So after having the central vac guy out to the house twice, we finally made a decision and not the one you might have expected. It turns out that the central vac guy came in with a total bid of around $1600 for the power unit, hose, 3 electrified ports, tubing, wands, tools, and a Wessel Werk powerhead. I was a little disappointed because the cost of his work, plus having an electrician out to wire it up was going to put it close to $1900. I just couldn't see the value there.
He understood and suggested a friend of his who owns a vac shop and sells new/used. He had some good stuff but he just happened to have a BRAND NEW Rainbow E-2 Black with all the gadgets and attachments; the Rainjet, Aquamate, and the liquids. Some distraught distributor quit the Rainbow business and sold it to him as his last one. The Rainjet was used once for demo and was missing the brush attachment but he sold it all to me for WELL UNDER the cost of just the central vac unit. I called the local distributor when I got it and ordered the brush for a measly $24. I have had it for a few days now and couldn't be happier. It is as good as the Thermax in terms of cleaning power but the powerhead is better and the Rainjet is pretty nifty. The only thing I'll miss is the upholstery tools for the steamer. Oh well... Just thought I'd update. Thanks again for all the assistance last month.