Abstract: In an electric blower, exhaust air discharged radially from a centrifugal fan is redirected to a motor drive section by a diffuser and a fan cover. The air passes from a ventilation opening on a motor frame and through a bracket to cool the motor drive section. A portion of the air from the centrifugal fan is bled off through exhaust openings without passing over the motor, whereby this portion remains cooler and cleaner than the air that passes over the motor. Air flows up a wand and then passes over the motor to cool the motor. This air passes through filters before being discharged. The portion of air that is bled off passes along a parallel path in the wand to agitate dirt, and to maintain the wand relatively cool. In one embodiment, some of the bled-off portion is discharged directly without passing along the wand.