These questions are very important because they will help you choose the right vacuum unit for your home.
Question 1 How many inlets will you need to cover every floor with a 30 feet hose?
Each inlet needs a different length of PVC pipes to connect it to the central unit. So the more inlets you have, the more piping you will have installed. The central unit needs a minimal strength to suck up the dust at the end of the hose so the more inlets you have, the biggest the central unit needs to be in terms of water lift. Normally for every 60'x60' square, you need an inlet (based on the use of a central inlet and a 30 feet hose). Don't forget to count every VacPan as an inlet when planning your installation.
Then you can refer to our technical chart for every central power unit on this site to make sure you have chosen the right unit! Just take a look at the number of inlets it supports.
Question 2 Do you have carpets? If yes, small one or large one? Shaggy or rough?
If you have carpets or rugs, make sure you choose a more powerful unit in terms of water lift (or H20 inches) because you will need a powerful carpet nozzle. Don't forget to take a look at our water lift column in every unit's technical chart.
Question 3 Do you have animals or children?
The fact is in this case that, animals and children are well-known for dirt, debris and allergens. If you have a combination of carpets and animals, make sure you choose a powerful unit. It will allow you to reduce the frequency of those cleaning tasks and give you the opportunity to take some free time.
Technical Charts Explained
Suction or Water lift (H20 inches)
This measures the suction strength of a central vacuum motor. Essentially, it tells how much "pull" or "lift" power the motor has. This measurement is always taken at its maximum value at the 11/4 inch orifice (sealed vacuum) where suction is at its greatest.
Often referred to as H20 inches of Water lift or Vacuum, Suction is vital to overall system performance since it is the "pull power" that creates the velocity of Airflow necessary to move debris through the complex network of vacuum PVC pipes, hose and accessories. While Airflow is necessary for a vacuum cleaner to work, suction creates the lift and the airflow velocity which sweeps the dirt away. Of any performance rating, suction is perhaps the best measurement to evaluate a system’s performance and plays a crucial role in providing and maintaining performance where it counts, at the end of your central vacuum hose.
The H20 inch or "H20 is the water lift value (expressed between 80 to 240 H20 suction inches)
CFM (cubic feet minute)
CFM refers to the volume of air the motor is able to move. The CFM is the unit that indicates the movement of air that is generated. The more Water lift /CFM you have, the more sweeping power you have.
Air Watts
This is the most used and misleading term in the vacuum industry. It is true that the air watt is a performance indicator, the fault is that this value is taken directly at the motor and not at the end of the hose where vacuuming takes place. The water lift will be almost the same at the motor then at the end of the hose while the air watt will be completely different. Every inch of PVC pipes change the air watt value! So the air watt is always different from an installation to an other.
2 motors can have the same air watt value but one or the other will be less powerful in terms of suction power.
REMEMBER: It is important to consider that the true performance overall value for a central vacuum system is the water lift or H20 inch.
Number of Stages
The number of stages refers to the number of fans the motor has inside. The fans create the suction and also cool down the motor. You can have powerful two stages motors but also powerful 3 stages motors. It depends only of the fans size. Some fans can have larger or smaller diameters. It is not a performance indicator.
Decibels
These values are taken by the manufacturer and depend of the environment in which those units are tested. The problem in the vacuum industry is that there is no guide line to evaluate the noise a unit does. Each manufacturer has their own way to evaluate noise. So be vigilant when looking at these decibel values.
Amps
It's a measurement of current that a motor draws and does not measure cleaning performance. Amps are more of a marketing ploy for portable upright and canister vacuums to indicate perceived power. It does not actually measure cleaning power. Perhaps it is an important value when replacing motors.
Types of Filtration Systems
On the market, there are few different types of filtration that exist for central vacuums such as: washable and dryable filters, self-cleaning filters, true cyclonic systems, unique bag systems and cartridge filters to name only those ones. We will help you out with this issue here.
Washable filters
These filters are the most efficient filters on the market because they can be washed. In some cases you can even wash them in the washing machine and dry them in the drying machine. When cleaned, a filter is like brand new and helps prevent performance problems. It also filters better when the filter is clean; in this case it prevents dust from returning in the air. If combined with a bag if possible with your unit, it doubles up your filtration efficiency and less maintenance will be required. Those types of filters are also often permanent which means that you will never have to replace them. In some cases, filters need to be change as specified by manufacturer.
Self-Cleaning filters
These filters are also good filters perhaps you need to change them every 3 to 5 years. These filters are equipped with a small sand bag in the middle of the filter that comes up when the power of the central unit is turned on. All the dirt sticks to the filter in the upper position and when the power is turned off, the sand bag comes down and all the dirt that was sticking to the filter gets in the central vacuum's recipient. This is the way those filters clean themselves. Some manufacturers offer you these filter systems with disposable bags. When use with such bags, the efficiency of these filters is greatly increased and also increase the filter's lifetime.
Cartridge Filters
These filters need to be change almost every year for maximum cleaning power. They cannot be washed and are sometimes very costly to replace.
True Cyclonic (no bag, no filter)
These central vacuum systems must be vent outside because otherwise, they will reject the dusty air into the home. The advantage to use such central vacuums is that you do not need to buy bags or neither filters. The problem with such a filtration system is that the motor is almost not protected from the dust or debris. So if no attention is paid to the power unit, it can greatly damage the motor itself.
Unique Bag System
The dust and debris are filtered by a disposable or tissue bag. This is a filter and a bag at the same time. The disadvantage is that you absolutely need a bag to use the vacuum. The filtration depends on the quality of the bag that you use. Tissue bags tend to be more efficient then paper bags.
N.B. It’s recommended to install outdoor exhaust to vent the vacuum’s air outside because no filter on the market is able to filter 100% of the dust. No matter what kind of filter your vacuum is using it is recommended to vent outside the dusty air of your central vacuum.
Carpet Nozzles
Air Driven Nozzles
First of all, consider that every central vacuum can use an air driven nozzle and it is far less expensive then an electric nozzle. There are a few different sizes of air driven nozzle and the bigger the nozzle the biggest the central vacuum needs to be. Why? Because air driven nozzles use a turbine, and the biggest the turbine is, the more suction the vacuum needs to develop to make it spin.
Electric Power Nozzles
Electric carpet nozzles are a very good choice for easy cleaning of every kind of carpets. With an electric nozzle, you don’t have to wonder if your vacuum is enough powerful. You have to make sure perhaps that you have 110volts enabled on your central vacuum hose. They are perfect for every tasks.
Here are some of the most common carpet nozzles
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