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Not sure what brush roll to buy
Last Updated: 05/28/2009

My Kirby vacuum nozzle may be from another Kirby vacuum model so I am not sure what Kirby brush roll to buy. What is this light on the nozzle for?

Possible Causes:

Occasionally Kirby vacuum nozzle casting gets damaged and has to be replaced. New Kirby vacuum nozzle casting is sold as an assembly (less brush roll) and may retail anywhere from $90 to $130.00. Even for vacuum shops that are buying wholesale the price is pretty high and ultimately will have to be passed onto the consumer. Thus most shops have some used older Kirby vacuums they take apart and use for parts.

Suggested Solutions :

Before purchasing a new Kirby vacuum brush roll read this article.

Disclaimer:
Goodvac.com is not affiliated with The Kirby Company and/or The Scott Fetzer Company. All manuals and maintenance tips for Kirby vacuum cleaners and repair manuals for Kirby model vacuums are authored by GoodVac.com and are not endorsed or approved by the Kirby vacuum manufacturer - Kirby Company and/or The Scott Fetzer Company. These materials should be only used at your own discretion and risk. .
Read our "Terms of Use".

Indicator light and brush rolls

The indicator light (called BPI sensor) on the top of the Kirby vacuum nozzle is to let you know whether brush roll is spinning or not so you would know when to check the belt. It is not that important if you have had your Kirby vacuum for a while - you would just sense that something is wrong. Depending on the year your Kirby was made, this light will be on one or the other side of the nozzle. This is unimportant but if you want the light to work - keep on reading.

This is the indicator light (called BPI sensor) that we are talking about

This is like a miniature power generator in your vacuum. The light is attached to a small wire coil and as a small magnetic ball inserted into the brush roll passes over the coil it produces just enough electricity to keep the light lit. If the belt breaks and the brush stops spinning - no electricity is produced so light is not lit and it is time to check the belt.

On Kirby G5; Gsix; Ultimate G; Ultimate G Diamond Edition and Sentria vacuum cleaners the light is on one side (so is the magnet in the brush roll).

NOTE (dated 11/06/08):
The middle brush roll has changes since this article bus published. It still has same type of bristles (firmness) but on the roll they are positioned differently). Now it looks like this:
New look of Kirby Frush roll

We do not know how new Kirby vacuums will look when new models will come out so when it happens and it is not covered in this article - search for "parts compatibility" in the knowledge base (or perform a site wide search on top left of every page).

On Kirby G3 and G4 vacuum cleaners the indicator is on the other side (so is the magnet in the brush roll).

Kirby G5; Gsix; Ultimate G; Ultimate G Diamond Edition and Sentria vacuum cleaner brush rolls:

152505	Oblique angled bristles (reduce vibration) bristles are pretty stiff but not so stiff as to cause damage to most carpets and rugs. This is the brush that is pre installed on all new Kirby vacuum cleaners since 2002.
159398	Brush roll for delicate carpets and rugs. Not a very popular brush roll. If bristles are very soft they do not agitate the carpet enough so performance is not as good. Buy it only if you have a very delicate carpet or rug.
152502	Regular brush roll. This type of brush roll was pre-installed in Kirby's that were being sold for more than a decade. NOTE (dated 11/06/08): It has changed since this article was published. It still has same type of bristles (firmness) but on the roll they are positioned differently). Now it looks like this:

Kirby G3 and G4 vacuum cleaners:

159394	Regular brush roll. This type of brush roll was pre-installed in Kirby's that were being sold for more than a decade.
156249	Brush roll for delicate carpets and rugs. Not a very popular brush roll. If bristles are very soft they do not agitate the carpet enough so performance is not as good. Buy it only if you have a very delicate carpet or rug.

It is possible to install any "generation's" brush in any generation series Kirby vacuum cleaner and make the light work by simply switching the brush roll end caps but DO NOT DO THIS. You may have noticed that the bristle rows on the roll are at an angle and as the brush spins they must brush the carpet towards the center where the dust is sucked in. By putting the brush roll the other way, the bristles will be working towards edges of the nozzle and vacuuming will not be as effective as it can and should be. If you ended up with the wrong brush roll put it in as it is and do not worry about the light.

Tags: kirby brush roll, green light, nozzle light, 152505, 159398, 152502, 159394, 156249, bpi

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