Home central vacuum system

Trainer · Nov 11, 2007

We will start construction on a new house next year. Have been considering a central vacuum system in the house. Would like some feedback on the following:

Advantages -

Disadvantages-

Cost -

Any input you can give is appreciated.

Travelover · Nov 11, 2007

I retrofitted one into my home. I bought the whole kit on the internet for about $600.

Advantages:
Noise is outside, in the garage. A muffler is available to further quiet it
Fine particles of dust that pass through filter also in garage, not in house
Very powerful suction
Wife insisted on it, now she vacuums while I drink beer
Just one dirty bag to empty, and lasts 6 months between emptying

Disadvantages:
20 foot hose is kind of bulky to haul around
20 foot hose doesn't reach extreme end of my added on porch
Hose can be rough on interior trim corners, if dragged
Blows warm air out of house, cold air leaks in to replace it (minor issue)

Overall, very happy with it and it sure would be easy to install during construction. Retrofitting is much harder! If unsure, plumb in the piping now for a nominal cost and add the power unit later.

Ken_CT · Nov 11, 2007

When I built my house many years ago, to save money, I installed the piping & wiring in the walls for a central vac system but did not buy the unit or power head assembly. I put drops into the basement to be hooked up later. When our old vacuum cleaner finally died years later, I installed the central vac system. I would never go back to a vacuun cleaner. Remember to put an electrical outlet near the wall hose connection.

Tig · Nov 11, 2007

We really like ours.
My observations.
Keep the runs as straight as possible. Sooner or later there will be a blockage and it's nice to be able to fish it out. In ours, I think condesation where the tube enters the cold garage in winter causes the dust to stick. After a couple years I have to unblock it.
I would put more outlets in and keep the hose as short as possible, 15'? We have a 25', it's a bit awkwark to manage.

Tig · Nov 11, 2007

One more thought. Somehow it seems that whenever I have time to be in the garage my wife has time to vacuum. They are quite loud even with the exhaust ported to the outdoors.

texbaylea · Nov 11, 2007

We have had central vacuum systems in our homes since the early 70's. A great addition to your house. I have attic mounted the power unit which works OK if you have easy access. You can hear the unit run but it is not loud - I like it that way since you know instantly if you have picked up something that is blocking air flow. Installing an electrical outlet close to the vacuum port makes it easier to use a power carpet head.

Vernon

Trainer · Nov 11, 2007

Now another question. Can I use PVC pipe for the duct? If so, I want to put in sweeping 90"s to help reduce plugging.

Travelover · Nov 11, 2007

Trainer said:
Now another question. Can I use PVC pipe for the duct? If so, I want to put in sweeping 90"s to help reduce plugging.

Yes, you can use PVC pipe, but note that standard central vacuum piping is of a slightly different diameter and has thinner wall thickness. Google this a bit and you will see that one can buy adapters to standard PVC for the hose inlets and for the power unit. My kit came with lots of 45 degree angles elbows to minimize the radii of the turns. This is important if there are many turns necessary, because most velocity loss is at turns. Also the initial turn past the hose inlet is a tight 90 degree on the principle that anything that goes through this first turn can travel through the rest of the pipe. Getting a small object wedged "somewhere" in the piping would really be a pain to diagnose and fix.

As I mentioned, when I bought my kit, it came with all the pipe in 6 foot lengths and lots of elbows, 3 inlets, etc. I ended up extending mine to the garage rafters so I had a outlet in the middle and far end of my garage. Great for cleaning out the cars in place. I use a separate, shorter hose for the garage.

kennyd · Nov 11, 2007

I bought and installed a Imperium CV cyclone system from this company when I built my house. The service was great!

They include with all the inlet kits a 2" CV pipe to 2" PVC adapter, so you can use regular pipe and fittings. This was a great help to me so I did not have to worry about getting all the proper fittings ahead of time, especially while I was building the house on nights and weekends. There are also a lot more choices if fittings with regular PVC the the CV pipe.

I have my unit in the basement, and the exhaust goes outside. Also be sure to get the VacPan if you have hardwood floors, I have mine in the kitchen island and it's the most used inlet in the house!