central vacuum system

I have been in the central vacuum business for over 28 years! It has been exciting to see the increase in central vacuum awareness. The indoor air benefit is undeniable. What those of us in the industry have always known, is now being embraced by the green building industry.

When my son was young he had severe asthma. We had carpeting and used a traditional portable vacuum cleaner. His asthma became worse and so we tore up all our carpeting, removed our draperies, and switched to using a central vacuum system. Within a year, the majority of his symptoms were gone, and today he is 18 years old, has passed the Army physical fitness test, and is on his way to college on a full ROTC scholarship! Now I know my central vacuum system isn't responsible for all of that, but it definitely played a part in the health of my son.

I love central vacuum systems and want everyone to know that they are sustainable, affordable, can be installed in almost any home (new or existing), and usually can be installed by the homeowner. Many manufacturers have great websites to instruct you about their product and even instruct you how to install one yourself. Here are some links to the major central vacuum manufacturers and distributors. We sell all of these products on our website, but other than that, we are in no other way connected to these companies.

Vacu-Maid (Lindsay)

Cen-Tec

Beam

Vacuflo (HP Products)

Nutone

M&S(Air Vac)

In the latest copy of the NAHB green building standard, on page 73, section 902.10, you will find that builders, hoping to accumulate green points, get 5 points for a central vacuum system exhausted outside. There are a couple of interesting things to consider...first you only get the points if you vent that system outside. I firmly believe that unless it is impossible, every central vacuum system should be vented outside. This is the only way to guarantee that you are not venting dust back into your home. If you have ever had a central vacuum system or been around a home that has a central system that was not vented outside, you know that after a couple of years the system begins to smell like dust,your animals, or dirt. When you vent outside this simply does not happen. Secondly, if you get your hands on a copy of the entire green building standard it is obvious that a central vacuum system might be one of the very easiest, and least costly ways to accumulate five points. If you are considering a green building project, a central vacuum system is really an important component.

Green Central Vacuum Information

In any green building project, indoor air quality is a primary concern. I don't know about you, but I do not want to save the planet at the expense of my lungs. This site has some interesting information about IAQ. INSPECTAPEDIA
He says, "Central Vacuum Systems, if properly installed, vent directly outside, avoiding the issue of stirring up indoor particles during house cleaning. It's a more-costly but great idea. Just be sure the vac is properly vented. I've inspected homes at which the central vacuum machine was in a laundry room or basement, venting its dust back into the home."

I would have to disagree with him about the central vacuum systems being more costly. A good HEPA vacuum runs between five and a thousand hundred dollars. We have an Imperium central vacuum that takes a high quality HEPA bag and costs $249. Even if you add attachments, pipe, fittings, etc., you can still be in the ball park of a good HEPA vacuum cleaner.

In your green building project don't pass on a central vacuum system because you think it is too expensive, check out the options that are available. A central vacuum system is the only 100% dust free way to clean.

For those who are committed to a green lifestyle, a central vacuum is an outstanding choice. I guess you could sweep your floors, but if indoor air quality is an issue, this will only stir up the dust and exacerbate your breathing difficulties. A central vacuum made of recyclable steel with no paper bags is a green alternative to traditional vacuums made of plastic with throw away bags. Central vacuum systems can be retrofitted into most homes. So whether you are building a green home or upgrading your existing home to include green features, a central vac is a feasible option. Systems that are made of steel and have no paper bags include, VacuMaid by Lindsay, Imperium, and Vacuflo.

Neil from Michigan recently sent me an email about his central vacuum installation. He was installing a central vacuum system because of the obvious benefit of improving indoor air quality. He wanted to do the install himself, but the fumes from the glue used to connect the tubing presented some problems for him. Neil got creative and solved the problem himself. I do not advise or recommend this method, but it was a unique solution to his problem.

From Neil:

"One tip learned from this project that enabled me to install the pipe myself: My reason for installing a central vacuum is to improve the quality of indoor air. I could not cope with glue fumes from joining the pipe and fittings, especially during the winter without good ventilation. I chose to seal all of the joints using teflon tape. This worked very well with care to support the pipe with straps and hangers that prevent joints from pulling apart. The joints between Sch 40 pipe and the 2" adapters needed a couple more wraps of tape."

Winston Lindsay, President of Lindsay Manufacturing recommends the following when fumes are a problem:

"It is always important to glue the joints because in a building there are temperature changes and shifts that will cause movement in the tubing which will pull the tubing apart. If you are allergic or do not like normal PVC solvent glues you can use a product called Gorilla PVC Glue which does not have the normal solvents you find in PVC glue. Gorilla PVC Glue is more expense but easier to ship because the glue is not flammable. If you had to use tape, a small piece of regular PVC electrical tape on the tube would work better than Teflon tape. Teflon is too slippery."

I attended the International Builder's Show in Orlando, Florida last week. I noticed a heavy emphasis on Green Building. They even had a "green" day at the show. If your home is already built it is not too late to think about green options for your home. "The American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council have partnered on the development of best practice guidelines and targeted educational resources for sustainable residential remodeling projects. This program will increase understanding of sustainable renovation project practices and benefits among homeowners, residents, design professionals, product suppliers and service providers to build both demand and industry capacity."

A central vacuum system is a great place to start. There is total agreement among professionals (health and building) that a central vacuum system can greatly improve the indoor air quality of your home. Most homes can be retrofitted by any do-it-yourselfer for a central vacuum system and one of the hottest things right now is a central vacuum system with a Hide a Hose retractable hose. Three of the major manufacturers at the IBS were showing the Hide a Hose with their central vacuum systems. The Hide a Hose can also be retrofitted into most homes.
Learn More About Hide a Hose

Ratings are a funny thing. This is what I have seen over the years with Consumer's Report. If a manufacturer likes the way their product was rated, then they will tell you Consumer's Report is the ultimate authority. However, if a manufacturer does not like the way their product was rated, then they will be sure to make you aware of all the flaws in the way Consumer's Report tested the products.

In terms of green building, whose ratings do you trust? One of the main central vacuum manufacturers told us that a major non-profit organization in this country offered to give his company's vacuum system their seal of approval for a donation in the tens of thousands of dollars. Yuck.

All the information is available to you to make a good choice without phony recommendations. You can compare manufacturer's specs and consider a couple of features when looking for a green central vacuum system to include in your building project.

1. Look for a unit that is made of recyclable steel, and

2. Look for a brand name that offers you the choice of cloth filters or bagless Imperium central vacuum systems offer one of the largest selections of central vacuums in the country. Some manufacturers have lots of models, but they only offer systems with bags, or filters. Imperium offers units with bags, inverted filters, and no bags at all. Check out the complete product line on their website:

http://www.imperiumvac.com/cyclonic.htm

The following is taken from the Beam website. Look at our most recent blog about Beam's new Internet policy

"A Beam central vacuum system removes 100% of contacted dust, mites, dander, pollen and other allergens and carries them away from the living environment to a canister usually located in the garage or basement."

To maximize the effectiveness of a central vacuum system to improve indoor air quality, Beam offers the following cleaning tips:

"Traditional dusting: Ineffective and harmful.

Dusting your home the old fashioned way with rags and scented sprays is ineffective and can be harmful. That's because dust is recirculated, and chemicals are introduced into the living environment which can be extremely hazardous to allergy and asthma sufferers. Using dusting attachments on your central vacuum system allows you to "power" dust. Regular deep cleaning with a Beam system means you'll breathe easier and dust less often.

Carpet and upholstery: Can you live with it?

Some allergy and asthma sufferers cantollerate carpet, draperies, blinds and upholstery, others cannot. Whether you should remove these items from your home should be determined by your physician. Only 20% of the patients who are advised to remove their carpet actually do. If you decide removing these things is not for you, a central vacuum system will help control the dust and allergens in your home.

Refrigerators: Not cool for allergy sufferers.

A refrigerator acts like a powerful magnet attracting dust and allergens, which become trapped beneath and behind the unit. When the motor cycles on and off, the dirt becomes airborne creating a key source of irritation for allergy and asthma sufferers. Until now removing dust has been difficult because the refrigerator had to be moved. Now with the Beam Wonderwand Floor Hugger it is easy to clean beneath and behind refrigerators and other hard-to-move appliances and furniture. This narrow attachment slips beneath and behind the unit to remove trapped dust, dirt and allergens quickly and easily."

A central vacuum system is the best choice for cleaning if you have allergies, asthma, or just care about your indoor air quality. Click on the link below to find all the choices available to you.

http://www.vachelp.com