My upright vacuum cleaner (or powerbrush) sounds like it is working but isn’t picking up properly. What could be wrong?

It is most likely that your drive belt has either stretched or broken. This can happen over time just through wear and tear. The belt also acts as a safety valve if you accidentally try to pick up something which jams the spinning brush – rather than the motor taking the stress, the belt will break. (Hint: If you have a rug with tassles, always work an upright or powerbrush from the rug to the floor rather than the other way.)