How to disassemble the switch box on a Dyson cleaner

Your Dyson, if it is like mine, has a switch box near the top of the handle that contains two springs, itching to ping across the room when you disassemble it. Here's how to take it apart without incident, and how to put it back together.

• Lay the cleaner on its front and remove three T15 Torx screws from the back of the handle.
• Pry open with a small screwdriver the two plastic latches that are higher up the handle, and (without turning the cleaner over) remove the switch box cover downwards, with the two buttons resting on it.

The switch box contains three switches: the main on/off switch operated by the red button, the switch for the brush bar operated by the grey button, and a thermal cut-out that is reset whenever the red button is pressed. There is a white interlock lever attached to the grey button whose purpose I fail to understand. There is one return spring between the red on/off button and the cover, and another spring between the grey brush button and the white plastic interlock lever. To reassemble:

• Put the interlock lever in place on the grey button, and gently push a spring in place between the lever and the button.
• Marry up the two buttons as they will be in the assembled cleaner.
• Put a spring in place in the centre of the cover.
• With the inside of the cover pointing upwards, slide the two buttons onto the rails inside the cover that they will run on, so that the red button connects with the free end of its spring.
• Offer up the cover to the cleaner handle from beneath, gently pushing in the two buttons a short way to permit them to seat.
• Snap together the two plastic latches, and replace the three screws.

Last time I had the cleaner apart, I put a dot of superglue at the fixed end of each spring, in the hope that this will keep them in place in future.