Part-time experts There are a lot of professionals that have access to built-in vacuum system materials and offer repair services. Professional electricians, plumbers etcetera are highly experienced in their respective trades. Just as often, they have limited experience with central cleaning systems. Nothing wrong with that, but for the same reason you might not have…
How to bring vertical runs into the tubing We love electricians that install vacuum systems during new home construction. It provides exposure to our industry and more people get to experience the benefits of what we offer. However, the number of times I see installations that are not up to spec would indicate that the…
40 Pounds The average home will gather about 40 pounds of dirt a year. That means, if you are not removing that amount, it’s still in there somewhere. The typical central canister will hold approximately 50 pounds of dirt and debris. So you only have to empty the dirt bucket once or twice a year.…
Cleaning – Hotel Style Most of the dirt and dust in our homes comes off of shoes as we walk in from outside. Obviously, dust can come through an open window and we make our homes dirty if we have a basement workshop and messes in the kitchen can be a contributor as well. Let’s…
Retrofit Most of our customers, after experiencing the benefits of cleaning with a central system will never go back to an upright or canister unit (what we lovingly refer to as “disposable” vacuums). When they sell their home and move into another one, they will demand a central cleaning system. Often they will not make…
How to diagnose low cleaning power Customers call with a symptom called “low suction”. They typically mean that their system is unable to pick up dirt well or at least not as well as previously. This can be caused by any number of things from reduced airflow, a clog, hole in the pipe, leaking inlet(s),…
On suction and airflow In order to pick up dirt without bending over, two things are needed: suction and airflow. Let’s define these two terms as they relate to cleaning your home. Suction – This is usually measured as inches of water up to a column. Picture a glass tube with 1-inch markings on it.…
Maintaining your system The power unit and the carpet power head are the items that need a bit of ongoing maintenance. First the power unit. If your power unit has a filter, it likely needs to be replaced annually for both performance and warranty reasons. If you have a disposable bag unit, then replace it…
Giving us a bad name There are several companies that make central cleaning systems that try to compete with VACUFLO. Those companies often have several brands each. This has led to the perception that there are a large number of options, but in reality, there are only a few after you peel the sticker off…
Filtration methods There are many methods manufacturers have used to separate household dirt and particulate from vacuumed air in our homes. We are going to review the most common methods with a focus on the pros and cons of each. Starting with the least effective and working toward the best. Permanent Bag/Filter – This is…
Carpet as an air filter The carpet in your home is really an air filter. Yup, besides being warm and soft underfoot, an important function of carpet and area rugs is to capture and hold on to dirt and dust so that it never makes it into the breathing zone. The challenge is that you…
Indoor air quality The quality of the inside most homes is worst than many smog filled cities. Many people are suffering from breathing issues. Allergies, mold sensitivities, pet dander, and dust all contribute to poor indoor air quality. If you visit your local asthma and allergy doctor, the first question they ask is: do you…
Disposable vacuums If your vacuum is not central, it is disposable. This sounds harsh and for the sake of the landfill I wish it weren’t true. But when compared to built-in cleaning systems, upright and canister vacuums are largely created to last a few years. Even the very nice German portables are often more expensive…
Why people buy There are three main reasons people buy our VACUFLO cleaning systems. Power, convenience, health, and cost. And yes, we said three things and then provided four. Just our way of over delivering… Seriously though, these are the most common reasons people give us when we ask why they bought a cleaning system.…
MythBusting for vacuums The two main myths about centralized cleaning systems are: If your home is already built, it can’t be installed, so you missed out It must be very expensive, similar in price to central air Let’s look at these one by one. First, most people don’t know how it is possible to install…
My system is clogged – HELP Clogged system – HELP – We get calls like this several times a year. Sometimes the customer knows exactly what was vacuumed (a sock) up by mistake and sometimes they have no clue. We have a 100% clog clearing rate. That means we have been able to restore cleaning…
We finished our basement and forgot you If your home has a central cleaning system installed without inlets for cleaning the basement (shame on the installer), or your home was piped for a system that was never completed, and you have your basement finished into normal living space, it is best to call your local…
My Africa trip pictures and video are gone A customer called recently and was just about in tears over the loss of a thumb drive that up to the hose and into the central cleaning system. We were called out to try and recover the item and the priceless pictures and videos it contained. We’ve…
Low suction with a dual motor power unit When experiencing low suction in a dual motor power unit, the most likely issue is a motor failure. When one of the motors fails, the performance will drop to below 50% of normal. This amount of reduction in cleaning power is usually noticed right away. We have…
What are my options for a power unit upgrade? Oftentimes a customer will call us with a power unit that is no longer under the original owners lifetime warranty. They want to know how much a new motor costs versus a new power unit. Sometimes they want to know what their options are for a…
Our home has pipes in the walls, now what? We just moved into this house and were pleased to find that it was roughed in for vacuum during initial construction. What needs to happen to get the value out of this? We price the completion of your system based on the number and type of…
Why is my house more dusty? A customer called and asked us to come out and check out the entire system as she noticed her home had suddenly begun to be dusty, which had never been an issue before. We inspected and test the entire system and verified that everything was in proper working order…
We had a fire. Can you help? We typically hear about several house fires each year. Sometimes they are small and the question pertains to being able to use the system for cleanup. Other times the home is completely gutted and we are replacing everything pertaining to the vacuum system similar to new construction. Most…
New Home Construction So you’re building a home. You’ve selected your builder and are asking about having a central cleaning system installed during construction. Here are a few potential pitfalls to consider. The builder may have a subcontractor preference or even a standing contract with another provider. If so, you might be locked into whatever…
Hide-A-Hose is Clogged Hide-A-Hose is CloggedA customer called with a clog in their Hide-A-Hose system. As this was one of the first clogs we had experienced in the retractable hose inlet style we chose to go on site rather than give some pointers over the phone. Upon arrival, we test the system and confirmed the…
“Y” Fittings Many years ago, central cleaning system installers used a fitting like this… Can you see why this might be a problem? If a piece of dirt or debris that is similar to a popsicle stick, toothpick or twig gets into the system, it can not make the turn toward the power unit and…
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