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. The higher the better for cleaning purposes. We commonly see anywhere from 100 inches to 150 inches.

Airflow – This is measured in cubic feet per minute or CFM. Most properly operating systems will generate between 85 and 140.

When we combine these two we can clean well. If your system has a great sealed vacuum number (it’s suction) but very low airflow, the result is similar to dirt under a bell jar. You can remove all of the atmospheres and create a perfect vacuum, but it can’t pick up the dirt. Similarly, a lot of airflow with no suction is called a leaf blower. Great at moving dirt, but not going to pick it up.

To clean your home you need both and they need to work together