How to Fix Bissell Carpet Cleaner That Won’t Spray Water

A Bissell carpet cleaner is one of the most convenient cleaning machines around. It has a rotating brush and can spray water as well. Unfortunately, sometimes it won’t spray water.

So, why is a Bissell carpet cleaner (ProHeat Revolution ProSeries) not spraying water? Here are 7 possible reasons why:

1. The pump belt is worn, damaged, or missing.
2. The red gasket under the formula tank is not affixed properly.
3. The inline filter is blocked or clogged.
4. The spray tips are clogged.
5. The trigger button is damaged (with no tension).
6. The unit has lost its prime.
7. The valve under the water tank is not depressed properly.

Before you consider throwing your machine away and buying a new one, it’s wise to troubleshoot the issue first. Believe it or not, the solutions are simpler than you may think.

In this post, we will show you how to fix a Bissell carpet cleaner that won’t spray water.

How to Fix a Bissell Carpet Cleaner That Won’t Spray Water

This issue happens to Bissell ProHeat Revolution and ProSeries carpet cleaner. Sometimes, the machine won’t spray water. There are several tips to get your machine spraying again. For this tip, you will need:

• Flat-head screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Old toothbrush

Once you have everything ready, you are ready to get down to business. Here is the step-by-step guide on how to fix a Bissell carpet cleaner that won’t spray water:

1. Check the pump belt

First, with the machine plugged in and upright, turn the power on and look through the front nozzle to see if your brush is rotating. The brush and the spray are driven by the same pulley.

If the brush is not turning, unplug the unit and open the belt access door with a flat-head screwdriver. You should see a smooth pump belt. This connects from the motor to the pump pulley.

Replace it if it is worn, damaged, or missing.

You can replace the brush belt your Bissell carpet cleaner spraying again.

2. Check the red gasket under the formula tank

With the pump belt intact, replace the belt access cover and recline the unit.

If your Bissell carpet cleaner is still not spraying, check to see if there is formula in the formula tank and water in the inner bladder of the water tank. 

Next, look to see if the red gasket on the bottom of the formula tank is in place.

If not, replace it on the tank by using pliers or a screwdriver to lift it out of the base. Make sure it is affixed properly, with the gasket covering the inner and the outer edges of the valve.

Press the valve on both tanks with your finger to make sure liquid comes out.

If liquid comes out, let’s move on to the next step.

3. Check the inline filter for blockage 

Next, check to see if the inline filter is blocked.

Unscrew the filter cap, which is also called the flow indicator. There are two small pieces inside, the filter and the spinner. Pull both out and remove any debris by washing and using the brush if necessary. 

Pour water through the flow indicator to see if water comes through the bottom of the machine. If water comes through, replace the filter and the spinner. 

For Bissell 25A3 Series: The inline filter is located below the water tank. It can be unscrewed with a coin. There is only one filter inside to clean up.

4. Check the spray tips

Now we will check if the spray tips are clean and clear.

With the tanks aside, flip the machine over. Flip up the brush, and with an old toothbrush, remove any debris and dust buildup. In some cases, it may be clogged with hair.

Lastly, check to see if water will spray out of the hose.

Replace the tanks, put the handle up, and plug the unit in. Unwrap the hose and remove the tool, turn the power on, and press the trigger on the tool, spraying it away from yourself.

5. Prime the unit

The trigger should spring back when pressed.

If there is no tension, a Bissell service center can help you in fixing it. If the trigger has tension but is not spraying, the unit may have lost its prime.

To prime it, turn the unit off and hold the trigger for 30 seconds, then turn on and check for the spray.

If these steps weren’t able to get your Bissell carpet cleaner spraying, you can take it to one of Bissell’s approved service centers.

6. Check the valve under the water tank

This last troubleshooting tip is credited to Cecil Argue, who came up with a simple solution but has worked for hundreds of Bissell carpet cleaner owners.

Here is the video guide:

If your Bissell carpet cleaner is still not spraying water, the last possibility is that the valve on the bottom of the water tank was not being depressed properly, for whatever reason.

Pull out the water tank and look at the bottom, there is a valve. This is where the water goes into. 

To check if the valve is working properly, turn the machine on, take a cup of water, and dump the water directly into that valve/hole. If the pump is working properly, it should suck the water immediately.

This means that for whatever reason, the water tank is not feeding the valve.

There is a round peg that sticks out that is supposed to push into the bottom of the valve. Since the peg is hollow, the solution is to insert a simple screw to fit the inside of that peg.

The screw will raise the point up so that when you put the water tank back in, the screw will push the bottom of the water tank valve.

9 times out of 10, this simple solution will fix the Bissell carpet cleaner not spraying problem.

Final Words

And there you have it, the complete troubleshooting guide to the problem: why is my Bissell carpet cleaner not spraying water. By going through our thorough troubleshooting guide, we have no doubt that your beloved carpet cleaner can spray water and clean your house again.

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