How to Fix Shark Vacuum Spitting Out Dirt [Full Guide]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on May 22, 2023

Imagine obtaining a vacuum to clean your floors and carpets, enjoy the vacuum’s good work for some time, but then it starts doing quite the opposite of cleaning.

Then you’re wondering, how to fix shark vacuum spitting out dirt, as it’s supposed to to clean, not mess things up.

However, you shouldn’t worry about this issue, as we have quite an easy and straight fix to this problem, as it fits most shark vacuum models as well.

Read through this CleanersAdvisor guide, as we’ll provide you with the potential causes to the problem, a couple of main fixes that work in 95% of the situations, and other fixes that may help you in the 5% other cases.

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What Causes Shark Vacuum Spitting Out Dirt

Generally speaking, there should be a malfunction that causes your shark vacuum spitting out dirt instead of working properly and cleaning your rooms 

The malfunction is mainly a problem with either the airflow in and out of the vacuum, or a problem with the filters.

Either of these problems will interfere with the required airflow that allows the vacuum to suck the dirt into the vacuum.

The opposite (spitting out dirt) will happen when this required airflow works in another way, causing the shark vacuum spitting out dirt instead of sucking it in.

To sum things up, those are the main causes of Shark Vacuum Spitting Out Dirt problem:

If there’s a clogging in the vacuum, whether it was behind the brush roller, the vacuum’s hose, or the dust cup air duct, then the airflow won’t be normal in and out of the vacuum.

Additionally, a dirt filter will obstruct the airflow in and out of the filter to the vacuum, which can be another main cause to your shark vacuum spitting out dirt problem.

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How to Fix Shark Vacuum Spitting Out Dirt

To fix shark vacuum spitting out dirt issues, you’ll need to clean clogs from the brush roller & the vacuum hose, then fully clean the HEPA filter and other washable filters inside the vacuum.

Read through to learn more about the process of fixing shark vacuum spitting out dirt problem:

Main Fixes

1. Remove Clogs from Brush Roll 

Brush rolls are the first line of defense against dirt and debris, and vacuuming a huge load of hair will create a tangling over the brush that blocks the airflow in and out of the vacuum.

Additionally, vacuuming over large pieces of debris will also cause a clogging in the brush roll.

To fix a shark vacuum spitting out dirt problem, first make sure you remove any accumulating dirt that causes the clogging in the brush roll.

Here’s a full guide on how to clean brush roll with photos and videos to help you out.

2. Remove Clogs from Vacuum Hose

The vacuum hose is the second line of defense inside your vacuum, and most probably it’ll be clogged by accumulating dirt, any buildup, and trapped larger debris, maybe socks and smaller sized clothes that are accidentally vacuumed.

You can unclog the vacuum hose in different methods, some would get the job done in 5 minutes, other methods would take you more than an hour.

Here’s our full guide on how to remove clogs from vacuum hose to restore the perfect airflow in and out of the vacuum, as a fix to shark vacuum spitting out dirt problem.

3. Clean Your Shark Vacuum’s HEPA Filter

HEPA filters are the best filters that work perfectly against 99.9% of particles that end up inside the vacuum.

This filter helps in creating more purified air inside the house, filters all the particles that can be damaging to your health, and ensures nothing comes out of the vacuum other than clear air.

However, it gets dirty over time, and if you’re not maintaining it on a regular basis, it’ll accumulate dirt and dust to a level that stops the HEPA filter from functioning properly.

Therefore, you’ll need to fully clean it as you should, and here’s a video by WikiHow explaining how to clean your shark vacuum’s HEPA filter:

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Other Potential Fixes

Those are other potential fixes that worked in some scenarios, in addition to the main fixes we explained earlier, try them out:

1. If you’ve bought the vacuum from another user, try to unplug the vacuum and reverse the plug as they may have reversed it unknowingly.

2. Clean your vacuum’s bag as it may be full of dirt and can’t take more dirt from vacuuming.

3. Check the fan belt as it may have been twisted on its own and started working in reverse.

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To Wrap Up

Is your shark vacuum spitting out dirt uncontrollably? Then you’ve already known what the problem was, and how to fix it with ease.

You have 3 main fixes to carry out, and another 3 fixes that also work but aren’t considered the main fixes to the problem.

If you have already tried those methods, feel free to tell us about your experience in the comments section below.