none of the suggestions worked for me. I opened everything. Cleaned everything, even the heater module. Nothing. Finally was about to give up when I thought I would check all the lines again but with compressed air. No compressor. What now. So got a can of compressed air. Took the belt check cover off. Unhooked the line to the 1 sprayer. Shoved the nozzle in the hose, pinched it a bit with my fingers and nothing. Took the cap off the filter/flow indicator. Sprayed again and water came blowing out. Then took the can of compressed air and sprayed it the reverse. Then I noticed around the edge of the filter/flow indicator hole there was a lip and one spot that looked like a U. So I thought to myself has to be an inlet there. Stuck the compressed air tube in and yep there is an inlet. Started to spray and after about 10 seconds I heard a light pop and out came shooting a jet of water. I then took the handle apart and traced the line to the heater. Disconnected the hose and sprayed more air in at the filter/flow indicator side inlet hole and kept spraying. Eventually I got all kinds of white stuff coming out and then clear. Put it all back together and works better than new. If none of that made sense here is a short version. Remove handle, Remove black hose on heater that runs down the handle to the base. Take the top off the filter/flow indicator on the edge a part is U shaped. Still the nozzle of a can of compressed air in that U. Should go down approx. 2 inches. Point the end of the lack hose in the heater away and spray the compressed air until the clog is removed. Reassemble and get to cleaning. If the filter/flow indicator does spin but fills with fluid, unscrew it about 1/2 turn. It may be to tight. Good luck and hope this helps someone.

Jason S. in Glendale, AZ
December 2014

I followed Martin's advice from above by checking the flow meter (little red vanes that spin on the top) and sure enough, there was a clot of soap on the inlet side of the meter. I took a tooth pick and cleared it, put fresh warm water in both the main tank and the soap tank and also mixed in some CLR (this stuff does wonders to fix clogs on coffee makers and stuff) into both tanks and ran it with the Hot Water switch to on. Sure enough, it started spraying water. Note: I took the unit outside and propped up the front so the brushes wont spin on the concrete and I used some tape to keep the spray handle closed. I inspected the flow meter and there were clumps of congealed soap in it so I took it apart and cleaned that again. I continued to run the water through it and it steadily improved. I shut the unit off and allowed it to sit for 10 minutes so the CLR could take hold in the heating unit and then continued to flush the system. I then ran two tanks of clean water through it (both the main tank and the soap reservoir) and it worked great! From now on, I'll make sure to run clean water through the soap tank after every use. Maybe adding a little CLR wouldn't hurt either. Thanks Martin for your help!

Dean
October 2014

I have an unusual problem with my Bissell Cleaner/Vac 25A3. Problem with liquid not dispensing properly. All Tubes connectors, nozzles, and heater are clear. When tank lid is removed and power turned on liquid dispenses properly from all nozzles when triggers are activated. when lid is resecured flow stops. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

DBW
September 2014

25A3 Bissell Carpet Cleaner procedure to clear no floor spray trouble when hand tool spray is good.

Tools: goggles, 2P Phillips screwdriver with minimum 6 inch length, small flat blade screwdriver, 2 small containers, small pliers.

Step 1: unplug cleaner, remove water tank, remove handle by removing 2 marked screws,
remove lower body cover by removing 7 screws including the one for the upper cord wrap.

Step 2: remove valve, top of lower body, by sliding toward you. Release clamp on black hose
by releasing tension and sliding to the left. Using some heat, i.e. from hair dryer, disconnect
black hose from valve.

Step 3: Install water tank with clean water , plug in cleaner, using a small container to catch
water from disconnected valve, turn on power switch and operate valve by pressing down
to verify water discharges OK.

Step 4: Disconnect power, remove water tank, use a small compressor (tire pump) with a
tapered adapter, apply air pressure to open end of black hose and air should clear congealed
soap and water from floor spray tips.

Step 5: If air only clears one spray tip, take small flat screwdriver and place between aperture
and deflection tab on cleared spray tip and press blade against it’s aperture. This should
clear the other spray tip.

Step 6: Reconnect black hose to valve and reclamp. Plug in cleaner and install tank with clean water. Test to make sure both floor spray tips are working and connections at valve are
not leaking.

Step 7: Unplug cleaner, remove tank, reinstall lower body cover and handle. Make sure clean water is flushed through system after each use as directed in owner’s manual. The floor spray
tips have very small apertures and will clog easily, possibly not a good design.

Ray W
July 2014

I read all the comments. I have a Bissel proheat 2x 8960. The bottom does not spray water. It has white colored nozzles not red. I stripped the bottom part of the handle to locate the heater but there is only wiring in it. Then I unscrewed the bottom itself. I found a lot of tubing but now have no idea which is the heater. The pipes are all transparent and dont look clogged. Then I unscrewed the bottom cover, on which the water tank sits but have not been able to raise it up very far. Need help please. Maybe I might not be able to get back to this forum. Thanks.

Zafar
June 2014

What is the function of the Solenoid Valve on a Bissell Steam Cleaner? I cleaned my nozzles at the where plugged, and not I have water spraying out all the time, even with out the trigger pulled. This has been sitting about a year since I used it.

Brad
June 2014

Ok...I read all the responses and I did had some residue in the heater element. I cleaned it and put it back together, no luck. I ordered a new pump and put it on..no luck again. It was then, I realize this is too late now...so I checked the handle, handle worked fine, maybe it wasnt even the water pump after all! Water was getting to the handle and the jets were clean( I could blow through them). No flow through the flow device? Could it be that simple? Sure enough, the inlet side of the flow indicator was clogged! Wife took a toothpick and cleaned it after I removed it. Worked like a dream!! Hindsight's 20/20!

Martin
April 2014

I finally had success in clearing the clogged sprayers. The heating unit was clogged and I cleaned it. I was then able to get water to spray from the hand tool but not the floor.

BTW, the selection of floor or tools is for the vacuum function only. Regardless of the choice, the hand tool will spray if the trigger is pulled.

Both of the spray nozzles pointed the floor were clogged in my unit with what looked to be hard water deposits. Using a safety pin I was able to clear both nozzles.

The Bissell users manual (which I admit I didn't read until after I had a problem) indicates that the system should be cleaned out AFTER EVERY USE with a mixture of vinegar and water to properly completely remove any residual soap from the system. I hadn't ever cleaned the unit after use so I think I was lucky that it operated correctly for over 2 years. Hopefully I'll have many more years of use by just following the directions.

I've used a Rug Doctor unit many times before, and in my estimation, this Bissell ProHeat home unit performed better in removing dirt from my carpets.

One last rug cleaning hint: if you have stains that re-appear after cleaning, try a solution of Borax and water brushed onto the spot. Continue brushing until you can no longer see the stain. Let the carpet dry and vacuum to remove the residue. It's not perfect but does work better and more cheaply than other methods. DO NOT PUT BORAX INTO YOUR CARPET CLEANER. IT WILL CLOG THE SPRAYER SYSTEM and you'll be back on line looking for the steps needed to clear out the clogs once again.

DoWhatYouLove
March 2014

If your Bissell pro heat does not spray water ,usually the heater gets clogged with soap.the soapy water goes through easy when the water is hot ,but when it stops the soap that remains in the heater cools and gets hard.What I did was (make sure it is unplugged from the wall ) took front cover off to expose the heater,disconnect black hose at the valve coming out of the heater and blew into it with about 40 bl. of compressed air .Out comes the soap that was blocking the opening to the nozzle that sprays out water to the floor.I command after use with soapy water rinse out system with clean water (about 2 cups) till soap is out of system.

Dominic,
February 2014

I swear I have literally had 3 Bissell shampooers and they seem to be garbage after using them a bit. Perhaps I should try a different brand.. SHEESH!! Bissell isn't cheap either.. I have purchased because of the brand name but im pretty sure im over it!!

Abby Young
February 2014

Have the Proheat 2x pet model. After a few times using it, it quit spraying and turned into a dribble instead. Red spray nozzles were clogged. Cleaned them and it sprayed better, for a while. Then, back to dribble again. After verifying how far through the system it was pumping water correctly, I finally pulled out the heater core. Removed the cover screws and sure enough, clogged throughout with hard white particles. Not sure if it is dried soap or hard water deposits building up. I'm leaning toward hard water deposits, as it is actually pitting the metal cover. This fix worked for quite a while but eventually came back the same. Bottom line...crappy heater design that should have been caught and corrected. No more Bissells for me.

Bill Hay
February 2014

Funny that this is ongoing from 5 years ago and multiple generations of Bissell products and STILL the same issues. Clearly Bissell does not read this forum (and the many other similar complaints) so they keep plowing ahead with the same flawed design.... Kudos Bissell!

Okay that said, I have an 8920 that I bought new about 3 years ago and have used it maybe 5 times. It was on hiatus for almost a year and now won't spray from the bottom but will through the accessory. I tried Bissell's worthless site and switched my tank with no success. The plug from the tank is installed properly, not stuck in the hole and I have never had that problem. I have read this forum and have already unclogged the sprayers (white) but they did not seem clogged anyway. No luck. Then I got drastic and took it apart, going after the heater.

Finally got it out and was disappointed to see both hose input/output dripping water freely. Took it apart anyway (no blockage but a few chunks floating around) and cleaned it out. Reassembled and just as I thought, not fixed. I did get a little spray for awhile on water only then tried with soap seemed to work on cement then I shut it off moved it 5 feet to carpet and nothing...lol thing is possessed! Check for clogs again good there so going to try removing the tips and letting it fly to see if there's flow.

Any other suggestions (other than changing brands and never looking back -- DONE as soon as this one is in fact dead to my satisfaction) are appreciated!

Brian
December 2013

I have had three of these cleaners and after 2 years of LOTS of use it stops spraying - cleaned the nozzels , took things apart - cant find where the belts are - it works for 15 min. makes a noise and stops spraying - no service in my area - will try what some have said other than cleaning nozzels and see what happens - ready to try the old way of cleaning a carpet.

Bobbie
October 2013

Mine acts like it's stuck on tools, but i dont know. i've taken it apart and cleaned it, but it wont spray from the bottom and even when i have it set to floor settings it will spray out of the tools when i push the button on tools it's like it's stuck on tools i'll switch it to floor and it sucks up water, but wont spray from bottom, but will from tools on floor settings any suggestions

Tanya
August 2013

I have a bissell proheat 2x 8920 and it had stopped spraying at the handle and bottom. I opened it and cleaned out the heater. Now when I turn it on, the bottom leaks even if I don't pull the trigger to spray the bottom. The good news is that I can spray through the hose now but I can't understand why there's a leak in the bottom housing unit. It's not leaking from the two red spray nozzles. When I opened the bottom housing unit, I notice that the cap showed alot of wetness from the solenoid valve area. I'm very confused. I don't know if the pump is going overdrive pushing the water forcefully through the heater and causing water to squirt somewhere after the heater where the lines meet the solenoid. The water tank itself is just fine. What are your ideas?

Tim
August 2013

Had a problem with the smart mix tank not draining out , took the heater core apart cleaned it going to put it all back together and do the flush ! Hope this all works !!?, its a great machine when it works !

Bixby , ok.
July 2013

My Bissell Pro Heat has stopped spaying water. Tried all remedies none resolved it. there is air in the feed to the pump and I cant see where it is getting into the system. Tried replacing vac hose to top of pump and sucking it manually, seems to work short term then stops any ideas?

Snooper
June 2013

To get the hose to spray open the back of the spray handle two screws remove the cover. The hose should be removed from the trigger and turn the unit on with the hose over a sink...make sure dial is set to hose vs floor spray should flow from clear plastic hose may also need to clear the nozzle with a needle or small nail. After getting good water flow reconnect hose to trigger -try trigger make sure it works -put cover back on & you are ready to go! Ours working like new again! :0)

Mr Fixit
May 2013

Thanks! This site is the best! Put hot water in the soap container, dial at heavy and took off the nozzles as they plugged once again (put towels under the open nozzles to catch) turned it on and watched all the crap come out. You have to fill the water hole with a cap of water to run it again but it works. Now I have to unclog the furniture spray. Any suggestions out there?

Mel
May 2013

I am having the same issue with my Bissell Proheat Pet.. I need to know how to take apart to get to the hose to clean!!!!! HELP

Tammie
May 2013

I agree with Regina below, where she says "Scroll down to Mike's answer-the very long one. Just one note, my nozzles are WHITE NOT RED. And for those of you who at this point are too exhausted to think clearly...remove the water tank and there you go...two [square] plastic nozzles attached to two hoses. GENTLY squeeze the clips and pull up. This will take both hands. Use pliers to squeeze the clamps and slide them away from the nozzles." This took me less than 5 minutes, and my machine was working perfectly again. (I used a paper clip to clear out the white plastic nozzles.)

Ann
April 2013

I just bought a Bissell Pro Heat Pet,& was so excited to use it on my carpet...took it out of the box,put the expensive cleaner in it and IT DID NOT WORK!!! Ive been so upset,its going back to the store today! The hand held attachment would not spray water and neither would the main shampooer! Thank God I kept the box! I do NOT recommend this product!!!

kburner
February 2013

Two solutions to the problem unless you have mechanical failures. The soap/solution and water both go through the heater regardless if its on. The soap scum builds up in the heater and causes a blockage in the heater and/or at the sprayers. There are differnt locations you can find the directions but first suggestion is to unclamp the sprayer heads and use a toothpick or medal tool with a small point to clean them out.

Tom
December 2012

Days before Christmas guests and the last job is to clean the carpets.
My Pro Heater wasn't spraying but the attachments worked and so did the brushes.
Can't clean my carpets......Aaaaaargh!
Typed in "Bissell is crap" and thank God this forum came up.
Cleared the blocked red sprayers and the goo in the tubes and its working like a thing possessed!
You guys are life savers.
Bissell was no help & I still think Bissell is crap, but at least I can get the sodding thing working again.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Bissell "support" line can kiss my ---!

Trish in London
December 2012

Mine would spray sporadically. I removed the cleaning solution tank and saw that the red piece was in the hole NOT on the solution tank so I took it out of the hole with a flat screwdriver and put it on the tank. After doing that the cleaner works great!!

Stacey
October 2012

We had no success with the flushing method. What did work wonderfully was leaving a small amount of water in the shampooer during storage. This keeps the soap or sedement from drying and clogging the machine. Not sure why no one at Bissel has come up with this fix, but my engineering husband is genius. We have had our Bissell for several years and since we started leaving water in the system we have had ZERO problems no matter how long the timespan between uses. WORKS PERFECTLY!!

Sam's wife
October 2012

Yes!!! Clearing dried soap plugs from the plastic (red) nozzles did the trick and I have good fanned spray patterns again---versus nothing at all. The plugs were in there pretty good simply holding them under hot water may not be enough. Blowing/sucking on them helped to clear the soap. Yeah, I know it sounds funny but sucking worked better for me, just don't inhale the tiny soap plug.

Jason
August 2012

my cleaner was not spraying and i used the cleaner bottle filled it with hot water and it took 3 times to work but it gave way and works great now i think for now on i will always run warm water through after use

jo
July 2012

Scroll down to Mike's answer-the very long one. Just one note, my nozzles are WHITE NOT RED. And for those of you who at this point are too exhausted to think clearly...remove the water tank and there you go...two plastic nozzles attached to two hoses. GENTLY squeeze the clips and pull up. This will take both hands. Use pliers to squeeze the clamps and slide them away from the nozzles. If you are having trouble grasping this, go get whoever can fix a hose on a car. Same thing! Oh, and GOD BLESS MIKE! This is my dad's machine and needless to say I was freakin out when it stopped working on me!

Regina
May 2012

im just now having this problem ... my unit is the pro heat 2x complete ... i have to take it to the shop to get it fixed and let me tell you bissell better pray that this thing is still under warranty because im half tempted to call bissell and raise some hell !!

james
April 2012

Take the handle off, and apart, find the heater coil, take out the 7 screws and the heater coil apart, clean the heater coil and the 2 ends where water goes in and water comes out that can also be clogged up. This may help you fix yours.

Frank
March 2012

Bissell Proheat Clearview. Didn't spray after sitting a while. Actually, it must spray some as cleaner and water bottle will eventually empty, but very slowly, not fast enough for the flow indicator to spin.

Important symptom -- accessory will spray.

It turns out the heater core was clogged. The heater core is in the water path even if you do not use the heater. The core is located in the upright handle, not the lower body. Open the handle assembly. The core is the big zinc colored block with two hoses and several wires attached to it. What I ended up doing was unscrewing the back plate (7 phillips screws, be careful not to lose or damage the red silicone grommets on 5 of them). I then cleaned the exposed water channel with a toothbrush and water. I also needed to clean one of the hose inlets with a toothpick.

The tip about running some plain water through it seems to be a good one. It should eliminate this problem.

Bob
February 2012

No spray from either the unit or hand held sprayer. Called Bissel & the rep really did try to help. Ended up taking mine to authorized dealer who fixed it by blowing out the hoses. The shampoo clogs up (crystallizes) inside the tubes & he told me how to keep it from clogging again. Fill the solution bottle with plain water, turn dial to "heavy cleaning" & hold down trigger sprayer till the solution bottle is empty. I was SHOCKED at how much sudsy water came out so maybe this will help someone. I'm wondering if it would help to add a little vinegar to the solution bottle when cleaning out the tubes.

Cindy
February 2012

How do you take the red clips out. I tried but they wont come out

Hannah
December 2011

Finally! This was driving me crazy! We had this thing apart twice and were going to try one more time, but instead tried cleaning the red things first. THAT DID IT! You definitely need to disconnect from the hose to clean - I had done it before while leaving attached and that didn't do it! Thanks for all who share their info!

LLM
November 2011

Mine will spray for about 15 seconds and then tapers off and stops (both tools and upright position). This unit is obviously a piece of crap. I will call Bissell on Monday, but based on other posts here I guess I had better not expect much help from them...

Angie
October 2011

mine dont spray water either...I have had it 3 months..what a piece of crap!

frito
October 2011

Cleaning the nossles on the bottom worked for me. Only one of my nossles was completely clogged, but that was causing it not to function.

matthew
October 2011

Check that the water container seals are tight to the main unit (where the black gaskets meet). Mine wasn't spraying water but sprayers were all clean. Turns out the suction was poor due to those seals not being properly aligned, a slight adjustment to the seals had it working again perfectly.

Before you rip it all apart I would check this first!

Nalim
October 2011

Mine would only spray on Water Rinse, and if you turn it to Heavy Traffic, no spray from either the handheld or upright. Problem was that the red rubber gasket on the soap container had come off and was stuck in the machine's socket, not allowing the soap container to seat properly, therefore not opening the valve on the soap, therefore the machine thinks that the soap is empty, and stops spraying anything. Solution was to pull the rubber gasket out of the soap socket on the machine, and put it back on the soap container, using needlenose pliers, forceps or tweezers.

Keith
September 2011

Bissell Proheat 2X-White spray nozzles.

Wasn't spraying water/cleaner AT ALL!

Opened up the Black cover. Pinched out the clips and poked the sprayer to unclog. Works brand new now!

Emily L.
September 2011

mine won't spray...piece of junk if you ask me! I will never buy another Bissell!

Renee
September 2011

tried to clean spray nozzles, which are white on mine, and when trying to pop them out they fell into the machine and i can't retrieve them...what do I do now??!!

mc
September 2011

Same, mine wouldnt spray on floor settings but worked fine on tools. Checked this site out and hey preto after cleaning the red spray attachments the machine works as good as ever

Robert G
September 2011

Same problem - water was not coming out of the two red sprayers. Per the advice here we removed and cleaned out the two red sprayers and reassembled. Works great now!

Chad
August 2011

My water lines & spray heads were clogged with some white goo. I had to disassemble & clean the lines and red spray heads. It might be a good idea to flush the shampooer with clean water when you're finished shampooing. I hope this helps.

Kurt
August 2011

Had the same problem and cleaned out the 2 red sprayers on the bottom of the machine. It worked!

Jodi
August 2011

my new bissel's hand tool will not suck the water up once sprayed on the carpet or living room suite. what can i do.

faith
June 2011

Thank you for your help,it was the sprayers on the bottom but there not red any more, there white!

Dori
May 2011

Thanks to all...it was the little red things that needed to be cleaned out so the water would spray. Also, after we washed the rug, the water would not pick up. Well, turned out to be another red thing, looked like a little filter. I suggest regular maintenance to keep all running well.Thanks again!

Nicki
May 2011

I took mine to a reputable service center. They told me there was a recall from Bissell due to a faulty water pump. They replaced it and it works great now!!!

Pete
February 2011

I pinched the brackets holding the red things in place to get them loose and cleaned them out with a safety pin. They were closed with carpet fresh - silly lesson to learn, vaccuum thoroughly before cleaning. Works fine now. Thanks to the posters on this blog - you curved my Bissell!

enajnialp
January 2011

CORRECTIONS IN CASE MY PREVIOUS POST WENT THROUGH:

I TOO have the same issue. Bissell told me they would authorize "repair of the spray problem ("problem" being the key word.

Upon calling the service organization they referred me too I was told they received a memo from Bissell saying that Bissell will ONLY pay for the sprayer itself.

So here I sit with the little red things unhooked from their "bed" but don't know quite how to actually remove and clean them.

I've got a crushed (yes, CRUSHED) and after four surgeries already have to drive over 30 miles to bring the darn thing in to have it looked at.

IF it's just those stupid red nozzel things, please tell me how to get them off properly so that I can try everything possible before having to drive that distance. I've tried pulling them out of the hoses but they just won't budge.

I'm not even SUPPOSED to be driving as I've been on Vicoden by the gigaton since February 8th of 2010.

HELP!!!

P.S.: I've never used the heater on my unit, so I doubt that's the problem. Unit is PERFECT in every other way and I keep it immaculate. Even the tags are still on it and it's about 3 years old.

Thanks much!

Karen w/ additions to original question
December 2010

I had a problem with the unit spraying water at the hand attachment, but not at the base for floor use. I ordered a new solenoid, which costs all of 15 dollars, and it works just fine now. Replacing the solenoid is kind of a pain but not that difficult. Just look up the part and when you pull yours apart, you will see where it goes.

John Hughes
November 2010

Ensure that the "SmartMix" control mechanism is replaced correctly as this will result in very poor or no water spray.
I have just spent several hours trying to get mine to work and discovered this was not put back correctly. All working fine now.

Gary
October 2010

Selena, you need to get to the pro-heat heater unit it is located just beneath the trigger on the upright it is rectangular box with electrical wires.You DO NOT NEED TO unplug these wires just unscrew the plate and you will see where the water flows to the two hose's This is where the soap dries out and blocks the flow of water mine was so dried out I had to actually use a dremel tool to drill out the holes the soap was that dried out (like rock) works great now...in the future if you decide to run soap through the heater unit flush it THOROUGHLY after use.This whole process should take you about half and hour to an hour.

matt
October 2010

The Bottom line is the thing is a piece of crap. I had the same issue with mine. Bissell manufactures poor products and sells no warranty. The repair shops charge more to repair then it costs to purchase a new one. Next time I will purchase something with a warranty, defiantly not from Bissell.

Dan
September 2010

my bissle wont spray any water i tried cleaning everything but i cant seem to find the sprayers to see if its clogged like it only wants to spray when it wants to but its not for a long time just a lil squirt of water then like you try it in a half anhour then it'll spray it even wont spray from the hose i push the botton nothing can some one help me... where can i find the spickits for the water and how can i fix this
its getting me so fraustrated makes me want to beat it with a hammer and run over it huh

selena
September 2010

On my Bissell, water would not come out through the 2 red sprayers on the bottom of the unit but water would come out through the hand held unit. (this would mean the pump is good) I found both red sprayers were clogged. I unsnapped both red sprayers, removed them from the clear hose, then I pushed a paper clip through the spray unit to clean them out.

Kurt
March 2010

Wow, removed one of the red things and cleaned it out with a needle. Works great now. I tried cleaning it earlier with a toothbrush without disconnecting it from the hose, but that didn't get the job done.

Proheat
November 2009

I tried taking each of the red things under the water bladder out and cleaning them (used a straightened paper clip). It worked perfectly! Hope this helps and good luck!!!

Debbie
November 2009

The brushes are spinning , but no liquid!!??

Beka
October 2009

Bought it new, used it once worked fine, 2nd time a year later,won't spray water and shampoo out front.Called Bissel they said use tooth brush to clean the red nozzels under water tank, no good. They then gave me the name of the nearest repair shop and told me I would have to pay to have it repaired as the warranty was up.DISGUSTED,I DECIDED TO PULL OUT THE 2 RED NOZZELS OUT OF THEIR PLASTIC HOSES AND RUN A NEEDLE FROM THE HOSE END, THIS CLEANED THEM OUT,THERE WAS A GLUE LIKE SUBSTANCE IN MINI GLOBS IN THEM, THIS I THINK IS THE RUG SHAMPOO. WHAT I BELIEVE HAPPENS WHEN THE MACHINE SITS OVER TIME THE SHAMPOO THAT IS LEFT IN THE HOSES DRYS UP LEAVEING A GLUEY SOAP SUBSTANCE WHICH CLOGS THE HOSES AS WELL AS THE NOZZELS. WITH THE NOZZELS INSERTED INTO THE HOSES,THE WATER PUMP DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH WATER PRESSURE TO PUSH THESE OLD SOAP GLOBS OUT, THIS BEING TO THE SMALL WHOLES USED IN THE NOZZELS FOR WATER AND SHAMPOO TO FLOW OUT TOWARD THE CARPET. ANYWAY, AFTER CLEANING NOZZELS STILL NO WATER, NOW WHAT, MAYBE BAD WATER PUMP, TOOK NOZZELS OUT AGAIN AND THEY WERE PLUGGED AGAIN. THIS TIME I LEFT NOZZELS OUT THE HOSES AND TURNED ON THE MACHINE PULLED THE TRIGGER AND LET THE WATER AND SOAP FLUSH OUT THE HOSES DIRECTLY, MESHY, BUT NOT ONLY DID IT ELIMINATE THOSE LITTLE OLD SOAP GLOBS WHICH WERE THE LEFTOVERS IN THE HOSES WHICH INTURN CLOGGED THE NOZZELS, BUT INSURED THE PUMP WAS PRIMPING AND WORKING PROPERLY. AFTER PLACING NOZZELS BACK INTO HOSES I HAD WATER AND SHAMPOO COMEING OUT UNTO THE CARPET PROPERLY. A PERSON MIGHT TRY, AFTER SHAMPOOING THEIR RUGS, EMPTYING THE SOAP RESERVOIR OF ANY LEFTOVER SHAMPOO CLEANER AND THEN POURING HOT WATER IN THE SOAP RESERVOIR AND TURNING ON THE MACHINE AND USEING THE TRIGGER TO FLUSH THE HOT WATER THROUGH THE SOAP TANK, HOSES AND NOZZELS, THUS FLUSHING OUT ANY LEFT OVER SOAP WHICH WILL DRY OUT TO THOSE LITTLE GLOBS THAT WILL CLOG UP YOUR MACHINE. OTHER WISE YOU MAY HAVE TO DO WHAT I DID EACH TIME YOU DECIDE TO USE YOUR MACHINE, BUT IT DID THE TRICK, ALSO I DIDN'T BOTHER REUSEING THE LITTLE HOSE CLAMPS THAT HOLD THE HOSES ON THE NOZZELS, NOT NEEDED THE NOZZELS STAYED IN THE HOSES WITH OUT THE CLAMPS. I WAS ALSO TO LAZY TO TRY OUT MY OWN IDEA OF FLUSHING AFTER USEING. YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD LEARN. ANYWAY, HOPE IT SOLVED YOUR PROBLEM, BEST OF LUCK

Mike
April 2009

It's a good chance the tubing is clogged, or the heater core is blocked with hardedned minerals/cleaners. I've taken mine apart several times for the same reason. Most times, I hook up an air compressor to one of the spray nozzles, pull the trigger, and let it blast. Messy, but gives a short fix. Check to see if your hose sprayer still works -- not a perfect fix, but at least you can spray with it.

john
October 2008