Philips FC6843: English

6

introduction

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to Philips! To fully benefit from the support that 

Philips offers, register your product at www.philips.com/welcome.

general description  (Fig. 1)

a  Dry use

1  Hose connector

2  Suction hose

3  Mechanical suction power control

4  Suction tube

5  Tri-Scopic tube (specific types only)

6  Parking clip (specific types only)

7  Nozzle

8  Motor on/off button

9  Handle 

10  Cord rewind button

11  Micro filter (specific types only) 

12  Mains cord 

13  Parking slot

14  Clamps

15  Motor unit

16  Type plate

17  Dustbag holder 

18  Dustbag

19  Container

20  Storage facility for 2 small accessories (small brush, small nozzle, crevice nozzle or flexible 

crevice nozzle) 

B  Wet use

1  Shampoo hose clips

2  Shampoo trigger

3  Shampoo hoses

4  Shampoo hose connectors

5  Shampoo reservoir

6  Shampoo pump on/off button with light

7  Diffuser

8  Motor protection filter

9  Philips cleaning liquid (HR6965)

10  Float unit with foam filter

11  Upholstery nozzle

12  Double-injection shampoo nozzle

13  Hard floor adapter

important

Read this user manual carefully before you use the appliance and save it for future reference.

Danger

 - Never vacuum ashes (from ashtrays and fireplaces) until they are completely cold.

 - Never vacuum petrol, white spirit, gas oil, paraffin oil or other flammable or explosive liquids.

 - Do not use the appliance in rooms with explosive vapours (petrol, thinners, solvents).

 - Never immerse the motor unit in water.

 - Never direct the jet of shampoo at plugs, sockets or electrical appliances.

English

Warning

 - Check if the voltage indicated on the type plate corresponds to the local mains voltage before 

you connect the appliance. You can find the type plate on the bottom of the motor unit.

 - Do not use the appliance if the plug, the mains cord or the appliance itself is damaged.

 - If the mains cord is damaged, you must have it replaced by Philips, a service centre authorised by 

Philips or similarly qualified persons in order to avoid a hazard.

 - This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, 

sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given 

supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance by a person responsible for their 

safety.

 - Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the appliance.

 - Keep the leaning liquid out of the reach of children.

 - Do not point the hose, the tube or any other accessory at the eyes or ears nor put it in your 

mouth when it is connected to the vacuum cleaner and the vacuum cleaner is switched on. 

 - Do not insert the mains plug into the wall socket until the appliance is completely ready for use. 

Make sure that your hands and the mains plug are dry when you connect or disconnect the 

appliance.

Caution

 - Always remove the micro filter and the paper or reusable dustbag (some countries only) before 

wet use.

 - Always install the diffuser and the float unit before you use the appliance to vacuum liquids.

 - Always remove the mains plug from the wall socket if the appliance does not function properly, 

before you clean the appliance and before you open the container.

 - When you use the vacuum cleaner to vacuum ashes, fine sand, lime, cement dust and similar 

substances, the pores of the dustbag become clogged. As a result, the dustbag-full indicator will 

indicate that the dustbag is full. Replace the disposable dustbag or empty the reusable dustbag 

(some countries only), even if it is not full yet (see chapter ‘Replacement’).

 - Only use Philips Athena paper dustbags or the reusable dustbag (some countries only). 

 - Never use the appliance without the motor protection filter. This could damage the motor and 

shorten the life of the appliance.

 - Always empty, clean and dry the container after wet use. Let the appliance suck in dry air for a 

few minutes to dry the inside of the tube and hose. This prevents an unpleasant smell the next 

time you use the vacuum cleaner. It also prevents the paper dustbag from becoming wet

 - Only vacuum dry materials and dust if the paper or reusable dustbag (some countries only) is in 

the appliance.

 - Only switch on the pump when you have filled the shampoo reservoir, placed it into the 

appliance and connected it with the two shampoo hoses. Switch off the pump as soon as the 

shampoo reservoir is empty. The pump may get damaged if it runs dry. 

 - To extend the life of the shampoo pump, clean it with a mixture of water and white vinegar 

once a year. Follow the instructions in chapter ‘Cleaning and maintenance’.

 - Always switch off the appliance after use and remove the mains plug from the wall socket.

 - Do not store the appliance at temperatures below 0°C to prevent it from freezing. 

 - Noise level: Lc = 82 dB [A]

Electromagnetic fields (EMF)

This Philips appliance complies with all standards regarding electromagnetic fields (EMF). If handled 

properly and according to the instructions in this user manual, the appliance is safe to use based on 

scientific evidence available today.

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Preparing for use

Connecting and disconnecting accessories

hose

 1 

 To connect the hose, insert it into the hose connector while you turn it clockwise a 

little (Fig. 2).

 2 

 To disconnect the hose, pull it out of the hose connector while you turn it anticlockwise a 

little (Fig. 3).

tube

 1 

 To connect the tube, press the spring-loaded button and insert the narrow section into the 

wider section.  (Fig. 4)

, The button pops up when it is inserted properly into the opening.

 2 

 To disconnect the tube, press the spring-loaded button and pull the sections away from each 

other.

tri-scopic tube (specific types only)

 1 

 Adjust the tube to the length you find most comfortable during vacuum cleaning. Press one 

of the two collars downwards and pull the tube part above the collar upwards or push it 

downwards (Fig. 5)

nozzle

 1 

 Connect the nozzle to the tube (Fig. 6).

 2 

 If you want the nozzle close at hand (e.g. to clean stairs, upholstery or tapestries), connect 

the nozzle directly to the handgrip (Fig. 7).

Prepare the vacuum cleaner for either dry or wet use.

Note: When you unpack the appliance, it is ready for wet use.

Preparing for dry use

Always remove the float unit and the diffuser and insert the micro filter (specific types only) and the 

paper or reusable dustbag (some countries only) before you vacuum dry substances.

 1 

 Make sure the appliance is unplugged.

 2 

 Turn the shampoo hose clockwise (1) and pull it out of the motor unit (2) (Fig. 8).

 3 

 Remove the shampoo reservoir (Fig. 9)

 4 

 Undo the clamps (Fig. 10).

 5 

 Lift the motor unit from the container by the handle (Fig. 11).

 6 

 Turn the motor unit upside down (Fig. 12).

 7 

 Remove the diffuser from the motor unit (Fig. 13).

 8 

 Remove the float unit from the container (Fig. 14).

 9 

 Insert a paper dustbag or the reusable dustbag (some countries only). Press and hold the red 

lever while you place the front of the dustbag into the holder (Fig. 15).

 10 

 First insert the bottom edge (1). Then press the top edge into place (2) (Fig. 16).

Note: Make sure that the two projections of the front point downwards and that the centre of the bottom 

edge rests on the ridge of the holder.

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 11 

 Slide the holder with dustbag into the appliance in such a way that the holder is kept in place 

by the two ridges in the container (Fig. 17).

 12 

 Put the motor unit back into the container and close the clamps (‘click’).  (Fig. 18)

 13 

 Put the micro filter into place (specific types only) (Fig. 19).

Note: See chapter ‘Replacement’ for replacing the paper dustbag or chapter ‘Cleaning and maintenance’ 

for emptying the reusable dustbag (some countries only).

Preparing for wet use

Always remove the paper or reusable dustbag (some countries only) and the micro filter (specific 

types only) before wet use.

Preparing for vacuuming liquids

To vacuum liquids, you need the float unit and the diffuser.

 1 

 Make sure the appliance is unplugged.

 2 

 Undo the clamps (Fig. 10).

 3 

 Lift the motor unit from the container by the handle (Fig. 11).

 4 

 Remove the reusable dustbag (some countries only) or the paper dustbag (see chapter 

‘Replacement’) (Fig. 20).

 5 

 Insert the float unit into the container by its handle (Fig. 21).

Note: The float unit only fits into the appliance in one way.

 6 

 Turn the motor unit upside down (Fig. 12).

 7 

 Insert the diffuser into the motor unit (Fig. 22).

 8 

 Put the motor unit back into the container and close the clamps (‘click’) (Fig. 18).

 9 

 Remove the micro filter (specific types only) (Fig. 23).

Note: If the micro filter is exposed to excessive air humidity, it loses its electrostatic properties. 

Now the appliance is ready for vacuuming liquids. 

Preparing for shampooing

To shampoo floors, you need the float unit, the diffuser, the shampoo reservoir (filled with shampoo 

and water), the double-injection nozzle and the shampoo trigger.

 1 

 Follow steps 1 to 9 in ‘Preparing for vacuuming liquids’.

 2 

 Fill the shampoo reservoir with cold water (Fig. 24).

 3 

 Add one measuring cup of cleaning liquid to the full reservoir (Fig. 25).

 4 

 Attach the shampoo reservoir to the appliance (Fig. 26).

 5 

 Insert the short shampoo hose into the connector on the vacuum cleaner (1) and turn it 

anticlockwise (2) (Fig. 27).

 6 

 Connect the long shampoo hose to the shampoo trigger (Fig. 28).

 7 

 Fasten the shampoo trigger to the handgrip of the suction hose (Fig. 29).

 8 

 Firmly insert the end of the long shampoo hose into the connector on the vacuum cleaner 

(‘click’) (Fig. 30).

 - To release the shampoo hose, push the ring towards the appliance (Fig. 31).

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 9 

 Fasten the long shampoo hose to the suction hose and suction tube with the shampoo hose 

clips (Fig. 32).

 10 

 Attach the double-injection nozzle (Fig. 6).

The appliance is now ready for shampooing soft floors, such as carpets and rugs.

using the appliance

 1 

 Pull the mains cord out of the appliance and insert the mains plug into the wall 

socket (Fig. 33).

 2 

 Press the motor on/off button to switch on the appliance (Fig. 34).

Dry use

Convertible nozzle 

 1 

 You can use the convertible nozzle to vacuum hard and soft floors: (Fig. 35)

 - With the brush strip folded out, you can use the nozzle to clean hard floors (wooden, ceramic, 

stone and synthetic floors)

 - With the brush strip folded in, you can use the nozzle to clean soft floors (carpets and rugs)

Wet use

vacuuming liquids

Note: When you vacuum water from a place that is located higher than the appliance itself (e.g. a roof 

gutter or roof water tank), the appliance inevitably functions as a syphon. As a result, the container fills up 

more quickly than usual and may overflow. Make sure you never exceed the maximum capacity of the 

container (9 litres/2 gallons) (Fig. 36).

To make sure that the container does not overflow when you vacuum liquids, perform the following 

procedure at regular intervals: 

 1 

 Lift the nozzle out of the water.

 2 

 Press the motor on/off button to switch off the appliance.

 3 

 Remove the mains plug from the wall socket.

 4 

 Empty the container. 

shampooing carpets

 1 

 Start as far away from the door as possible and then work your way towards the door.

 2 

 Apply shampoo by squeezing the trigger on the handgrip of the tube (Fig. 37).

 3 

 Make overlapping strokes to cover the entire area to be cleaned.

Note: If there are still traces of liquid on the area you have just cleaned, pass the vacuum cleaner over 

this area once more without applying shampoo.

 4 

 After shampooing, release the trigger and switch off the pump. Keep the appliance switched 

on (Fig. 38).

 5 

 Lift the nozzle off the floor. Then simply let the appliance suck in dry air for some time to dry 

the inside of the suction hose and tube (Fig. 39).

 6 

 Switch off the appliance.

Carpet shampooing techniques

Depending on the degree of soiling, you can use (and combine!) the following three carpet 

shampooing techniques.

1  Freshening up

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 - If the carpet (or part of it) merely requires freshening up, you do not need to apply a lot of 

shampoo.

 - It is probably sufficient to only apply shampoo when you make the first stroke towards you.

 - Then release the trigger and move the nozzle over the cleaned area a few times without 

applying shampoo.

2  Deep cleaning

 - For thorough cleaning of a very dirty carpet or part of a carpet, move the nozzle over the area 

to be cleaned a few times while you apply shampoo.

3  Extra thorough cleaning

 - For extra thorough cleaning of badly soiled areas or stubborn stains, switch off the motor but 

keep the pump running.

 - Squeeze the trigger to apply shampoo.

 - Allow the shampoo to act on the area for several minutes before you switch on the motor 

again to suck up the shampoo.

 - Be careful not to apply too much shampoo, as this may damage the carpet.

Carpet shampooing tips

 - Never shampoo floors that are not water-resistant. If you are in doubt, contact the supplier of 

the carpet.

 - Do not shampoo delicate fabrics and handwoven or non-colourfast carpets.

 - Test the colourfastness of your carpet by pouring some shampoo dissolved in water onto a 

white cloth. Then rob the cloth onto a normally hidden part of the carpet. If there are no traces 

of dye on the cloth, the carpet is probably colourfast.

 - However, if dye comes off onto the cloth, do not shampoo the carpet. If you are in doubt, 

contact a specialist.

 - Vacuum the whole area thoroughly before you start shampooing.

 - Make sure that the room is well-aired during and after shampooing to allow better and quicker 

drying.

 - Allow the carpet to dry well before walking on it again: freshened-up areas normally require 30 

minutes to dry, whereas deep-cleaned sections require approximately 2 hours to dry. Of course, 

the drying times also depend upon the amount of shampoo applied, temperature, air humidity 

and ventilation.

 - The transparent nozzles (the double-injection nozzle and the upholstery nozzle) let 

you determine if the carpet or hard floor is clean. Simply look at the colour of the extracted 

solution.

shampooing hard floors

 - The 3-purpose click-on hard floor adapter for the double-injection nozzle consists of three 

familiar cleaning tools: (Fig. 40)

1  a brush to release sticky dirt from the floor;

2  a sponge to release, distribute and rub in the shampoo;

3  a squeegee to collect the shampoo from the floor so that it can be vacuumed.

 1 

 Snap the hard floor adapter onto the double-injection shampoo nozzle (Fig. 41).

 2 

 Start as far away from the door as possible and then work your way towards the door.

 3 

 Apply shampoo by squeezing the trigger on the handgrip of the tube. To scrub effectively, just 

make back-and-forth strokes as you do with a regular vacuum cleaner. Normally it is 

sufficient to only apply shampoo while you move the nozzle forwards (Fig. 42).

Note: Do not make very long strokes.

 4 

 To dry the floor, just move the nozzle backwards slowly. Make sure that only the squeegee 

touches the floor and do not apply shampoo (Fig. 43).

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 5 

 To remove shampoo effectively, make overlapping strokes and finish off with one stroke 

across as shown in the figure.  (Fig. 44)

 6 

 After shampooing, release the trigger and press the shampoo pump on/off button to switch 

off the pump. Keep the appliance itself switched on (Fig. 38).

 7 

 Lift the nozzle off the floor. Then simply let the appliance suck in dry air for some time to dry 

the inside of the suction hose and tube (Fig. 39).

 8 

 Press the motor on/off button to switch off the appliance.

shampooing furniture

The upholstery nozzle allows you to shampoo furniture, tapestries, curtains etc.

 1 

 Attach the upholstery nozzle directly to the handgrip (Fig. 45).

 2 

 Shampoo the fabric in the same way as described for floors.  (Fig. 46)

Cleaning

 1 

 Press the motor on/off button  to switch off the appliance.

 2 

 Remove the mains plug from the wall socket.

 3 

 You can clean all parts of the appliance, including the container, with a damp cloth.

Make sure no water enters the motor unit!

after wet vacuum cleaning

 1 

 Empty, clean and dry the container.

 2 

 Let the appliance suck in dry air for a few minutes to dry the inside of the tube and hose.

Float unit and foam filter

 1 

 Rinse the float unit and the foam filter (Fig. 47).

 2 

 To guarantee an optimal lifetime for the foam filter, carefully remove it from the float 

unit (Fig. 48).

 3 

 Clean the filter separately (Fig. 49).

Squeeze the foam filter to remove excess water. Do not wring it!

Double-injection nozzle

 1 

 Rinse the double-injection nozzle under the tap (Fig. 50).

 2 

 Remove the hard floor adapter and clean it separately (Fig. 41).

 3 

 Fill the container with lukewarm fresh water. Pump out the water through the two shampoo 

hoses into a sink or toilet. This prevents shampoo residues from caking the inside of the 

hoses and clogging them up.

shampoo pump 

To extend the lifetime of the shampoo pump, clean it with a mixture of water and white 

vinegar once a year.

 1 

 Pour 1 litre of white vinegar (8% acetic acid) into the shampoo reservoir and top it up with 

lukewarm fresh water.

 2 

 Let the appliance run in shampooing mode until the shampoo reservoir is empty. Collect the 

vinegar solution in a bucket.

 3 

 Repeat this procedure with 1 litre of fresh water to rinse out any vinegar residues.

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Motor protection filter

If you use the reusable dustbag, clean the motor protection filter once a year in lukewarm water. 

Note: If you use paper dustbags, replace the motor protection filter when you insert the first of a new set 

of paper dustbags (see chapter ‘Replacing filters’, section ‘Motor protection filter’). 

 1 

 Remove the motor protection filter (Fig. 51).

 2 

 Rinse the motor protection filter under the tap (Fig. 52).

 3 

 Let the motor protection filter dry.

Make sure the filter is completely dry before you reinsert it into the vacuum cleaner.

 4 

 Put  the motor protection filter back into place.

replacing/emptying the dustbag

replacing the paper dustbag

 1 

 To remove a full dustbag, lift the holder with the dustbag out of the appliance by the 

grips (Fig. 20).

 2 

 Press and hold the red lever to release the cardboard front of the dustbag (Fig. 53).

 3 

 Throw away the full dustbag and insert a new one (see chapter ‘Preparing for use’).

Note: A new motor protection filter and a new micro filter are provided with each set of original Philips 

Athena paper dustbags.

Emptying the reusable dustbag (some countries only)

In some countries a reusable dustbag is provided. You can use the reusable dustbag instead of paper 

dustbags. The reusable dustbag can be used and empties repeatedly.

 1 

 To remove the reusable dustbag, follow the instructions for removing paper dustbags.

 2 

 Hold the reusable dustbag over a dustbin (Fig. 54).

 3 

 Slide the sealing clip off the dustbag sideways (Fig. 55).

 4 

 Empty the dustbag into the dustbin (Fig. 56).

 5 

 Close the dustbag by sliding the sealing clip back onto the bottom edge of the 

dustbag.  (Fig. 57)

 6 

 Put the reusable dustbag back into the appliance. Follow the instructions for inserting paper 

dustbags in chapter ‘Preparing for use’.

replacing filters

Only use the original Philips filters specially intended for this appliance. Do not use any other filters.

See chapter ‘Ordering accessories and filters’ for type numbers.

Motor protection filter

Replace the motor protection filter when you insert the first of a new set of paper dustbags.

Note: If you use the reusable dustbag instead of paper dustbags, clean the motor protection filter once a 

year (see chapter ‘Cleaning’, section ‘Motor protection filter’).

 1 

 Remove the old motor protection filter (Fig. 51).

 2 

 Insert the new motor protection filter.

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Never use the appliance without the motor protection filter.

Micro filter (specific types only)

When you vacuum dry substances, the electrostatic micro filter purifies the exhaust air by removing 

minuscule dust particles. The effectiveness of the filter decreases gradually during use.

 - Normally it suffices to replace the micro filter when you insert the first of a new set of paper 

dustbags.

 - The indicator of the micro filter holder has to stay white. If the filter has turned noticeably grey, 

we advise you to replace the filter (Fig. 58).

Replace the filter more frequently if you suffer from a respiratory tract disease (e.g. asthma) or if 

you have an allergy (e.g. for pollen, dust, etc.).

 1 

 Pull the micro filter holder upwards (Fig. 23).

 2 

 Pull the old micro filter out of the holder (Fig. 59).

 3 

 Put the new micro filter in the holder and slide the holder back into the appliance.

Foam filter

Replace the foam filter if it is damaged or very dirty.

storage

 1 

 Switch off the appliance and remove the mains plug from the wall socket.

 2 

 Press the cord rewind button.  (Fig. 60)

, The mains cord is wound up automatically inside the appliance. 

Note: When the shampoo reservoir is attached to the appliance, the mains cord does not disappear 

completely into the appliance when you press the cord rewind button.

 3 

 Store the small nozzles in the way that is shown in the figure (Fig. 61).

 4 

 Specific types only: to park the tube, insert the parking clip into the parking slot on the side 

of the appliance.

Note: To avoid accidental damage to the appliance, the parking clip comes off the tube or the appliance 

when the tube is pulled or knocked fiercely. You can simply snap the parking clip back onto the tube 

when this happens.

ordering accessories and filters

Accessories, dustbags and filters are available from your dealer. Please mention the appropriate type 

or service number that is listed in the table below.

Accessory, filter 

or dustbag

Application

Description

Type number 

(service no.)

Dustbags, type 

Athena

2-layer paper dustbags for normal 

house dust. Dry use.

Set: 4 dustbags + 

1 motor 

protection filter + 

1 micro filter.

HR6947

Micro filter

Filters the exhaust air. Dry use.

Set: 2 pcs

FC8032

Cleaning liquid

For shampooing floors. Add to water. 

Wet use.

1 bottle

HR6965

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Accessory, filter 

or dustbag

Application

Description

Type number 

(service no.)

Foam filter

To be placed on float unit. Wet use.

1 filter

(4822480 

40242)

3-purpose hard 

floor adapter

For cleaning hard floors. Wet use.

1 adapter

(4322 004 

22790)

Upholstery nozzle For shampooing furniture, tapestries, 

etc. Wet use.

1 nozzle

(4822 479 

20234)

Diffuser

Shampooing, vacuuming liquids. Wet 

use.

1 diffuser

(4822 466 

62588)

Reusable dustbag

For normal house dust. Dry use.

1 dustbag

(4322 480 

10215)

Environment

 - Do not throw away the appliance with the normal household waste at the end of its life, but 

hand it in at an official collection point for recycling. By doing this, you help to preserve the 

environment.

guarantee and service

If you need service or information or if you have a problem, please visit the Philips website at  

www.philips.com or contact the Philips Consumer Care Centre in your country (you find its phone 

number in the worldwide guarantee leaflet). If there is no Consumer Care Centre in your country, 

go to your local Philips dealer.

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