Reggie Alvarez
Reggie Alvarez is the repair & maintenance editor at Vacuum Owl. He's the byline on every "won't turn on," "lost suction," "won't charge," and "how do I clean this" article on the site, because he does this work for real - fifteen years repairing vacuums and small appliances across the US Southwest, with a steady stream of dead and dying machines on his bench that he tests every fix against. When a Shark brushroll stops spinning or a Dyson loses suction, Reggie's article describes the actual fix - including the continuity test he'd run before telling you to buy a $40 motor. He believes most vacuums are thrown out years before they need to be. He lives in the US Southwest.
Published work
Articles by Reggie Alvarez
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Bissell brush that won’t spin in 6 ordered steps, belt first. Covers the burning-rubber stop, the plush-carpet stall and the spins-by-hand test.
Troubleshooting & RepairTest your Dyson V10 trigger in 60 seconds. No click = cracked switch, a 15-minute fix. Still clicks? It is hold-to-run by design. Lock-on options and costs.
Troubleshooting & RepairDry the filter fully: a damp Dyson V10 filter is why it won't start or pulses after cleaning. Get 6 ordered fixes, from the 24-hour rule to a reset.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Dyson brush bar that won't spin: the spins-by-hand test, hair, contacts, bearings and the broken-wire verdict, cheapest fix first.
Troubleshooting & RepairReset any Dyson vacuum fast: soft trigger-cycle, battery hard reset, LCD Reset Machine menu, and the lockout fix owners miss. No reset button required.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Dyson that won't turn on — cordless (V6–V15) or corded Ball. Covers the dead-vs-flickering test, battery reset, and the 30-min thermal cutout.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Dyson that won't charge: isolate charger, battery or contacts, reset the pack, clear the temperature lockout, and know when to replace it.
Troubleshooting & RepairStop your Dyson pulsing on and off in minutes: clean the filter (24-hr dry), clear the bin-inlet flap, then run the battery test. 5 fixes, V6–V15.
Troubleshooting & RepairDecode every Dyson vacuum light: flashing red means battery, blue is charging, amber is temperature. Color-by-color fixes for V6–Gen5, plus the LCD icons.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Dyson with no suction in 6 airflow checks: bin, filter, wand, spring-flap, cyclone, and seals. Restore full power in 20 minutes, no new motor needed.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix any Dyson fault fast - V6 to V15, Ball, or robot. Use the model-by-symptom map, tell a real fault from a by-design cutout, and know when to replace.
Troubleshooting & RepairTest if it's really the belt, match your Shark DuoClean, Rocket, Apex or Navigator model to the right belt, and fit it yourself in about 20 minutes.
Troubleshooting & RepairReset your Shark robot vacuum in 2 minutes - soft, factory, and without-app steps by model, plus WiFi reconnect and error-code fixes. Tested on 6 models.
Troubleshooting & RepairFix a Shark robot vacuum that won't charge, keeps stopping, circles, or won't dock — one cross-model guide for ION, IQ, AI and Matrix, plus an error-code decode
Troubleshooting & RepairFix an overheating Shark: unplug, cool it 45 minutes, then clear the clog, filters and brush roll. Burning smell? Tell a belt fault from a dying motor fast