Wife wants new attachments for central vacuum...

[hazmat]

Didn't know if I should put this post here, or in the "attachments" forum. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Anyhow, wifey wants new rug beater & bare floor attachment for central vacuum. My mom has an upholstery attachment that works well for removing dog hair from the couch - might like to get one of those too.

Right now we have no-name generic attachments. I assume I need a new hose as all the power connections are vendor specific. I also assume that the "outlet" in the wall is compatible with anybodies hose.

Vac part has plenty of suction, but the attachments are poor performers. the floor brush sometimes scratches the floor & the carpet beater has so many degrees of freedom that it is hard to tell which way it's going to go when you push on it. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Any recommendations from the tbn brain trust?

Don't worry, this isn't her only X-mas present from me/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Junkman]

Many of the wall outlets are proprietary items and won't accept other brands of hoses. Chances are that you are going to need to revamp the entire system if you want to bring it up to current standards. This translates into a lot of work and $$ by the time you are finished. I am in the process of upgrading a 20 year old system now, and the most handy item is the floor outlet that you just sweep everything into. Nutone makes one and I believe that there are others out there. If you check Home Depot, some of there stores carry the Nutone line, but not all of the stores do. Lowe's doesn't carry any central vac item any longer so I was told by the department manager. Said that they didn't sell enough to warrant the space, so the entire chain dropped them. If you want to be real economical then just buy here a Swiffer....

 

[texbaylea]

Check out Central Vacuum Supply in Florida, good service and prices. Sorry I don't have the link. They have generic as well as name brand stuff. A lot of the wall valves are fairly standard however you may have to upgrade if your old system uses the 1-1/2" tubing. Adapters are available.

I put in a system in our retirement home about 3 years ago - works great. The Nutone power floor/carpet head works great also. We use a separate power cord rather than power through the hose. It was easier to put together that way.

 

[kensfarm]

I wonder if her "wantings" have come from Tractor implement envy.

I think that is one of the un-written rules.. don't buy the wife house cleaning tools/products as a present.

"But Honey.. now it'll only take you half the time to clean up after me!" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RobS]

I assume you're talking cat 1 vacuum with a 540 PTO, right /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I bought a vacuum from Ristenbatt several years ago. They seem to know everything there is about and carry every imaginable vacuum cleaner known to mankind. Good service too /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue">I think that is one of the un-written rules.. don't buy the wife house cleaning tools/products as a present.

"But Honey.. now it'll only take you half the time to clean up after me!" </font>

I've been married for just over two years now. One of the adjustments we've made for marital harmony has been "his" and "hers" fun money ($100 a month each). Each can do as they wish with thier "fun" money (she saves it, I spend it as fast as I get it on tools & tractor parts /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif).

The only "string" attached to the fun money is that gifts for each other must come from one's own "fun" money. I believe this is her way of making sure I love her more than a new cordless drill /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.

The direction I got regarding the vacuum attachments were: This is not a Christmas gift for her . As such, funding does not need to come from my "fun" money, but she hates to shop, so wouldn't it be nice if I did all the homework so that she can have a new rugbeater to clean up after me . /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Translation - I'm shopping for vacuum attachments for us /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Junkman]

$100 a month????? My wife can go through that in a couple of minutes. I hate this time of the year because it is so expensive. I remember this time last year. My wife came in from a hard day of shopping and told me that she had lost the credit card somewhere. I never reported it missing..... the person that found it was spending less... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue"> My wife came in from a hard day of shopping and told me that she had lost the credit card somewhere. I never reported it missing..... the person that found it was spending less... </font>

We are an a-typical couple, she saves, I spend... So far our system works. The $100 is the "no questions asked" money. Larger expenditures require an approval process (she has to want it too /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( We are an a-typical couple )</font>

I guess we are, too. We quit buying Christmas, birthday, and anniversary presents for each other many years ago. She buys what she wants and I buy what I want (or we go shopping together), so no surprises and we get the right item. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[thcri]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Many of the wall outlets are proprietary items and won't accept other brands of hoses. Chances are that you are going to need to revamp the entire system if you want to bring it up to current standards. )</font>


Unless you have a twenty year old Sears unit your outlets and attachments will work on others. About twenty years ago the central vac people got together and made them all the same. Our company sells the Beam Central Vac and only once have we ran into the smaller pipe. It was an old Sears unit. Broan, Nutone and all of the others are compatible.

Haz, go to www.beamvac.com and look around there. Let me know what you want and I will give you everything at cost plus 10%. Or let me know more of what your looking for and PM me.

murph