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QUESTION: A while back a friend gave me his Pullman (mod. BIV 102) central
vac unit. Though it is old, it's hardly been used, as his kids
when they were young clogged the house piping with toys.
Now my Panasonic canister (MC 9530) gave up the ghost this week.
It was a good vacuum, but didn't wear too well.
So I have a choice - either buy a new vac (I'm told the Hoover
Windtunnels are good, but I see they run up to $400; and I don't
like uprights much), or install the central system, which I
_suppose_ I could do for about $200 in pipe and hose.
Does anyone have an opinions on central vacuuming in general, or
the Pullman in particular? Or central vac installation tips?
ANSWER: Only user opinions here.
I lived without central vac until recently, when we had it installed in
our new construction house. Here's how I compare the two systems:
Individual Vacuum Central Vac
Storage: Store it in a closet. Store a big hose somewhere. Bulkier
than an upright or canister.
Noise: Noise is with you. Noise is where the unit is.
Dirt: Empty a bag when full. Empty the central canister when
full,
which can take longer.
Power: Varies with the unit. Normal hoses have no rugbeater. To
get a rugbeater on the head, you
have
to get a hose that runs electricity
to the head, and get a rugbeater
head.
Personally, I don't see the big deal with central vacuuming, except it's
nicer on stairs. We need to find a better place to store the hose than
the garage, but it's tedious to have to fetch the hose for minor things,
and we tend to get more lax about vacuuming when we're short on time.
However, it is nice to be able to vacuum when the toddler is asleep.
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