|
Questions about Vacuflo Central Vac
QUESTION: I've gotten an awful lot of good advice on this NG; I'm hoping some of you
can advise me on something non-wood related.
I'm moving my family to a new house, and we'd like to have a central-vac
system installed. We've never had one of these before, but we're sold on the
benefits for allergy sufferers (one of the kids).
From asking around, I've been pointed toward Vacuflo. Their system looks
good, but how can I tell? It's tough to compare these things. Have I been
steered in the right direction, or is there some lesser known system that's
better?
Thanks,
ANSWER: Several years ago I completely renovated a our house, which was built in
the early thirties. I converted from oil to gas, ran miles of #12 wire
and conduit, all new water pipe and sewer pipe, added gas pipe at
infinitum. It had a basement and the old slat and stucco walls made it a
little easier than most, and I moved walls. Sooo. I decided to add my
own homemade central vacuum system. I wanted a dust free environment, so
I figured I would make a big water filter system, similar to
Rexair/Rainbow vacuums.
I got a deal from the hardware store on a couple hundred feet of
inexpensive ribbed (so it wouldn't collapse), swimming pool vacuum hose.
I ran it between the joists in the basement and simply up to holes I
made in the floor. Made Y's to different rooms. I figured on capping the
unused hose ends and simply putting the vacuum cleaner floor tool hose
into the floor hole, maybe with a plastic plumbing fitting for wear. In
the basement, I put a 50 gallon drum with about 12 gallons of water in
it, and ran the hose end to it. I put a second hose in the drum, which I
ran to my super heterodyne, no one has one bigger, industrial shop
vacuum. Now the industrial vac would suck the air out of the drum,
create a vacuum which would suck the dirt from the tool being used
upstairs.
I figured for a completely dust free environment, I would go one better
and exhaust the industrial vacuum through my no longer used 250 gallon
oil tank still in the basement. I put the exhaust in a bung hole, and
went outside and removed the filler cap. I was ready to go. With the
family watching expectantly, I activated the system. It started winding
up like Harrier trying to take off on one engine. The sound was like a
thousand banshees in very bad movie. Everyone had their ears covered and
the neighbors, hearing the noise echo though the 250 gallon tank filler
pipe, their windows rattling, ran outside thinking something was landing
nearby. I think everyone expected the house to collapse.
I shut down the system. My wife laughed like hell, the kids figured I
had lost my mind, and I disassembled the entire system, and plugged the
holes. Bought a nice vacuum cleaner. I realized that my mistake was
using ribbed vinyl hose for the system and should have used straight
plastic plumbing pipe. I was too lost in the idea that I would loose
vacuum if I used plastic pipe with several 90 degree bends, instead
curved hose.
Since those days, we have moved several times, and are now in a new
house in AZ. Every once in a while at a family gathering, one of the
kids (all homeowners) will ask, "Who remembers dad's central vacuum system?"
|
|
|
|
