Thread Number: 34700  /  Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
my review of the Drainvac Atomik central vacuum unit 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 374787   7/1/2017 at 22:15 (2,483 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        

So, this is my eightth central vacuum unit. For those who may not have read any of my other posts, I love to attach a hose directly to a Central vacuum unit and use it as a powerful canister vacuum. When using these vacuums directly without pipes, the power is awesome. The Atomik is a bit unique, you can connect it to piping like other central vacuum units, or use it as a portable unit. Actually, in theory, any central vacuum unit can be portable, you can either use the utility valve if it's built in or attach a utility valve to the in-take and then connect the hose. However, carrying most central vacuum units is not the easiest, most of them are fairly large and do not have a handle. I've heard that using a cart to carry a central vacuum unit works well. The Atomik has some features that make using it as a portable unit much easier.
Since the Drainvac Atomik can be a portable unit, it comes with several accessories that are not included with most central vacuum units. It includes a 30 foot hose, a floor brush, dusting brush and crevvis tool. The hose is rather thin, it's 1-1/4 diameter rather than many other central vacuum hoses that are 1-3/8 in size. For the best performance, I would suggest purchasing a hose with the larger diameter if you don't already have one. In my case, I already have two other central vacuum hoses, a Plastiflex dual voltage hose, and an industrial hose that is 1.5 diameter, this hose is a bit heavy, but the airflow is awesome. The floor brush is rather small, I actually thought it was an appoulstry brush at first, I probably will never use it since I have many other floor brushes already, I think this brush has around a ten inch cleaning width.
It also includes some accessories that you would use if you want to install it as a typical central vacuum. It includes a few feet of central vacuum pipe, a couple of elbows, some low volt wire and screws for mounting it on the wall. There is also a spare bag, a spare utility valve and an optional filter that you can attach to the exhaust.
Ok, now on to the unit itself. The first thing you notice, especially if you're familiar with other central vacuum units is that the Atomik is small compared to other central vacuum units. It's 7 inches in diameter and 14 inches tall according to the specifications, and I would say that this is accurate. The unit is made of metal rather than plastic and it weighs about 11 pounds. It's the first Central vacuum unit I've seen that actually has a carrying handle on the top. There are two latches that hold the lid in place. On the lower part of the unit is a power switch, the wire terminals, the in-take and the exhaust ports. When I took my unit out of the box, it was ready to use as a portable unit, a utility valve was already clamped to the in-take. If you want to use the Atomik with pipes, simply unscrew the clamp, remove the utility valve and attach your pipe. The low voltage connection requires you to use screw terminals, or attach a terminal to the end of the wires. I know some other central vacuums use this approach as well, but I think it's much easier to use spring terminals, similar to attaching wires for speakers.
As far as power and performance, for its size, it's quite powerful. It has 125 inches of lift and 140 CFM and uses a Domel 2 stage motor. Sound level is 64 DB, if you're standing next to it, it's a bit loud, but the whole idea of a central vacuum is having the ability to clean away from the unit, so sound level is not as much of a concern as it is with canister and upright vacuums. To get to the bag, unlatch the two latches and remove the lid. Since the Atomik is a small unit, the bag is smaller than other central vacuum bags. Most central vacuums can hold between 4 and 9 gallons of dust before they must be emptied. The Atomik bag holds around 1.5 liters, it's about the size of most bags that are used in portable vacuums. As far as cleaning ability, it cleans very well, it's not the most powerful central vacuum unit, but I don't think that's what Drainvac had in mind when they designed it. I think they wanted to create a central vacuum unit that could be transported very easily and also allow you to install it in places where there is not a lot of space.
So, in conclusion, would I recommend the Atomik for a central vacuum? For a certain group of users, yes. The unit is definitely well made and works as advertised. I think it will work best for those who have large buildings to clean, and would perhaps prefer to use a central vacuum unit rather than other types of vacuums. If you are currently carrying a central vacuum on a cart to do your cleaning, definitely consider this unit, it will eliminate the need for the cart. You can also connect it to in house piping, but I would say if you are looking for a central vacuum unit to install, you may want to get a unit that will hold more dust before needing to be emptied, since the bags are smaller on the Atomik, if you install it with house piping, you will need to change the bag more often than with other central vacuums. It is a good unit though and if you are willing to deal with changing the bags more often because of the smaller size, the Atomik is a great central vacuum unit that offers the extra benefit of allowing you to carry it easily without using a cart. If you want to get more information or purchase one of these, I will include the link.
Mike

CLICK HERE TO GO TO n0oxy's LINK
Post# 374833 , Reply# 1   7/3/2017 at 10:01 (2,482 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
Atomik rug rat test

 I did connect my rug rat turbine brush to the Atomik to see how fast it would spin. While this doesn't necessarily indicate the cleaning ability of a particular vacuum, it does indicate how much power it has based on how fast it is able to spin the turbine. The Atomik is only very slightly slower than most other central vacuum units, and definitely faster than most canister vacuums. This does indicate that the Atomik, although it's very small will hold its own when it comes to power.
Mike

Post# 374881 , Reply# 2   7/4/2017 at 03:06 (2,481 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Drainvac Atomik the motor current draw isn't listed-what is the amp or wattage draw of this unit?This could make for a good second central unit-or use as a portable.Sounds kinda neat.Have you tried your Volt powernozzle with this?Bet it would work really well.

Post# 374901 , Reply# 3   7/4/2017 at 20:14 (2,480 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
amp draw

 I think it's 11 amps but not sure. You will have no problem running it in a regular outlet. Yes, I tried it with the volt, it's awesome, it's a great little unit as long as you're willing to deal with the smaller bags, but it will clean anything you give it. I think you said you have some central units and you run them the same way I do, you just attach a hose to the in-take, it's awesome to run them that way. If you decide to get the Atomik, would love to know what you think of it.
Mike

Post# 374904 , Reply# 4   7/5/2017 at 00:25 (2,480 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

The Drainvac website said 13A Don't have plans of getting one at this time.No dealers here.Yes,I use my central vacuums freestanding.Most are in the kitchen-the Silentmaster is in the hallway at the back of the house.The Drainvac Atomik seems like a nice machine-will try to get one when funds become available.Its sure unique!

Post# 374944 , Reply# 5   7/5/2017 at 22:25 (2,479 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
other central vacuums designed to be used without pipes

 I'm pretty sure think vacuums is the only drainvac dealer in the United States, I ordered my Atomik on line and had it in a few days. While any central vacuum unit can be used without pipes, there are a couple other units that are actually designed for this purpose, although the design is different than the Atomik. The Atomik is actually a regular central vacuum unit in most respects. It comes out of the box with a utility valve clamped to the in-take but if you remove that, you have a regular pipe in-take, it also has a carry handle on top, and of course it's smaller, but other than these differences, it works like any other central vacuum unit. There are two other units that actually have a hose inlet on them instead of a pipe in-take, they also don't have wire terminals. They are designed to provide central vacuum power without pipes, although neither one has a carrying handle. I'll do a separate post for each one.
Mike

Post# 374946 , Reply# 6   7/5/2017 at 22:38 (2,479 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
vacumaid garage vac pro

 This is an awesome unit, I have it sitting in my second bedroom. It's a bagged unit, each bag holds around 6 gallons. It comes with a wall mount, but I just have mine standing on the floor. It also includes a hose and cleaning tools, and you can use any central vacuum hose, the hose inlet is standard. It uses an Ametek two stage 5.7 inch motor, 138 water lift and 138 CFM, it's quite a beast. Love this machine. I honestly cannot think of a single thing I dislike about this unit, if you want something a bit bigger and more powerful than the Atomik, and don't want to deal with attaching a valve to the in-take, this is the vacuum to get, it's awesome.
Mike

CLICK HERE TO GO TO n0oxy's LINK
Post# 374947 , Reply# 7   7/5/2017 at 22:46 (2,479 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
intervac h120

 And then there's the Intervac h120, this is a smaller unit, you can mount it vertically or horrizontally. Again, there's no pipe in-take, just insert the hose in to the inlet. You can purchase just the power unit or purchase it with a hose and attachment kit. Or, if you have lots of carpet, you could purchase the power unit and purchase an electric attachment kit from other places. This unit is not as powerful as the Atomik or Garage Vac pro, it has around 400 air watts and 110 water lift. It still cleans well but if you want the most powerful unit you can get, this one is not it.
Mike

CLICK HERE TO GO TO n0oxy's LINK
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