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ABS
A high impact plastic
polymer made of Acylonitile, Butadiene and Styrene. This
combination provides a high gloss finish that incorporates
manmade rubber to provide many, many years of maintenance
free use. It also dampens the natural sound made by an
electric motor.
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Airflow
When a vacuum cleaner
is started, it creates a vacuum or an area of low pressure.
Outside air rushes in to fill this vacuum. This rush of air
or airflow is controlled and directed for maximum cleaning
efficiency.
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Air Watts
The Higher The
Air Watts... The Better The Pick Up!
 Airwatts
is a combination of water lift (suction) and CFM (airflow).
This is the truest measure of cleaning power. 99% of all
central vacuum manufactures measure the power of their units
by Airwatts. Maximum Airwatts is
recognized by the American Society of Testing and Materials
(ASTM) as the best way to measure the actual cleaning power
of a central vacuum system.
Other misleading terms such as Airflow, CFM's
and Waterlift are not a true measurement of power, but
rather part of an equation that equals Airwatts.
Airwatts = CFM's x
Waterlift divided by 8.5
u
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 Amperage
(amps)
Represents the amount
of electrical current consumed by the motor during use.
Ampere is to
electricity, as gallon is to water; a measure of quantity.
Armature
The part of the motor
that rotates, and on the end of which vacuum fans are
mounted. A quality armature is mounted on ball bearings, and
protected from incoming vacuum air that has been heated and
dirtied.
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Attachments
While the central vacuum unit
is the heart of your system, it is the cleaning accessories
that not only determine your enjoyment and satisfaction with
your system, but are an equal contributor to cleaning
performance. Just like an automobile that has a high
performance engine but lacks adequate suspension, tires and
brakes, so too will your central vacuum performance suffer
with cheaper accessories.
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Bypass Cooling
A separate stream of
air that cools the motor; different from the air that draws
dirt from the home.
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CFM
(Cubic Feet
Per Minute)
 This
measures the "volume" of air the motor is capable of moving
and works in tandem with "Suction". Airflow can be a bit confusing however,
since performance measurements are taken from the motor and
do not factor any resistance found in a typical central vacuum
system. Filtration, piping, hoses and accessories all
restrict and reduce the amount of actual Airflow a system
has. While Airflow is important to system performance,
Suction or the "pulling of air" maintains the Airflow
velocity necessary to sweep dirt and debris away at the hose
end where vacuuming takes place.
CFM is NOT a true measure of suction, however it
is a form of measurement and part of the equation when
measuring Air Watts. This is a misleading measurement
of suction power. Please note certain companies will lower
this number in order to inflate
the waterlift. This is done to influence a consumer by making the suction
power appear stronger - Wrong!
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Clogs
This is the number one concern for anyone considering
purchasing a central vacuum. The truth is that it is highly
unlikely. The hose is 1 1/4" in diameter, and some offer a
better airflow at 1 3/8" diameter. The vacuum tubing in the
walls is 2" in diameter. Any clogging that does occur is
likely to be in the hose or at the valve inlet. A clog that
cannot be cleaned manually can usually be vacuumed out by
reversing the suction. If necessary, most power units can be
lifted off the wall and used like a utility vacuum to suck
the clog out of the offending valve.
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Cyclonic Action
Cyclonic action
describes the natural action found in a tornado. In a vacuum
with cyclonic filtration, the air carrying the dust and
debris moves through a tornado action. The air swirls
downward in a cone-shaped pattern. At the bottom of the
cone, it starts swirling upward again, inside the downward
cone. Thus this is sometimes called a 'reverse' tornado
action or 'dual cyclonic action'. The vast majority of the
debris separates from the air steam as air reaches the
bottom of the swirl, and is deposited in the dirt container.
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 Decibels
- Sound Level
While decibels are a
measurement of a sound volume, the average human ear can
perceive a significant difference in volume between 5
decibels.
Manufacturers who offer quiet units will provide a decibel
rating for their units indicating how quiet their units are.
The lower the
decibels level, the quieter the unit...PERIOD! |
Fan
The fan is the
combination of blades that spin around to create the airflow
to produce the
vacuuming action.
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HEPA
HEPA stands for High
Efficiency Particle Arrestor, used to reduce the number of
contaminants in indoor air. A HEPA filter will arrest or
stop 99.97% of all particles .3 microns or larger.
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This is highly
recommended for allergy suffers.
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Horsepower
The physical ability to
lift 550 lbs dead weight one foot in one second. (550 lbs is
two big refrigerators) Peak Horsepower occurs in an electric
motor the first nanosecond after the switch is closed. It is
the spike of energy required to overcome the inertia of the
armature mass at rest.
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Hoses -
Crushproof & Wire Reinforced
A central vacuum
hose, more than any other component, impacts the overall
performance of your central vacuum. The reason for this is
friction which occurs inside the length of hose. Crushproof
style hoses suffer considerably less performance loss than
their wire reinforced counterparts, this is because the
interior of a crushproof hose is smooth thus resulting in
less turbulence. Therefore choosing a hose which is
crushproof over a wire reinforced hose will give you better
cleaning power right away. Basically there are two types of
hose construction available, crushproof or wire reinforced.
Most companies offer the crushproof style hose simply
because it has superior benefits such as being light weight,
offers better airflow and being that it is "crushproof", it
springs back to shape after being stepped on or crushed.
Even the diameter of a hose results in performance gain or
loss. Choosing a hose which has a diameter of 1-3/8"
compared to 1-1/4" results in most cases a 20% improvement
in airflow performance. When choosing a hose for your
system, make sure that it turns the unit and the power
nozzle "on" and "off". In addition, the hose you choose
should also be equipped with a 360 degree swivel handle.
This reduces hose tangle and wrist strain. |
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Crushproof
Hoses Are Better
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Motor Brushes
The sliding contacts
that provide electrical power between the stationary stator
and the rotating armature of an electrical motor. Brushes
are the most wearable part of an electric motor, and should
be replaced every few hundred hours or few years of
operation.
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Paper Bag
With a bag unit, the incoming dirt is separated from the air
stream by the bag. Different brands use cloth bags, paper
bags or both. The air is filtered before going through the
motor thus extending motor life. There is also
no need to exhaust the
system outside because the exhaust air is relatively clean.
This method is the most clean and hygienic way.
Paper bags eliminate mold and
bacteria from growing. No cleaning of the
canister is required.
Takes 30 seconds to change a bag. Just that easy.
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Polycarbonate
A high performance
plastic, engineered to be tough and robust. It is used for
strength and durability. Polycarbonate resists scratching,
has an attractive sheen, and is the same plastic as the
so-called 'bulletproof glass'.
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Power Nozzle
Designed to loosen
stubborn dirt in carpets, and make it available for removal
by the
air flow. Power nozzles are optimally designed to remove
dirt. The beater bar agitates and vibrates
the carpet, to loosen the type of dirt that can get down
between carpet fibers, like sand.
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Sealed Bearings
Often used in high
quality motors to prevent dust and debris from entering the
motor bearing area.
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Sealed Suction
Measures the maximum
suction generated by the motor without airflow.
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Stage
This indicates the
number of sets of fan blades in a vacuum motor. Each fan -
set of blades - increases the vacuum, or speed at which air
is drawn through the system. The first fan starts air
movement; the second increases it, and if there is a third
fan it increases airflow still more. Thus the greater the
number of fans the more powerful the vacuum.
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Suction
The actual vacuum
created by the fans in the vacuum motor.
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Teflon
Slippery, non-stick material.
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Turbo Nozzles (Air
Driven)
Turbo Nozzles run off the
airflow of your central vacuum system only. No electrical
cords or electricity are required, meaning the is a less
powerful nozzle. This is for low pile carpeting and some
medium pile carpeting only.
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Vacuum
A total vacuum is the
absence of everything, even air. Vacuum cleaners actually
create a partial
vacuum, or more accurately, an area of reduced air pressure,
as air moves outward within the fan. Airflow is created as
air with normal air pressure moves toward the area with the
reduced air pressure.
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Voltage (Volts)
A measure of the
electrical potential employed by a vacuum motor. Typically,
motors require common household current; 110-120 in North
America; 240 volts in other parts of the world. Voltage is
to electricity as pressure is to water; a measure of
potential or driving force.
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Waterlift
This
measures the suction strength of a central vacuum motor.
Essentially, it tells how much "pull" or "lift" power the
motor has. This measurement is always taken at its maximum
value, the 0" inch orifice (sealed vacuum) where suction
is at it's greatest. Since this measurement is taken from
the 0" orifice, it is very misleading. This measurement does
not take into account piping, hoses or accessories etc.,
thus giving a false measurement of power. Often referred to as Inches or Waterlift
or Vacuum, Suction is vital to overall system performance
since it is the "pull power" that maintains Airflow though
the complex network of vacuum pipe, hose and accessories.
While Airflow is necessary for a vacuum cleaner to work,
suction creates the lift and velocity of air which sweeps
dirt away.
Waterlift is NOT a true measure of suction, however it
is a form of measurement and part of the equation when
measuring Air Watts. This is the most misleading measurement
of suction power. Please note certain companies will inflate
this number to influence
a consumer by making the suction
power appear
stronger - Wrong!
Airwatts = CFM's x
Waterlift divided by 8.5
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