Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a floor cleaning unit having a rotatable brush driven by a brush motor and a receptacle for collecting particulate matter. The floor cleaning unit is mechanically and pneumatically interconnected with the receptacle through a rigid wand and a wand handle and hose assembly. The wand handle and hose assembly includes a wand handle, disposed between the rigid wand and a flexible hose. The wand handle includes a passage through which air and particulate matter pass from the floor cleaning unit to the receptable. A corona discharge element with a roughened surface is positioned in the downstream end of the wand handle passage. A stub tube is positioned in the upstream end of the wand handle passage to connect the wand handle to the wand. A conductive strap, installed in the wand handle using a heat staking process, interconnects the stub tube and the corona discharge element.