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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. |
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Clean &
Easy |
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Bag - Bagless - Cyclonic |
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It All Depends on Just How Close
You Want To Get
To Your Dirt.. |
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Just
Unclip
& Empty! |
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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.
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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. |
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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..
u
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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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.
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Mold and Pollen
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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
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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. |
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Household Roach
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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. |
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Common Pet Dander
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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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