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Air Vac / M & S
AstroVac®
Beam
®                   New!
Black & Decker
Brute
Budd
Cana-Vac
Dirt Devil®
Drainvac        New!
DuoVac          New!
Dustcare
Easy-Flo
Electrolux
Eureka
Fasco
Filtex
Hayden           New!
Honeywell
Hoover          New!
MD Manufacturer
Nutone               New!
Patton
Power Star      New!
Pullman-Holt
PurVac 
             New!
Riccar
Sears / Kenmore
Sequoia
Signature
Simplicity
Smart
Vacuflo
Valet               New!
WalVac
Whirlpool
Zenex

 

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Before You Buy A Central Vacuum, Find Out
Where The Dirt Goes?
© 2005 Thinkvacuums.com - Any copying of the content and/or style  of this page is prohibited.


Clean & Easy

Bag  -  Bagless  -  Cyclonic

It All Depends on Just How Close
You Want To Get To Your Dirt..


Just Unclip
& Empty!

It is very important to know where the dirt goes after a vacuum cleaner picks it up off the floor. Most portables let a significant amount of dust get blown right back into the room you're vacuuming. Many built-in systems blow dust outside where a breeze can carry it onto a clean car or through an open window back into the home. Dirt should be taken out of the living room area where it can be disposed of easily and properly. Generally, the best place for a power unit is in the garage. This makes it quiet in the house while you are vacuuming and is convenient to empty the dirt into a trash can. Also, the dirt is taken out of your house completely, not merely re-circulated back into the air of your home. 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, dead skin flakes, dust mite feces, pollen, bacteria, carpet fibers, smells and may more lung damaging particles such as dander, rotting food particles & pet mildew.
You may also have such things as dead bugs, dead spiders,
dead ants, dead lizards, dead flies etc... You get the idea.

Consider This
Are you considering the purchase of a bagless 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!

Many people contemplate bagless vacuums in order to avoid the cost and time of shopping for replacement bags. We at Thinkvacuums.com 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, rotten food, bacteria etc. is very disgusting.

We will be the first to admit that a paper-bag system will have a tiny performance loss as the paper bag fills up, but we will also qualify that statement with the fact that all systems will have a loss of performance over a period of time. It is our contention that semi-annual replacement of a paper bag is, by far, more efficient with less hassle and the benefits far outweigh the loss in Airflow.

 

Paper Bag System
Overall Rating - Excellent

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 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. A bag is also recognized as the first line of defense in motor protection. Takes 20 seconds to change a bag, with no mess. Just that easy. Bags need to be changed 2-3 times a year.

These systems include..
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Drainvac, Powerstar, PurVac, Nutone, AirVac, Dustcare, Valet,
MD Manufacturing, Brute, Pullman-Holt, Black & Decker, Dustcare, Honeywell, Filtex, WalVac, Eureka, AstroVac®,
Cana-Vac, Dynavac, AirForce, Vacuflo etc.

Bagless With Inverted Filter
Overall Rating - Good

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. All you do is empty the bucket every 3 to 6 months into the trash can. This type of system should be exhausted out side of the home. As the canister fills up, you will loose suction and performance. Just unclip & empty. Empty canister 2-3 times a year. Some steps such as shaking 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, fungi and other harmful pollutants.

These systems include..
u
Beam
®, Nutone, Eureka, Electrolux, Hoover, AirVac Honeywell, Power Star, Dustcare, Cana-Vac, etc.

Filtered Cyclonic Action With Fixed Filter
Overall Rating - Poor

With a filtered cyclonic unit, the heavy dirt is allowed to drop into a bucket, but the light dust is filtered out before the dirty air goes though the motor. Most filtered cyclonic systems use a fixed foam filter to separate fine dust. This filter should be removed and cleaned frequently to maintain peak performance. As the canister fills up, you will loose 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.

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







Avoid exhausting straight cyclonic
systems toward
car ports or patio
eating areas.

True Cyclonic Action with Outside Exhaust
Overall Rating - Very Poor

With a cyclonic unit, the dirty air is allowed to enter the vacuum chamber and whirl around in a fashion similar to a cyclone or tornado, wherein the heavier dirt falls to the bottom into a bucket and the lighter dust is carried through the motor and exhausted outside the home.

However..

Motor life is generally shortened because of dirt build-up in the fan blades, armature and around the bearings due to all the finer 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. Most cyclonic systems have a screen or mesh to protect the motor from lint and hair. This screen must be cleaned frequently to maintain peak performance. Care must also be taken in exhausting outside as quite a lot of toxic air pollutants, dust mites and motor carbon. Unfortunately, with this filtration type you cannot prevent the build-up of mold, bacteria, fungi and other harmful pollutants. 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, Royal, Dirt Devil® and Imperium
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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.
   

 

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