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QUESTION: We are looking at buying a central vacuum unit for our home.
Are these vacuums considered to be better than upright or
cannister vacs? If so, why?
We have a bungalow with carpet floors. Any recommendations in regards to
brands and specifications would be appreciated!
Thanks
ANSWER: Let me first say that I'm a central vacuum proponent and therefore
biased. Here's why I like central vacuums:
- The air is vented to the outside. Yes, you can get "normal" vacuums
with HEPA filters, but even if effective, present a restriction to
airflow. I have a top of the line Hoover with 2 HEPA filters and still
can see dust coming out of the exhaust if I turn the lights out and
shine a flashlight near the unit.
- No filter bags. Many CV's (I have an HP Vacuflow) don't use filter
bags. They separate most of the debri by swirling the air in the
cannister (they call it "cyclonic" action). What dust is left is sent
to the exterior of the house. Not only are there no filter bags to
replace, but it allows me to clean my garage and fireplace without
worry.
- Superior suction and flowrate. A direct comparison based on
specifications is hard because of different ratings, but CV motors are
larger and more powerful. Yes, there is some piping loss, but what is
available at the end of the hose is more than a cannister can provide.
Also, there's no degradation of performance over time if you choose a
bagless unit.
- Easier to use. This is somewhat personal, but I find it more
convenient to drag a 30' hose to 3 different locations to clean my
whole house than constantly move an upright or drag a cannister. YMMV.
I really like my HP. The only problem is they use a air turbine
powered beater brush. My preference would be a unit that doesn't use
bags and has an electrically powered beater brush with the chord
incorporated into the hose. I don't know of a brand like this, but an
internet search for "central vacuum" should get you one.
Central vacuums that exhaust to the outside will have less ultra fine
dust returning to your home environment. BTW, you will not see dust
escaping from a completely sealed HEPA filtered vacuum.... Hoover does
not make a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaners, in fact, their filtration is
typically no better than their high filtration "Allergen" paper bag
which is rated at only 99% at 5 micron. HEPA filters trap 99.97% of
all particles at 0.3 micron (33 times more particles that are 15 times
smaller).
There are many brands of central vacs which use motorized nozzles with
revolving brush rolls. These actually add power to the system instead
of robbing it from the air flow, slowing it. HP Vacuflo uses only
turbine driven nozzles since they are owned by the company which makes
most of these turbine nozzles. For contact information for central
vacuum manufacturers, including links to their web sites, check out
the listing of manufacturers' names and addresses on our web site at
http://www.ristenbatt.com/brands.htm. Look for the products noted as
central vacuum systems. Personally, I prefer Hayden, the brand which
we promote and sell.
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