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How to Replace a Pump in a Rug Doctor Carpet Cleaner

Replacing Your Rug Doctor Pump - Step by Step Guide

The machine in question is a Rug Doctor that is not spraying water. There are two common issues that could be causing this: a blocked metal screen in the water reservoir, or a failed pump. The metal screen can become clogged with animal hair, preventing water from reaching the pump. The pump can also fail, which is the most common reason for the machine not spraying. If the pump is the issue, it can be replaced, though there are some electrical issues in the handle that can also cause the machine not to spray. However, these issues are rare. To replace the pump, the plastic shroud and bottom plastic shroud should be removed, along with the screws. The pump is located under these parts and can be removed and replaced, using the instructions provided in the shipping box. If the hose clamps are difficult to remove, the hose can be cut and attached to the new pump. It is recommended to not constantly cut the hose as it may run out over time. The pump should then be reattached and tested.

 

To replace a Rug Doctor pump, you will need to first gather the necessary tools and materials. You will need a replacement pump, a flathead screwdriver, pliers, and a new hose clamp or electrical tape. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Turn the Rug Doctor upside down and remove the bottom plastic shroud by removing the screws.
  2. Locate the pump, which is located near the bottom of the machine.
  3. Disconnect the water pipes and the electrical connections from the old pump.
  4. Remove the old pump by loosening the hose clamp or cutting the hose if the clamp is stuck.
  5. Install the new pump by attaching the water pipes and electrical connections. Use a new hose clamp or wrap the connection in electrical tape to secure it.
  6. Replace the bottom plastic shroud and screws.
  7. Turn the Rug Doctor right side up and test the new pump to ensure it is functioning properly.

Note: If you are not comfortable performing this repair, it is recommended to seek the assistance of a professional.

Rug Doctor Pump Replacement Video

Finding the Correct Rug Doctor Pump

There are several part numbers that are associated with Rug Doctor pumps, including p4xxa, 12158, and 12139. These pumps are said to vary in wattage and pressure, but it is unclear if there is a noticeable difference in spray volume or velocity between the 50 and 60 watt pumps. Therefore, it may not be necessary to pay attention to the specific part number when replacing the pump.

These are the pumps that we currently stock for this repair:

More Information

There are a lot of things that can go wrong outside the pump or in tandem with a pump failure. In order of frequency:

  1. There is a metal screen filter inside the clean water tank over the intake hose. That commonly gets clogged so check that. It also some times comes dislodged from the base of the tank and will be sticking out the top of the water which obviously prevents it from getting fluid.
  2. Hoses get kinked. This is particularly commons where the hose goes up in to the upper motor housing on some models.
  3. Use a multimeter to check continuity from the plug all the way to the pump. Generally if there is a continuity issue the brush motor also does not fire and it is an issue with the switch in the handle. I have seen however where the brush motor does fire but the lead that goes from the wire loom to the pump is corroded and does not have continuity.
  4. The spray tips can clog but this is incredibly rare. These are pretty high pressure pumps and they pretty much blast anything out of the system. However, if a highly concentrated detergent is used it can create sediment build up in the tips.
  5. A defective new pump is obviously possible. We’ve installed over a thousand and never had one bad out of box. Of the hundreds of “defective” pump returns we’ve taken not one was actually defective except for the cases where the customer returned their obviously previous defective pump and kept the new one (which is why we no longer sell on Amazon, their customer base seems to be more prone to scumbaggery). You can test the pump by simply putting it in a vice to hold it and plugging a hose in to the intake in to a water cup and hot wiring it. This however is not a thing I suggest you try unless you are an authorized service center.

Unfortunately, all of these issues with the exception of the screen are a pain to track down. 98% of no spray failures are just bad pumps so most people have success simply replacing a pump. There is that one out of 50 though that gets hairy.

Full Rug Doctor Schematic

Download the full PDF schematic here

rug-doctor-schematic

Full wiring diagram rug doctor blue X3

93081, LOWER TANK ASSY
AVAILABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS
ITEM PART # DESCRIPTION QTY
1 20964 6-20 X 3/8″ SST PHILLIPS BUTTON HEAD SCREW 2
2 20963 6-20 X 5/8″ SST PHILLIPS BUTTON HEAD SCREW 1
3 20965 8-18 X 3/4″ SST PHILLIPS BUTTON HEAD SCREW 2
4 20962 10-16 X 3/4″ SST PHILLIPS BUTTON HEAD SCREW 9
5 20968 10-16 X 1/2″ SST PHILLIPS BUTTON HEAD SCREW 3
6 45183 3/8″ HUB CAP 2
7 60798 GROMMET FOR CABLE SJT 1
8 60796 CABLE P CLAMP 1
9 10461 LINE STRAINER, SUMP FILTER, 2-1/2″ L 1
10 11995 CLAMP HOSE 25-40m m SST, ZINC SCREW 1
11 60797 O-RING 9/16″ O.D. 1
12 20853 WASHER FL #10 X .518″ O.D. 12
13 45123 NOZZLE FLO OR WITH ROLLED LIP 1
14 45124 REAR AXEL 3/8″ DIA X 11 1/2″ L 1
15 60262 TAB SUMP LINE RETAINER 1
16 60400 FILTER SCREEN 9.11″ L 1
17 93079 SPLIT GROMMIT KIT 1
18 60776 VENT PANEL 1
19 60778 WHEEL TIRE 8″ DIA. SMOOTH HUB 2
20 65414 BLUE TANK HOUSING COMPLETE W/ BUSHINGS 1
21 77001 MIX AND FILL HERE LABEL 1
22 80773 HOSE END ENLARGED 1
23 85246 VAC HOSE 18″ L (NOZZLE TUBE) 1
24 85250 VAC HOSE EXHAUST 22″ L 1
25 93089 BOTTOM PAN SUB ASSY 1
26 60767 GROMMET RETAINER 1
HOSELESS DOME ASSY
REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE:
ITEM PART # DESCRIPTION QTY
1 20965 SCREW, 8-18 X 3/4″ SST 6
2 20967 FLAT WASHER, 1/2″ OD 6
3 60787 ELBOW, 90   FLANGE A 1
4 60771 ELBOW, 90   FLANGE B 1
5 45185 BUSHING, DOME ELBOW 6
6* 10460 FILTER SCREEN WITH SPRING 1
7 41183 CLIP, RETAINER 2
8 60196 WASHER, PLASTIC, BLACK 2
9 60591 GASKET, ELBOW 2″ OD 2
10 60769 DOME, CLEAR 1
11 60770 GASKET, DOME 1
12 77006 DECAL, NO FOAM 1
13* 61082 DOME HOSE ADAPTOR 2
93082, COMPLETE HANDLE ASSY WITH CORDS AND LABELS
REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE:
ITEM PART # DESCRIPTION QTY
1 91651 ALCI PLUG & CORD, 28 FT, FOR X3 1
2 51060 SWITCH, PB, RED 1
3 51107 SWITCH, ROCKER, ON-OFF-ON 1
4 51129 CIRCUIT BREAKER, 15 AMP 1
5* 20386 BOLT, 1/4-20 X 7-1/2″ 1
6* 20859 ACORN NUT 1/4-20 1
7 20962 SCREW, 10-16 X 3/4″ SST PHILLIPS HEAD 20
8 20966 SCREW, 8-32 X 7/8″ SST SLOT BUTTON HEAD 1
9 20241 NUT NYLO CK 8-32 SST 1
10 41189 BUSHING 2
11 77011 LABEL, RD FRONT LOGO 1
12 77010 LABEL, ON-OFF CRPT/UPH 1
13 77008 LABEL, PRESS FOR SPRAY 1
14 77007 LABEL, CAUTION/ GROUND 1
15 77003 LABEL, REAR, CARPET CONN/UPHOLSTERY INSTRUCTIONS 1
16 77002 LABEL, CB RESET 1
17 76815 LABEL, WARNING PROP 65 REF
18 60795 GROMMET HEYCO 1232 1
19 60794 GROMMET HEYCO 1497 1
20 55321 5-CONDUCTOR CORD 1
93089, BOTTOM PAN ASSY 120V
AVAILABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS:
ITEM PART # DESCRIPTION QTY
1 20604 RETAINING C-CLIP PO-25 2
2 60792 MYLAR SPLASH GUARD 2
3 60166 BLACK TIE, PASTIC STRAP 1
4 10316 WASHER, NYLON .341″ ID, .68″ OD, .06″ THK 6
5 10341 BEARING PILLOW BLO CK 2
6 11845 CLAMP, HOSE, OETIKER 12m m 7
7 20231 NUT NYLO CK 10-32 SST 4
8 20266 WASHER AL .200″ ID 4
9 20388 RIVET ALUM LARGE HEAD 4
10 20390 SCREW 10-32 X 1-1/4″ FLANGE HEX HEAD 4
11 20840 WASHER, FELT 5/8″ 2
12 20906 SCREW 10-32 X 5/8″ FLANGE HEX HEAD 2
13 40353 PILLOW BLO CK 2
14 40388 DRIVE ARM SELF ALIGNING 1
15 45125 BRUSH HOLDER ASSY AL 1
17 12158 PUMP REPAIR KIT 1
18 92979 BRUSH MOTOR KIT 1
19 60138 CONNECTOR Y 1
20 60139 FITTING, BARB, 90° 2
21 60598 GASKET, MOTOR 3/16″ THK RUBBER, 4″ X 3″ 1
22 60720 PUMP MOUNT, 3/16″ THK RUBBER 2
24 60779 BRUSH STRIP ASSY 1
25 65415 BOTTOM PAN 1
26 80596 BUSHING DRIVE ARM 2
27 80597 SLEEVE HOLDER BEARING 2
28 80819 SPRAY JET TIP 110° NYLON 2
29 85231 SOL. HOSE REINF. 1/4″ X 3″ L 2
30 85253 SOL. HOSE REINF. 1/4″ X 18-1/2″ L 2
31 85254 SOL. HOSE REINF. 1/4″ X 35-1/4″ L 1
32 90069 CAM ASSEMBLY REF
33 20853 WASHER FL #10 X .518″ O.D. 2
34 55320 CORD,18/4, INTERNAL, 37″, GRAY (NOT SHOWN) 1
35 92652 KIT,BRUSH 6-32 SCREW/LOCK NUT SST (2 EACH) 1
93088, MAIN SUPPORT ASSY WITH GASKET, STRIKER PLATE AND ELBOW
AVAILABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS:
ITEM PART # DESCRIPTION QTY
1 93088 MAIN SUPPORT ASSY, BLUE  X3 1
1A 65413 MAIN SUPPORT, BLUE 1
2A 40215 STRIKER PLATE, 3-SLOT 1
3A 20983 RIVET, AL, 3/16″ DIA,.188-.250GR 4
4A 20962 SCREW, 10-16 X 3/4, SST 2
5A 60661 ELBOW, VAC MTR 1
6A 60263 GASKET, ELBOW 1
7A 20348 SCREW, 6-20 X 1/2, SST 4
8A 77012 ETL LABEL 1
9* 80208 QUICK CPLR BRASS 1
ORDER 93078 FOR KIT WITH ITEMS 28,29, & 30
10* 20962 SCREW, 10-16 X 3/4″ SST 7
11* 20961 SCREW, 10-16 X 1-1/2″ SST 3
12* 60796 CABLE CLAMP, P-CLIP 2
13* 19466 WASHER, LOCK #10 EXT 3
14* 20853 WASHER, FLAT #10 3
15* 50276 MOTOR, VAC 120V LINIX 1
16* 65355 GASKET, VAC MOTOR 1
18* 60726 COUPLING, THREADED 1
19* 11996 CLAMP, HOSE 35-55m m 1
20* 80775 ELBOW, BRASS, 1/4″ 1
21* 20907 WASHER, .562″ ID 2
22* 60794 BUSHING, S/R 1
25* 80780 HOSE END, TAPERED 1
28* 80784 QUICK COUPLER NIPPLE 1
29* 60725 WASHER,RUBBER,1-1/4″OD 1
30* 11845 CLAMP,HOSE,OETIKER 1