Disclaimer:
The information on this page reflects our opinions based upon our
many years of experience in the industry.
Before You Buy A
Central Vacuum, Find Out
Where The
Dirt Goes...
Clean &
Easy
Bag? Bagless? Cyclonic?
It All Depends On Just How Close
You Want To Get
To Your Dirt..
We've
done the research for you...
Just
Unclip
& Empty!
When vacuuming
up the dirt from your floors, you would like to know where
it's going. Most household vacuums let the dirt you just
cleaned up back in the room you were just cleaning. Many
central vacuum systems blow the dust right outside where the
wind can carry it away to a clean car or through an open
window, thus letting all the dirt back into your house. The
best place to put a central vacuum is in the garage where the
waste can be easily disposed of later, away from the general
living area. Having it in the garage makes the home
more quiet while vacuuming and disposing of the dirt is easy
with the trash cans being so close. The dirt isn't just
re-circulated back in to the house, but is actually taken
out of the house completely. Currently there
are four methods of filtration currently used for central
vacuums. 1) Paper Bag System 2) Bagless With Self Cleaning
Filter 3) Filtered Cyclonic Action With Fixed Filter 4)
True-Cyclonic®
Action With Outside Exhaust
Do
You Know What's In Your Canister??? Many things
can be collected in your dirt canister such as household
dirt, hair, sand, skin flakes,
dust mites ,
pollen, bacteria, carpet fibers, smells, as well as,
other
lung damaging particles such as
mildew, rotting food
particles & pet dander.
You may also have such things as dead bugs, dead
spiders,
dead ants, dead lizards, dead flies... You get the
idea.
Watch the
following videos to see what's lurking in your house.
Consider This
Are you considering the purchase of a bagless central vacuum
cleaner?
If so, please allow us to share some thoughts on
this topic as you ponder the issue. On this page you will
read on several places that our quality technicians are firm
in their position that a bagged unit is the most hygienic
and scientifically substantiated method to dispose of
household dirt and lung-damaging particles. A dust cloud
around the wastebasket and washing dirty containers does not
paint a clean picture of hygienic dust removal, especially
if you have even the mildest case
of allergies or asthma. Try asking yourself; Would you use a kitchen
garbage
can without a
garbage bag? THAT WOULD JUST BE NASTY, SMELLY AND
DISGUSTING! * Did you know bagless
central vacuums give off a horrible dirt smell? It's not advised to be breathing in these germs which is a health risk to anyone with a set of lungs, especially for asthma and allergy sufferers. Many people contemplate bagless central vacuums
in order to avoid the cost of disposable replacement
bags. We believe the cost of a bag is a small price
to pay for securing your health and the protection of your
vacuum motor. Exposure to tiny, lung damaging
particles has been linked to many health issues.
Also, the smell of dirt,
dust, dead bugs, decaying food particles, bacteria, dust
mites, mold spores and microbes is very disgusting.
We will be the first to admit that a dump-out
system will have some performance loss as the dust collecting canister fills up. The fact is that all
systems will have a slight loss of performance over a period of
time. It is our opinion that semi-annual replacement of a
paper bag is, by far, more efficient with less hassle and
the benefits far outweighs the health risk of using a dump-out system.
Paper Bag System Overall Rating -
Excellent
Don't want to see everything you've vacuumed over the past
months? With a
bagged system, the incoming suction carries dirt and debris
from your floors. It is then separated from the air with a
paper or cloth style bag. By filtering the air at the same
time, it increases the life of your motor and releases
relatively clean air so there's no need to vent outside.
This method is the most clean and hygienic way.
Paper bags eliminate mold spores,
bacteria and fungi from growing. No cleaning of the
canister is required & there will be no dust in your face
upon dumping. A bagged unit is rated as the
best form of protection for allergy
sufferers and foul odors. A bag is also recognized as the first
line of defense in motor protection. Takes 20 seconds to
change a bag, with no mess no hassle. Just that easy. Bags need to be
changed once or twice a year.
These systems include..
Drainvac®, Powerstar®,
PurVac®, Nutone®, AirVac®, Dust Care®, Valet®, Hoover®, Brute®, Pullman-Holt®, Black & Decker®, Honeywell®, CycloVac®, Filtex®, Riccar®, Simplicity®, DuoVac®, WalVac®, Eureka®, AstroVac®, Aggresor®,
Cana-Vac®, Dynavac®, etc.
Bagless
With Inverted Filter Overall Rating - OK
With a bagless type unit, the dirt enters into the vacuum
canister with a tornado effect. It's this effect that
prevents the dirt from clinging to the filter. One advantage
is that the filter will protect your motor from dirt and
debris. When the vacuum unit is shut off all the dirt will
then drop to the bottom of the waste basket. Emptying the
bucket every 3 to 6 months into the trash to insure a clean
home is all you need to do.
This type of system should be exhausted outside of the
home. You will begin to lose suction and performance as the
canister fills up. Just unclip & empty.
Some steps such as shaking or washing off the loose dirt from the
filter, wiping down the inside of the bucket etc. may be
necessary when emptying.
Unfortunately, with this filtration type you cannot prevent
the build-up of mold, bacteria, dust mites, fungi and other harmful
pollutants, and foul odors. Every bagless central vacuum
smells horribly from all the dust, dirt, and allergens.
Remember what you smell is what you breathe in.
These systems include..
Eureka®, Nutone®,
Beam®, Electrolux®, Hoover®, AirVac®, Honeywell®, Dust Care®, etc.
Filtered Cyclonic Action With
Cartridge Filter Overall Rating -
Poor
In a filtered cyclonic unit, the heavier dirt falls down the
bottom of the canister, but instead of the lighter debris
going through the motor and outside, it is filtered out and
only the exhaust air is pushed out. Most
systems of this design have a fixed foam filter to sort out the
fine dirt and
debris. This filter needs to be removed and cleaned
often in order to maintain the same performance as if it was
brand new. As the canister fills up, you
will begin to lose suction and performance. With this type of unit you must
always vent
to the outside. Unfortunately,
with this filtration type you cannot prevent the build-up of
mold, bacteria, fungi and other harmful pollutants, and foul odors.
Every bagless central vacuum
smells horribly from all the dust, dirt, and allergens.
Remember what you smell is what you breathe in.
Dump canister at least 6 times a year. This filtration type
requires changing more often to prevent clogging and loss of
suction. You will also have to clean off your
filter each
and every time.
These systems include..
Hayden®, Electrolux® AB (Aerus)®, Dirt Devil®, Royal® & Vacuflo®
Bagless is
a dirty word!
Avoid
exhausting straight cyclonic
systems toward
car ports or
patio
eating areas.
True-Cyclonic® Action with
Outside Exhaust Overall Rating -
Very Poor
In a cyclonic unit, the dirty air is forced through the
vacuum chamber in a tornado style of movement. The heavier
dirt falls down the bottom of the canister and the lighter
dust is carried off through the motor and then exhausted
outside.
However..
Because of dirt build up in the fan blades, armature and
around the bearings the life of the motor is shortened due
to the all the finer dust particles passing through the
motor. This is
the same as opening the hood of the car and throwing dirt on
your engine. This makes for a messy clean up.
This is why virtually all manufacturers choose to use a
filter. In most cyclonic systems there is a screen or mesh
to protect the motor from hair and other debris. This
protection needs to be cleaned frequently in order to
properly maintenance peak performance. Care must be taken to
exhaust properly as you'll be pushing a lot of harmful air
pollutants, dust mite particles and as well as motor carbon
outside.
Unfortunately, with this
filtration type you cannot prevent the build-up of mold,
bacteria, fungi and other harmful pollutants, and foul odors.
Every bagless central vacuum smells horribly from all the
dust, dirt, and allergens. Remember what you smell is what
you breathe in.
Many built-in systems such as Vacu-Maid®, Vacuflo® and
Imperium® blow dust outside where a breeze can carry it onto
a clean car or through an open window back into the home.
The two leading causes of premature motor failure are dust
and heat. This is also regarded as the worst form of
filtration for allergy sufferers.
Dump canister at least 8 times a year. This vacuum type
requires changing much more often to prevent clogging and
loss of suction. You will also have to clean off your metal
screen each and every time you dump your canister to prevent
damaging the motor's fan blades. You will also need to clean
the upper inside of your canister with a damp rag or cloth.
All as per instructed in the
owners manual.
These systems
include... Vacu-Maid®,
Vacuflo®, and Imperium®
Important Things you Should
Know
Common Allergens Hiding in Every Central Vacuum
It's important to understand when dumping out the canister
of a central vacuum,
using a paper bag is certainly a healthier and more hygienic
way of disposing of your dirt, germs, bacteria, mold, and
other harmful substances.
Mold and Pollen
Mold & Pollen: Mold thrives in wet or moist areas of your home like the
kitchen and bathrooms, especially in shower stalls. These
mold spores can trigger allergies.
Food particles picked up by the vacuum can lead to the
growth of bacteria and mold inside of the canister.
Dust Mites
Dust Mites: Dust mites live
buried deep in your carpets, upholstery, and
mattresses. Their skin
and fecal matter break down into a fine powder that, when
disturbed, floats easily into the air you breathe causing
allergies to react.
Household Roach
Roaches: Roaches can be a powerful source of indoor allergens.
The most common are found in their digestive enzymes, saliva
and body parts. These allergens are easily stirred up by
movement in a room and combine with the rest of the dust in
the air, becoming potentially harmful especially to those
who suffer from asthma and allergies.
Common Pet Dander
Pet Dander: Pet dander, a common allergen in homes with pets, is
the shedding skin of
the animal. The pet dander is more likely to be the cause of
allergic reactions rather than the hair or fur. saliva, fur,
and dander of pets trigger allergic reactions. These
allergens are believed to affect up to 20% of North
Americans.
*none
of the manufacturers listed on this page are sponsoring,
or affiliated with Think Vacuums or Thinkvacuums.com
The
information provided is the opinion of ThinkVacuums.com
Company and product
names are trademarks
or registered trademarks
of their respective
companies.
Consider This
