CENTRAL VACUUM - F.A.Q.’s

Q. What exactly is a central vacuum?

A. As opposed to an upright or canister vacuum that forces you to carry around the motor and the dirt, a central vacuum motor and its dirt receptacle are typically mounted on the wall in the garage. Because of that a central vacuum motor can be much bigger and hence more powerful. In fact, a central vacuum system is generally 3 to 5 times more powerful than an upright or canister vacuum! The vacuum piping is generally run in the attic and walls to inlet plates around the house where you simply plug in the vacuum hose for much more convenient cleaning.

Q. Aren’t they more expensive?

A. Some upright vacuums are much more expensive than an installed central vacuum, but the fact is, our Beam central vacuums are warranted for a full nine years and many are still going strong after decades of use! How many upright vacuums have you purchased over the last few decades and compare that to the one time cost of a central vacuum.

Q. So, with the piping in the walls, what happens when it gets clogged?

A. The power behind a central vacuum system leaves very little chance for a clog happening. However, it can happen on rare occasions but even then it usually happens in the hose itself. The nozzle of the hose handle is the smallest diameter opening throughout the entire system. If an object makes it past there, it’s going all the way out to the dirt receptacle in the garage.

Q. What about bags and filters?

A. Our Beam central vacuums don’t use bags –there is a plastic dirt receptacle that you simply detach and empty. And our vacuums use a permanent gore-tex filter that is effective with dirt particles as small as .03 microns (the size of a smoke particle) and never needs replacing!

Q. How often do I need to empty it?

A. That varies by the size of your house and how often you vacuum of course, but 2 or 3 times a year is average.

Q. I have tile and hardwood floors, why would I need a central vacuum system?

A. Would you rather sweep and mop your floors all the time? You have to clean those floors somehow, right? The whole point of a central vacuum is that 100% of the dirt and dust it picks up gets taken out of the living area of your home –the type of surface getting cleaned is irrelevant. Our customers even find that they have to dust less often in between vacuum cleanings because the dust doesn’t get stirred up with a central vacuum, unlike a broom or even a dust-mop.

Q. I can use my upright vacuum’s hose as a dusting tool. Can a central vacuum do that?

A. We can do that and more! Because you’re just handling the end of the hose and not dragging a motor and bag of dirt, and because you can attach whatever cleaning tool you want, cleaning virtually any surface in the house is much more convenient with a central vacuum.