3-Stage Vacuum Motor with Gasket

Part 10-0810-COM is the genuine Sandia three-stage vacuum motor for the 12-gallon Sniper, and it fits the 6-gallon Sniper as well. Three stages stack suction in series, which is how this motor reaches roughly 117 inches of water lift at 120 volts. That is a substantial step above what a two-stage motor produces, and on extraction work it translates directly into how much water comes back out of the carpet on each pass rather than staying in it.

The 5.7-inch tangential bypass design routes cooling air separately from the recovery airflow, so the motor is not breathing the wet, dirty air it is pulling out of the carpet. That separation is what lets it run heavy recovery loads without cooking itself. The mounting gasket is included, and it is not an afterthought: a small leak at that seal bleeds vacuum from the entire system, so a machine with a fresh motor and a poorly seated gasket will still feel weak. Before you commit to a motor, though, confirm the problem is actually the motor. A unit that will not power on at all is more often the on/off switch, which costs a fraction of this. The rest of the Sandia 12-gallon parts are here.

What Makes it Great:

🌀 117" of Water Lift: Three stages in series generate the suction pressure that pulls moisture out of saturated fibers, which is the number that decides how dry a job finishes.

❄️ Tangential Bypass Cooling: Cooling air stays separate from the recovery stream, so the motor runs cooler under sustained load and lasts longer for it.

🔘 Gasket Included: The correct mounting gasket ships with the motor, so you are sealing to the recovery tank properly instead of reusing a compressed one.

🎯 Genuine Sandia Part: Matches original specification for the Sniper, meaning the flange, the gasket seat, and the performance all land where the machine expects them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 3-stage mean, and is it better than 2-stage?

Each stage is a fan, and stacking them in series means every stage adds to the pressure the one before it built. A two-stage motor typically lands in the 85 to 100 inch range for water lift. Three stages push that to roughly 117 inches here. More stages is better for extraction specifically, because recovering water from carpet is a pressure problem, but it is not free: more stages generally means more current draw and more heat to manage.

What is a tangential bypass motor?

It is a motor with two separate air paths. One carries the dirty recovery air you are pulling off the floor. The other carries clean air purely to cool the motor windings. In a non-bypass design those are the same airflow, which means wet, soiled air passes directly over the electrical components. On an extractor that would be a short life, so bypass construction is standard on any serious recovery motor.

Why does the gasket matter so much?

Because vacuum is a sealed system, and a leak anywhere reduces lift everywhere. The gasket seals the motor to the recovery tank, and if it is pinched, reused after being compressed, or seated unevenly, the motor pulls air through that gap instead of through your hose. The frustrating part is that it does not present as an obvious failure. It presents as a machine that feels weak for no clear reason after a repair.

How do I know the motor is the problem and not something else?

Separate no-power from no-suction. If the machine does not come on at all, or comes on intermittently, start with the switch and the power cord rather than the motor. If the machine runs normally and the motor spins but recovery is poor, then check for hose kinks, a clogged filter, a loose gasket, or a stuck float before condemning the motor. A genuinely failed motor usually announces itself with a squeal, a burning smell, or visible sparking.

Will this fit the 6-gallon Sniper?

Yes. The 10-0810-COM serves both the 6-gallon and 12-gallon Sniper carpet and hard-surface extractors that use the 5.7-inch three-stage bypass motor. Confirm the motor spec on your specific unit before ordering, since machines built across different years do not always carry the same components.