My Shop-Vac Won't Charge - Batteries or Charger?

Hey all, got a problem with my cordless Shop-Vac. It's about 2 years old, worked fine until last week. Now when I plug it in, the red charging light flickers but never turns green. I've tried a different outlet, no luck. The vacuum itself won't turn on at all. Is it the battery or the charger? Anyone else had this?

Could be the charger or battery. I've got a Dewalt 20V that did that - turned out the charger was fine, but the battery was toast. Check if the battery has any visible damage or if it's swollen. Sometimes the contacts get dirty too. Try cleaning the terminals with a pencil eraser and see if that helps. If you have another battery for that vac, test it. If not, maybe borrow one or take it to a shop that can test it.

I've got a few Shop-Vacs and sometimes the issue is the battery contacts inside the vacuum itself. They can get bent or dirty. Also, make sure you're not using an extension cord that's too long - voltage drop can mess with the charger. But if the light flickers, it might be a bad connection. Have you tried pressing the battery firmly while charging? Sometimes a loose fit causes that.

Patty's right about contacts. But I'll add: if it's a lithium-ion battery, they have a lifespan. After 2 years of regular use, it might just be dead. If you can, try a new battery. Also, check if the charger has a reset button or fuse - some do. And make sure the charger isn't overheating. I've had a charger die on me once - it would light up but not actually charge. I'd say buy a multimeter and test the output, but that might be overkill for some. Let us know what you find.