As one who has recently moved, and has home ownership in the back of my mind (as it is a pretty big investment) I have been questioning and considering various designs, materials, appliances, and possibilities. Everyone does from time to time, pondering the possibilities. I like jewel tones, deep reds, green, and blues with natural browns thrown in for extra. My apartment now is full of them, and my wife loves them as well. What we don’t like, and what has sparked this article, is the vacuum cleaner.
This Vacuum is the result of my mother deciding, during the lead up to our wedding, that we both needed practical gifts, rather than what we asked for… it was a cranky day actually, but in retrospect the vacuum was a good idea. The cups and plates that we immediately replaced, not so much. It is a quality vacuum, don’t get me wrong (a very new and modern make, I wont mention which) but it is heavy, and really awkward to move around in the apartment. I don’t even know how many times I’ve chewed up my nice coffee table or couch legs by bumping this thing against them. And it does have a tendency to get a little slow and lose suction if we use it for a while.
These are all problems which have also hounded my family in our home as I grew up. Looking online at a list of easy improvements to dramatically increase home value, I stumbled across the concept of the—central vac and I have to say that I am impressed. central vacuum systems typically run one or two thousand dollars, and add an impressive two to four thousand to your home (which is considerable in a sluggish market full of low cost fixer-uppers). And there are great reasons why the advantages are so pronounced.
Although I and my wife do not suffer from allergies, central vacuums are highly recommended for anyone who does—and their ability to clean the air is great for anyone whether or not you have a sensitivity to mold or dust. Normal vacuums pull the air up and through the system; filtering out debris and shooting the air back out. Dust, mold—because of their size they get stirred from the carpet into the air, passing straight through the filter and elevated to breathing height, making the problem worse. Central vacuums have a suction motor installed in one area of the house. This pulls air through hoses from outlets, which you plug your attachment into. When these pull up tiny irritating particles they don’t shoot them straight back into the air. They are pulled through the tubes, through the filter and motor unit, and then shot out of another tube and straight out of the house. Everything that goes in, stays out. With as much dust and hair as we have floating around our apartment, I can appreciate the thought.
And these vacuums are powerful. Every part of the machine is blown up in size, which means that it has more power, clogs less, and is easier to check out and maintain. Normal vacuums are about fifty percent plastic after all. Is it any wonder that they’re always falling apart? You can literally go up to a beam vacuum, or Honeywell vacuum, or Electrolux Vacuum, and take the filter out in two hands. While this many not sound significant, the fact is that is much easier to fix a central vacuum that a ground vacuum—which typically just get replaced and recycled. When I get a house, it would be nice to know that the vacuum that comes with it will last as long as the house will—and it will only need to get emptied, what, once or twice a year? That’s incredible and it kicks other vacuum’s butts.
I do have a few concerns. The hose attachment that plugs into the wall looks less compact than a ground vacuum, unfortunately. You basically need a closet just for it, with a big peg that you can roll it around. Now, it is nice that this attachment is so light and easy to use (no more scuff marks on the furniture, and you can even dust the walls with it) but I’m just not sure about the big hose. Which you really need, as most central vac systems don’t have outlets in every room. But, having a big light hose to get out can’t be as annoying as getting a fat heavy vacuum out all the time, and dragging it from room to room with the extension cord trailing behind.
Choosing the right Vacuum Attachments is the key to getting the most out of your central vacuum system. As amazing and powerful as central vacuum systems can be, you still need to make sure you are using the proper head on the vacuum hose in order to suck up all the dirt efficiently.
Have you ever tried to sweep a thick carpet before? It is very frustrating and can take a long time. The same can be said for using the wrong attachment for your central vacuum. To make it easier the central Vacuum Attachments are usually sold by the manufacturer in various kits for the room or situation. You can buy a kit for cleaning rooms with carpets, and a kit for hardwood floors, and so on. In fact, there are different kits depending on what kind of carpet you have, too. Air driven attachments use the suction power of the vacuum to turn the brush inside, and work better on low pile carpeting; whereas medium or thick carpets require electric attachments to power the motor. You can even get attachments to give your carpet a deep cleanse instead of just sucking the dirt off of it!
Another key factor in choosing the right attachment involves power supply. Many different attachments require power to function, such as the electric motor ones mentioned above. To power these attachments you can either have a Direct Connect inlet, which runs electricity directly from the inlet and require Direct Connect style attachments to work properly, or you can get so-called pigtail style attachments that allow you to plug your motor into your normal electrical outlets. Make sure you choose the right kit and the right power source for your central vacuum!
Everyone has experience with vacuum cleaners. Even if only with the noise on another floor, or the dust and disgust that results when a room isn’t vacuumed enough. Most of us have fond memories of dogs and cats going crazy when the roaring devices came at them, or mothers bickering and demanding that we go vacuum our rooms and do our chores. No other household appliance has done so much for household cleanliness—yet so much has to be done. Traditional vacuums have huge shortcomings which are well documented and which most people have experienced firsthand. Yet these shortcomings are met by central vacuums, a similar but far more complete, powerful, and integrated system which has been sweeping household markets the world over, and which will be becoming far more popular still in the future. The purpose of this article is to explain what a central vacuum is, what it does better than your floor vacuum, and why you need to look into one as an investment for the future.
Central vacuums are not like floor vacuums, which are complete miniature machines that plug into the wall. While vacuums are self contained, central vacs actually encompass your whole home in modular fashion. A central vacuum consists of a large (chest sized) pump and filter component which can be installed in a mechanical room somewhere in your home out of sight. This canister is attached into a pipe system, similar to but simpler than your plumbing. These pvc pipes travel to different rooms around your home and end in covered outlets which look no more out of place than an electrical socket. The central canister also has an outlet pipe which travels to an exhaust vent on the outside of the home. To vacuum, you simply flip a switch to activate the vacuum system and plug one of many vacuum attachments into the wall. These central vacuum accessories come in a variety of shapes sizes and weights, and are used just like the bottom of your normal push vacuum. However, because these devices simply consist of a plastic nozzle in various shapes and a central vacuum hose they are extremely light to carry around an maneuver.
This is the first advantage central vacuums have over normal models. Although the actual central vacuum is much larger than your entire ground vacuum, the actual part that you use to clean your house is relatively small and lightweight, coming in a variety of sizes, shapes, and lengths to meet your cleaning needs. All you need is a closet and a peg to hang them on, and you are done. There are no electrical plugs to worry about, and with a system outlet in every room you can vacuum everywhere with ease. Also, lightweight attachments mean that you can vacuum more items (think of your couch, high shelves, the ceiling!) and that if you do bang up against a couch or coffee table, you wont leave scuff marks or dents. This will cut down on a lot of furniture wear and tear over the years.
Also, a bigger motor means much more power. A good Electrolux, beam, or vacuflo system can suck the pants off any ground vacuum, even the fancy new breeds appearing on the market. Ultimately these are limited by their size, by the weight of the motor the user needs to constantly be pushing around and maneuvering. This limitation does not exist in the larger central vacuum system. Also, larger size means a bigger filter (for fewer clogs and easier access) and a much bigger storage canister. A central vacuum system can hold six month’s of debris with ease. That means you only need to empty your vacuum once or twice a year! What other species of vacuum can make that claim?
For allergy sufferers especially central vacs have another advantage. Normal vacuums draw air and immediately expel it, filtering out what particles their filters are sized to capture. The tiniest dust and dander bits can make it through these filters without slowing, simply being stirred up and recirculated into the air you breathe. Homes should be clean places, and vacuums should help keep them that way, not exacerbate a miserable physical condition. Central vacuums, with an external vent, actually eject every particle they suck in. This leaves the air in your house cleaner, not dust ridden.
Central vacuums, for these reasons and more, have steadily been taking over housing markets. Who wouldn’t want a vacuum that will last as long as the structure with minimum maintenance? In fact, they are so well respected that currently a good central vac actually adds twice its value to the value of its home—which is no small thing in the current market.
When you try to look up Central Vac Comparisons on the internet things can get pretty muddy very quickly, but if you know what to look for and stick to your guns you will be rewarded with the knowledge of what central vacuum system will be ideal for your home and your budget. There are a lot of factors that you should consider when choosing between various central vacuum manufacturers and models, but the basics can all be boiled down to a few simple factors. One is convenience, which is to say how handy the vacuum cleaner is and how many accessories it has. The second factor is value, deciding whether you are getting your moneys worth for the vacuum.
Convenience is often the biggest factor for most people looking at comparisions. Central vacuums are not exactly the cheapest vacuum on the market, and thus tend to attract consumers who are more interested in convenience and the ease of using a central vacuum over their value. As such it is important to consider how some central vacuum systems are much more noisy than others, as measured in their decibel levels on a comparison chart. Other vacuum cleaners are easier to clean than others, in particular the filtered vacuum systems that simply have a little bag to throw away and replace. It is also important to consider which brands have the most accessories beyond simply attachment kits. Some brands allow you to use smaller, more convenient detachable hoses for little messes, others have systems that can hide your hose in the wall. It is fairly easy to determine which models and brands carry which accessories with a simple internet search.
Value, on the other hand, is often up to the individual to calculate. Generally speaking the most important figure to look at when calculating monetary value is the air watts measurement, which combines suction power versus the airflow measurement to determine how much bang you are getting for your buck. This should be something that every consumer asks about before purchasing a central vacuum, period. Another issue to consider is how long the warranty lasts. Some manufacturers include a 10 year warranty, others only a 1 year warranty. That is a huge difference, so be sure you are getting the best warranty you can. Lastly, make sure that you choose a vacuum cleaner that is designed for your size of a home. Some salespeople may try to sell you a vacuum designed for a much bigger home, and other consumers make the mistake of buying too weak of a vacuum for the size of their home. This will also be listed on most comparison charts, so make sure to check first.
When it comes to busted central vacuum systems Appliance Repair can be a real question for the consumer to debate. Everyone knows that over time appliances wear down and eventually fall apart, and the expected lifetime of most appliances is actually fairly short. Few people would be surprised to learn that their refrigerator has a longer life expectancy than their vacuum cleaner, but are shocked when they discover that this applies to their central vacuum cleaner, too. All too many people believe that since their central vacuum cleaner is built directly into the house it should last as long as the house does; but the sad truth is that it, too, is just an appliance, and like all things it is still subject to the law of entropy. Eventually your central vacuum cleaner is going to break, and it will be up to you to decide if you should repair it or replace it.
Take heart, however, not all is bleak. Appliance Repair is slightly more accessible for the average central vacuum owner due to the number of companies selling replacement parts. Depending on what breaks on the vacuum cleaner it may be possible to simply buy a replacement part, look up an instructional video on the internet, and repair the vacuum on your own. However, depending on the broken part and the experience of the consumer it may simply be a wiser idea to call in an expert to repair the vacuum for you. This is when the consumer needs to make a decision: is it a good idea to repair the vacuum, or should a new one be purchased?
Many people are intimidated by the idea of installing their own central vacuum systems because it seems like a very complicated task, but in truth anybody could learn to install their own system by watching a DIY Vacuum Video on the internet or reading some of the education guides put out by various sources. In truth it is certainly not the easiest task that you will ever do, but it is very possible to install your own central vacuum system by doing a little bit of research, rather than hiring an expensive contractor to come in and charge you for their labor. All you need is a little know-how and a can do attitude and you can save yourself a great deal of time and money by doing the work yourself.
First of all, keep in mind that not every DIY Vacuum Video that you watch online is going to explain the entire process in great detail. Keep safety in mind, and always be wary of electrical wires when you install your system. Cut off power to the area you are working in, and never touch live wires under any circumstance.
Once you take safety into consideration the rest of the process is fairly easy. Make sure to choose a location for your power unit that is out of the way of your normal living area and near an electrical source. If you are using direct connect inlets for your vacuum you will need to lay the electrical wires to each of your inlet locations. You should have one inlet every 600 square feet or so, and make sure to have an electrical junction near each inlet. Next run your pipes throughout the home. Many models will allow you to use standard 2×2 PVC plumbing pipes, making the job much easier and less expensive. Run your pipes to each inlet and install the electrical wiring as directed. Never forget to add a vent to the outside, and remember to install a muffler on the vent for the sake of your neighbors!
This may all sound too vague or complicated in a short blog post, but once you have seen a video of another home owner going through the process it will all become much more clear. Installing your own central vacuum system is nothing to be intimidated about, you can learn every step in the process on your own. Provided that your wires were installed correctly and the pipes are glued properly you will have one excellent vacuum cleaning system when you are done. Go ahead and take a watch for yourself, see how easy it is to do it on your own!
Central vacuum cleaner systems occupy an interesting place in The Appliance Industry insofar as they require not only an original equipment manufacturer power unit, but also rely on accessories and attachments that are manufactured by third party companies as well. This means that rather than finding a brand and sticking to it, most consumers end up choosing multiple brands that they buy their products from, thus adding an extra level of confusion to the entire process. Fortunately all of the accessories, power units, attachments, appliances, and what have you all need to conform to the same rules and regulations when it comes to determining standards, yet the process can still be very murky to the unprepared.
This situation is not unique, of course. When a company manufactures a new car, the same manufacturer generally does not produce the tires that go on the car, nor the stereo that is put in it, and so forth. Rather they tend to form an alliance of sorts with these other manufacturers for their mutual gain. The same can be said about the appliance industry of central vacuum cleaners. Many of their accessories and attachments are manufactured with specific brands in mind, or at least specific situations. However, unlike with certain other industries, central vacuum cleaners have several standardized coupling systems that allow you to use multiple brands of attachments on each brand of system. As long as you are using an attachment with the right hook-up, or coupling mechanism, you will be absolutely fine. That is one particular advantage of industry wide standards.
If you are going to take the time to read through a central Vacuum Blog you should make sure that you are reading one that is informative and honest, rather than a marketing brochure masquerading as a blog. All too often on the internet consumers are met with good advertisements that are disguised as educational material in order to talk up the benefits of their specific product or brand to unwary customers. These advertisements help build brand loyalty and reinforce the value of their products, but they also make it more difficult to find truly valid and impartial information.
There are a few things that the average consumer should look for in a Vacuum Blog that will help them to decide whether it is worth reading or not. The first thing that you should look for is whether or not the blog is connected to any kind of online shop, or is directly linked to any particular brand. This is easy enough to determine, since any shop link will be prominently displayed, and almost all webpages list their copy write information on the bottom as well. The second big thing to look for is the language of the article. Is it talking up a particular product as being absolutely awesome, or is it giving a good criticism? What about the other articles on the blog?
There are a few things that the average consumer should look for in a Vacuum Blog that will help them to decide whether it is worth reading or not. The first thing that you should look for is whether or not the blog is connected to any kind of online shop, or is directly linked to any particular brand. This is easy enough to determine, since any shop link will be prominently displayed, and almost all webpages list their copy write information on the bottom as well. The second big thing to look for is the language of the article. Is it talking up a particular product as being absolutely awesome, or is it giving a good criticism? What about the other articles on the blog?
Learning the basics of how Central Vacuum Function is actually surprisingly simple and easy to understand. Most people know how to use a standard portable vacuum cleaner, and probably know enough about them to give a short explanation about how they work. Central vacuum cleaner systems are very similar, particularly in how they function, with the primary difference that they are build directly into your house rather than being carried from room to room. In fact, central vacuum cleaners are the grandfather system to modern portable vacuums, they just didn’t become very popular until technology advanced to the point where they were much less expensive to install. Although they might seem very different than a portable vacuum on the surface, the inner workings are themselves very similar.
The key to understanding how Central Vacuum Function lies in the engine and the tubing. The engine of a central vacuum system is extremely similar to a portable vacuum cleaner, except in that it is turbo-charged. In order to provide suction to the entire house the engine is significantly more powerful than portable versions, and contains a much larger bin to collect the dust and dirt. There are also two general types of central vacuum engines: filtered power units and cyclone systems. Filtered units are analogous to portable vacuum cleaners, whereas cyclone systems utilize the suction power of the vacuum to create a funnel of wind that deposits the dirt and dust in the wastebin before venting the clean air without blowing through a filter.
The tubing of a central vacuum system is built directly into the walls of your home, with several inlets spaced throughout the rooms for you to plug the detachable hose in. You should have approximately one inlet per 600 square feet of the house, since most detachable hoses are about 50 feet long at most. You can also install hands free dustbins, which are essentially specialized inlets that allow you to sweep dust in front of them to be sucked up by the vacuum. These are common in kitchen settings. For other rooms you can use one of several common attachments on your hose much in the same way you have multiple attachments for the hose on your portable vacuum. In fact, for ease of use most companies will package various attachments together as kits for particular rooms. You can get kits for carpeted rooms, kitchens, wood floors, garages, etc. Using the right attachment is key to getting the most out of your vacuum, so don’t just buy one generic head and expect it to work perfectly.
Finding good Central Vacuum Information is not always as easy as it may seem at first. While nearly everyone is intimately familiar with using portable vacuums in their homes and can rattle off fairly reliable information by memory, central vacuums are a much more rare object to find in a home and also more rare to find information about as well. Although central vacuum systems are in fact the original vacuum cleaners it has taken them almost a century to start to grow popular again, and as a result not a ton of information is readily available to people looking to learn about the products before they buy them.
Of course the internet is one handy place to look for Central Vacuum Information. Taking a bit of time to learn about the history of these machines and the technological developments that have helped improve their popularity may make a big difference when you finally settle down to choose the right model for your home. Consider, for example, knowing the difference between a filtered central vacuum system and the cyclonic designs that have been emerging, or knowing how to calculate the size of your home to determine how many amps the power unit of the vacuum should use.
To learn more specific information, such as which products are superior to others, and which type of system would work best for your specific situation, it would be worthwhile to start turning to product reviews. Product reviews can be a little tricky, since once you start getting into a discussion of which brands are better than others it becomes more difficult to distinguish between marketing disguised as information and an honest review. This is why it is important to get your information from multiple sources, and preferably at least one or two of them being well regarded websites or critics.
Choosing between different central vacuum manufacturers can be confusing for a first time buyer, which is why it is always a good idea to check out Vacuum Comparisons before you go and talk to a sales representative. Like all things in the world, not all central vacuums are created equal, and not all of them have the same value to the average consumer. It is worth digging around central vacuum reviews for a little while to get the lay of the land and understand some of the basic differences between each manufacturer and the various styles of central vacuums. Doing so can not only save you money, but can also help you pick a vacuum that is much more suited for your home.
One of the first things you should be checking out in your Vacuum Comparisons is which kind of central vacuum system you want to install. There are two general styles of central vacuums, namely filtered vacuums and cyclone systems. Filtered central vacuums are very similar to portable vacuums, but cyclone systems eschew filters in favor of using the air suctions to create a wind funnel to separate dirt into the waste bin, then venting the air and some fine dust particles outside. One factor that can help you make this decision is going to be ease of cleaning, since cyclonic systems are slightly messier than filtered, versus the added expense of the filters themselves. Another factor to consider is noise. While central vacuums generally have the power unit in an out of the way location in the home, they do require a great deal of suction to work throughout the house and thus can be noisy. This is particularly true of older models, but not all modern models are terribly quiet, either. Customer reviews are usually the best place to learn this information.
Generally speaking, you should be looking for value comparisons when you start reading the various reviews and critiques of central vacuum models. The equation is always going to come out to be convenience versus cost, along with situational concerns like carpeting or allergies acting as additional variables. Only you can determine the right equation to suit your needs, and the best way to do that is to educate yourself ahead of time and know what issues matter most to you before you talk to a salesman or other expert.