Before you buy another portable, consider this:
1. Central Vacuums are More Powerful: Because the power unit doesn't have to be portable, it doesn't have to be small. Central vacuum power units can be up to five times more powerful than portable vacuums. And that's what vacuuming is about, right? Sucking up the dirt.
2. Central Vacuums are Healthy: Because the more powerful power unit is removing dirt from the room through piping in the wall, you're not recirculating that dirt where you are vacuuming. No more drifting particles. No more vacuum smell. Give your allergies a break.
3. Central Vacuums are Quiet: Because the dirt is delivered to the power unit through piping in the walls, the power unit is installed in the garage or mechanical room. Where the power unit is, there the noise is. Not in your living space.
4. Central Vacuums are Versatile: Vacuum your rug, tile floor, wood floor, stairs, windowsills, baseboard, upholstered furniture, curtains, lampshades, audio/video equipment, kitchen drawers, under the refrigerator, ceiling fan, bathroom fan, dryer lint trap, mattresses, sliding door tracks, screens, pets, pet beds, cobwebs, spiders... Try that with a robot.
5. Central Vacuums are a Good Investment: Because a central vacuum system is installed in the walls of your home, it is an investment in the value of your home. Because the power units are stationary, they have an average life-expectancy of 20+ years and stronger warranties. Portable from the Big Box Store? Not so much.
Central Vac vs Traditional
A central vacuum system 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 are collected within the vacuum container. Central vacuums eliminate all those dust particles you see in the air when vacuuming with a portable as well as that familiar "vacuum smell". Unlike a traditional vacuum cleaner, which recirculates some of the dirt and particles into the air, a central vacuum removes 100% of all vacuumed dirt particles and allergens from the home.
A central vacuum system equipped with Hide-A-Hose eliminates heavy equipment to lug around. There are no cords to trip over and no clunky unit nicking the furniture or woodwork as you move from room to room. The lightweight hose and attachments are easy to carry and the vacuum hose is stored conveniently within the wall.
The vacuum system is composed of tubing installed behind drywall that delivers dirt and debris to a power unit, typically installed in a basement or garage. Because the vacuum motor is stored in your garage, the noise generated from vacuuming with a central vac system is less than a hairdryer or clothes dryer. The central vacuum power unit also 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 your house, and the hoses connect to central vacuum accessories to remove dust, particles, and small debris from interior rooms.
Our Central vacuum hoses can range from 30 to 60 feet. With a standard Central Vacuum System, the vacuum hose is plugged into the tubing in the wall. Our newer retractable hose (see Hide-A-Hose video) eliminates the need to carry a bulky central vacuum hose and find a place to store it. The unique Hide-A-Hose central vacuum system uses the vacuum's own suction to retract the hose into the wall tubing for storage.
The Hide-A-Hose central vacuum hoses can be used with an air-driven power brush or our new battery powered electric power brush. 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 deeper cleaning.
In addition to the 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 their home. Automatic dustpans built for central vacuum systems or other quick cleanup products can also be installed in a kitchen, bathroom or workroom.
Central Vac Installation
Our Hide-A-Hose wall inlets are connected to the power unit by tubes run inside walls or through vertical pipe chases, closets, the attic, basements, or the cold air return ducts (if permitted by building code). In new construction projects, the central vacuum tubing is usually installed during a "rough-in" phase after the interior framing and other in-wall utilities (e.g. plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc.) are complete, and just before drywall, paneling, or other surface finishes are installed. Central vacuum tubing should 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 may be installed by central vacuum dealers, electricians or plumbers. (Retrofitting of vacuum tubing in existing home can be easy and cost-effective when a trained central vacuum dealer is involved.)
See an installation video here.