A vacuum cleaner system incorporating a closed loop airflow recirculation path for cooling a beater brush motor. A portion of clean, exhaust airflow created by a fan is diverted away from an exhaust port of the housing and directed into a flow path running alongside a portion of the housing. The airflow is used to pressurize a compartment within which a beater brush motor is disposed. A low pressure area created by the fan is used to assist in drawing the cooling exhaust airflow through the compartment, to thus form a closed loop cooling air recirculation system using only clean, filtered exhaust airflow to maintain the beater brush motor cool during use.