Central Vacuum Repair and Installation
Why A Central Vacuum?
A central vacuum cleaner offers numerous benefits over a traditional portable vacuum cleaner. Because of its powerful motor and large air flow, central vacuums pick up deep down dirt, dust and debris, even microscopic particles like pollen, mold spores and dust mites. Central vacuums eliminate all those dust particles you see in the air after vacuuming with a portable as well as that familiar “vacuum smell.” Unlike a traditional vacuum cleaner, which recirculates into the air some of the dirt and particles it picks up, a central vacuum removes 100% of all vacuumed dirt, particles and allergens from the home.
Less Noise
Because the noise from the system is generated in an out-of-the-way area, vacuuming with a central vac system makes less noise than a hairdryer or clothes dryer. Quiet enough to vacuum in the same room with a sleeping child!
Less To Deal With
A Central Vacuum System eliminates heavy equipment to lug around, no cords to trip over or catch on furniture, no clunky unit nicking the furniture and woodwork as you move from room to room. The lightweight hose and attachments is easy to carry.
Central vacuum hoses can range from 20 to 50 feet. The central vacuum hose can be plugged into the inlet valve or be self-contained within the tubing in the wall. A newer self-contained hose eliminates the need to carry a bulky central vacuum hose and find a place to store it. A central vacuum system uses suction to draw the hose into the vacuum tubing in the wall for storage.
Automatic dustpans built for central vacuum systems can be installed in the kick space under a kitchen, bathroom, or workroom countertop, enabling a person to use a standard broom to sweep debris directly into a vacuum inlet located there.
More Powerful Suction
The central vacuum cleaner system is composed of tubing installed behind drywall that delivers dirt and debris to a power unit typically installed in a basement or garage. The central vacuum power unit supplies more suction power than an upright or canister vacuum because it is equipped with a more powerful motor. Inlets are installed in walls throughout the building that attach to a hose and other central vacuum accessories to remove dust, particles, and small debris from interior rooms.
Advanced Accessories Available
Central vacuums hoses can be equipped with an air-driven power brush. Central vacuum air-driven (or turbine) power brushes frequently are less expensive because they don’t require electrical wires for power to be run to each wall inlet. Many users find that the high suction of central vacuums is more than sufficient by itself for most casual cleaning jobs, but reserve a powered brush tool for more difficult tasks.
In addition to the central vacuum power brush, standard cleaning tools similar to those used with portable vacuum cleaners are also utilized. For further convenience, some owners will keep a set of tools on each floor of a multi-story building.
Installing A Central Vacuum
Wall inlets are connected to the power unit by tubes that can be run inside walls, or through vertical pipe chases, closets, the attic, basement, or the cold air return ducts (if permitted by building code). In new construction, the central vacuum tubing is usually installed during a “rough-in” phase once the building interior framing is complete, after other in-wall utilities (e.g. plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.), and just before drywall, paneling, or other surface finishes are installed. Central vacuum tubing should probably be installed before cabling (for electric power, telephone, LAN, etc.), since routing of wiring is usually less constrained than tubing. In a similar manner to plumbing and electrical fixtures, the vacuum inlet fittings and final connections are installed in a finish phase, after the wall finishing is complete.
Vacuum tubing systems should be installed by central vacuum dealers. (Retrofitting of vacuum tubing in existing home can be easy and cost-effective when a trained central vacuum dealeris involved.)