Central Vac.

Cody, keep in mind that there are several different kinds of Central Vacs and many different manufacturers. Some require large bags and filters that can be expensive. Others have a cyclonic action and require no bags and filters, you just dump the bucket a few times a year, depending on how much you use the system. The filter is permanent and self cleaning, and never needs replacement.(just shake it clean once in awhile, which is what i prefer, again everyone is different)
Some have the ability to suck up water and are hooked to a drain. It will really pay to do your homework when chosing a central system. There are also several types of wall and floor inlets from which to chose,,some are metal, some plastic. Some have the electric 2 prong direct connect hook up in the inlet, others do not, and require a pig tail electric cord, (if you are using an electric PN with the system)
And as mentioned before, there are several types of hoses, attachments, and power heads, electric and turbine.
I have wall to wall thick carpet,in a 3 bdroom ranch style home, but prefer a turbine power head. I also prefer not to have to buy and replace bags and filters constantly. I also prefer not to wrestle with an extra long hose all over the house, so, i chose a larger than required system,(for the square footage of my home) that covers at least 3000 square feet, with several inlets installed thruout the house, and a 20ft hose. Works great for me because my system (which is a Honeywell) is large enough to give excellent power to the turbine, and i dont have to fiddle with an electric connection or electric hose to the power head. The hoses with the on/off feature are very nice,,but not an absolute necessity. Check out the website for MD Manufacturing,,they have several videos explaning in detail the differences and features of the different systems,hoses and attachments.
Also, E-Bay has good deals on hoses and systems too.
MD and many people like the bag systems,,i prefer the cyclonic. The newer cyclonic models have a small window in collection bucket so you can easily see how full it is,,which is a nice feature.
Some central systems have venting for outside the home, others have filters for the exhaust right at the machine, and thats what i have,,which works great for me. I also have 2 vac pans installed with my system, which makes sweeping up a breeze,,very handy. ALso if you have a garage, having an extra inlet out there is great for vacuuming out the car, or garage.
Most central vacs have an inlet directly on the machine itself, so if the unit is installed in the garage, your all set there. Some people prefer to install the power unit in their basement, or closet away from the living area.
One of my friends has all brass inlets installed in the floors of his house,with the power unit in the basement. The brass inlets are very impressive looking!
So, everyone is different of course, you just have to check out all the features and options avalible of which there are many! Hope this helps.


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Post# 116463 11/30/2010 at 11:26 (4,888 days old) by codyf ()
Checkrate/Likes Goodmorning all! We are looking at putting a central vac in our house that we just built, its kinda a after thought but we put all hardwood floors in our house and it is a constant battle to keep the floor clean and in talking with Dan about it we have decided that it would be easier to use a central vac instead of dragging out the rainbow everyday, even tho i love my rainbow. my question is what do yall think is the best system? our house is right at 2000 sq feet. all hardwood with area rugs and runner rugs.

Post# 116465 , Reply# 1 11/30/2010 at 12:09 (4,888 days old) by HooverCelebrity (Germany)
Checkrate/Likes I've always been a fan of the Beam systems, but they changed their warranty a few years back... which really kind of turned me off. SilentMaster/MD systems are also quite nice. They have a bag that is very easy to replace. I know our webmaster, Fred, has one and loves it.

Post# 116483 , Reply# 2 11/30/2010 at 14:53 (4,888 days old) by luxg ()
Checkrate/Likes I have a Beam and love it! You won't be sorry you went with a central unit. Terry

Post# 116487 , Reply# 3 11/30/2010 at 15:44 (4,888 days old) by klectrolux ()
Checkrate/Likes I've always been a fan of the older, brown machine VacuFlo systems. You can get a rebuilt older model for a good price. I did when we bought it in our old house.

Post# 116498 , Reply# 4 11/30/2010 at 16:22 (4,888 days old) by joshdonnell ()
Checkrate/Likes *central vac* i think the Aqua air is better then all of them it uses water

Post# 116510 , Reply# 5 11/30/2010 at 17:07 (4,888 days old) by bimmer740 (Long Island, New York)
Checkrate/Likes I have a VacuFlo 566Q and I love it! I cant imagine living in a house without.

Post# 116511 , Reply# 6 11/30/2010 at 17:25 (4,888 days old) by bagintheback (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes I don't like Beams. Go with MD or Aqua-Air

Post# 116519 , Reply# 7 11/30/2010 at 17:51 (4,888 days old) by whirlpolf ()
Checkrate/Likes *used a "Centralsug" (Hamburg distribution centre) an* ...but I think this might have been a rebadged NuTone. It had a wonderful air-powered carpet nozzle and some 15 metres hose-snake-miracle (a drag to put away, I can tell). On the other hand, I have seen vids of some central vac with an auto-retracting hose: You simply shut off the handle end with your hand, then the hose gets sucked short and retracted up into the wall standpipe (sorry, don't remember the brand or name). NuTone had a great suction, this is what I found out personally, no experiences with other models.

Post# 116520 , Reply# 8 11/30/2010 at 18:11 (4,888 days old) by tom519 (Long Island, New York )
Checkrate/Likes I also have a BEAM system now for about 7 years, I think it works great. I have all hardwood floors with area rugs, and did not get the motor driven power nozzle in order to save a little money. I have the air driven nozzle which works fine, it's very light and easy to maneuver. If the house had all wall to wall carpet I probably would have gone with the motor driven power nozzle. It may be standard now, but you might want to consider getting the on/off switch on the hose. It's worth the extra cost. Some systems will turn on once you insert the hose into the wall outlet. It's more convenient having the on/off switch on the handle.

Post# 116687 , Reply# 12 12/2/2010 at 13:55 (4,886 days old) by vacman117 (Chicago, IL)
Checkrate/Likes *I have a NuTone..* and I really do love it! It has very good suction and comes with a very nice set of tools! We got the 90's style power nozzle, so it really is a great deep cleaner! Ours also came with a very nice straight suction tool, telescopic metal wand, two metal wands, long crevice tool, upholestry tool with removable brushes, and a dusting brush! We also got the garage tools which comes with a long crush proof hose, and TONS of attachments for car and floor cleaing!

Post# 116698 , Reply# 13 12/2/2010 at 16:16 (4,886 days old) by codyf ()
Checkrate/Likes WOW!! Thanks for all the great tips guys!!! We still havent decided on one yet but am doing lots of reading, i really liked the machine that put all the dirt down the drain but the $$ scared Dan! LOL! so i am leaning twards the beam system, i have always been a electrolux fan anyway. You guys are great! thanks again! Cody

Post# 116737 , Reply# 15 12/2/2010 at 22:33 (4,886 days old) by cleaningbuff (Quincy, IL)
Checkrate/Likes Vacuflo cyclonic. Powerful. Simple. Low maintenance.

Post# 116739 , Reply# 16 12/2/2010 at 23:26 (4,886 days old) by bimmer740 (Long Island, New York)
Checkrate/Likes Cody, Beam is part of Electrolux from Europe (the red canister vacuums), not the Electrolux which is now Aerus. Aerus is the company that makes the Electrolux vacuums that we have always associated the name with in America, makers of the metal bodied tank canisters. I wasnt exactly sure what you meant when you said you always liked Electrolux, and was thinking you're referring to Aerus. Wanted to make sure you knew they werent related, just incase you didnt already know. If you did, then sorry for posting this. The Aqua Air does sound like its a pretty awesome machine, but its expensive. I cant imagine what would happen should there ever be a clog in the pipes when using it for wet pick up. It would probably make quite an expensive mess!

Post# 116548 , Reply# 9 11/30/2010 at 22:22 (4,888 days old) by codyf ()
Checkrate/Likes Thanks y'all! I remember my aunt in Mass having a central vac in her house but that was over 20 years ago i dont recall seeing one since. so i know little about them. i rememebr thinking how cool it was that all you could hear was the sound of suction or the p/n. We have not decided on a brand yet but will keep ya posted! thanks again! Cody

Post# 116606 , Reply# 10 12/1/2010 at 18:08 (4,887 days old) by BrianKirbyClass (Eudora Kansas)
Checkrate/Likes Cody, keep in mind that there are several different kinds of Central Vacs and many different manufacturers. Some require large bags and filters that can be expensive. Others have a cyclonic action and require no bags and filters, you just dump the bucket a few times a year, depending on how much you use the system. The filter is permanent and self cleaning, and never needs replacement.(just shake it clean once in awhile, which is what i prefer, again everyone is different) Some have the ability to suck up water and are hooked to a drain. It will really pay to do your homework when chosing a central system. There are also several types of wall and floor inlets from which to chose,,some are metal, some plastic. Some have the electric 2 prong direct connect hook up in the inlet, others do not, and require a pig tail electric cord, (if you are using an electric PN with the system) And as mentioned before, there are several types of hoses, attachments, and power heads, electric and turbine. I have wall to wall thick carpet,in a 3 bdroom ranch style home, but prefer a turbine power head. I also prefer not to have to buy and replace bags and filters constantly. I also prefer not to wrestle with an extra long hose all over the house, so, i chose a larger than required system,(for the square footage of my home) that covers at least 3000 square feet, with several inlets installed thruout the house, and a 20ft hose. Works great for me because my system (which is a Honeywell) is large enough to give excellent power to the turbine, and i dont have to fiddle with an electric connection or electric hose to the power head. The hoses with the on/off feature are very nice,,but not an absolute necessity. Check out the website for MD Manufacturing,,they have several videos explaning in detail the differences and features of the different systems,hoses and attachments. Also, E-Bay has good deals on hoses and systems too. MD and many people like the bag systems,,i prefer the cyclonic. The newer cyclonic models have a small window in collection bucket so you can easily see how full it is,,which is a nice feature. Some central systems have venting for outside the home, others have filters for the exhaust right at the machine, and thats what i have,,which works great for me. I also have 2 vac pans installed with my system, which makes sweeping up a breeze,,very handy. ALso if you have a garage, having an extra inlet out there is great for vacuuming out the car, or garage. Most central vacs have an inlet directly on the machine itself, so if the unit is installed in the garage, your all set there. Some people prefer to install the power unit in their basement, or closet away from the living area. One of my friends has all brass inlets installed in the floors of his house,with the power unit in the basement. The brass inlets are very impressive looking! So, everyone is different of course, you just have to check out all the features and options avalible of which there are many! Hope this helps.

Post# 116651 , Reply# 11 12/2/2010 at 00:56 (4,887 days old) by bimmer740 (Long Island, New York)
Checkrate/Likes I must add to what Brian said above, there are so many different units out there and you really need to check them all out according to what your needs are. Like Brian, I too prefer a bagless cyclonic unit, hence why I chose a VacuFlo. The bin to my unit is slightly smoked in appearance but allows you to see how much dirt is in the bucket at all times so it takes the guess work out of when to empty the unit. I love Electrolux (Aerus) and had originally been dead set on getting a CentraLux, but after seeing the moster sized filter that they have inside them I decided against it. The amount of filth that could be caught inside that filter and choke the airflow, along with the thought of having to clean/wash it, was more than I wanted to deal with. The VacuFlo has a metal screen inside the unit which you must brush out or vacuum out when you empty the canister (I clean the screen when its half full). It takes me less than 5 minutes to unplug the unit, take off the container, vacuum it out with the Electrolux, and replace the dirt bin. Other than dumping the container, thats all the maintenance that my unit requires. Another feature that drew me to choosing a VacuFlo is that its vented outside the house. Whatever isnt captured in the bin is then sent outside of my house with the exhaust air. It really removes 100% of what you vacuum up into it, which was exactly why I wanted a central vacuum in the first place. Plus their is no smell that is emitted back into my basement and no after filter or HEPA filter to replace. I also have direct connect inlets which were a must for me. I have a 30 foot direct connect hose along with the 35 foot low voltage VacuFlo TurboGrip hose kit. One nice feature of having direct connect inlets is you can pair your system with any power nozzle that uses a standard 2 prong connection and standard sized button lock wands. I have a Lindhaus Stealth nozzle but almost always use a Eureka Express PN when using the electric hose. The TurboCat Zoom is a good low profile turbo nozzle that does an adequte job on low pile carpeting, but I dont think it can really be compared to the power of an electric power nozzle. The TurboCat can choke some of the suction and airflow from the system so that it can run, where as the electric PN has its own motor to power the brush roll. Whatever sytem you decide to purchase, I would advise buying one larger than what is recommened for the size of your house. We discussed this several months ago and it really makes a difference in power and is especially important if you plan on solely using an air powered nozzle. Best of luck and happy vacuuming! ~Steven

Post# 116733 , Reply# 14 12/2/2010 at 21:59 (4,886 days old) by luxg ()
Checkrate/Likes Let us know what you decide Cody, I don't think you will be disappointed if you go with the Beam. Terry

Post# 117277 , Reply# 17 12/6/2010 at 14:52 (4,882 days old) by codyf ()
Checkrate/Likes ONE MORE QUESTION, CAN TWO HOSES BE IN USE AT THE SAME TIME? IE. DAN VACUUMING CAR'S AND ME CLEANING FLOORS IN HOUSE?

Post# 117311 , Reply# 18 12/6/2010 at 17:05 (4,882 days old) by bagintheback (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes I think you could, but the suction would be MUCH less. Anyway, for cars a small canister would be much better