Central Vacuum system (paint, smell, ceilings, installing)
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Ours is not just a few years old; it is more like 40. But I did want to comment on central vacuum systems. I do not know if they are worth the trouble. Yes; some jobs we do appreciate having one - like vacuuming our cathedral ceilings (we have long hose wands). But, in general; it is a pain to get out all of the hose that we need to reach everyplace we have to reach. I think our hose is 25 feet long and then you need storage to wind it up afterwards. We have Dysons and Sharks stand up vacuums - I think we like the Sharks better and it is a lot quicker winding up an electrical cord than it is winding up a long vacuum hose + they are easy to manuver.
Ours is not just a few years old; it is more like 40. But I did want to comment on central vacuum systems. I do not know if they are worth the trouble. Yes; some jobs we do appreciate having one - like vacuuming our cathedral ceilings (we have long hose wands). But, in general; it is a pain to get out all of the hose that we need to reach everyplace we have to reach. I think our hose is 25 feet long and then you need storage to wind it up afterwards. We have Dysons and Sharks stand up vacuums - I think we like the Sharks better and it is a lot quicker winding up an electrical cord than it is winding up a long vacuum hose + they are easy to manuver.
I've heard the newer systems have the ability to be hidden within the walls using a "hide a hose" system. I've purchased the nicer vacuums and to be honest haven't had much luck. They are a pain in the butt to maintain and seem to never work the same after 6 months. I like the idea of a well organized central vacuum system.
I've heard the newer systems have the ability to be hidden within the walls using a "hide a hose" system. I've purchased the nicer vacuums and to be honest haven't had much luck. They are a pain in the butt to maintain and seem to never work the same after 6 months. I like the idea of a well organized central vacuum system.
I did look at the following YouTube video on Hide-A-Hose central vacuuming system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4wwal5FQZE. And, in that video, they did point out how clumsy the long vacuum hoses of old systems, like ours, could be. We store ours in one drawer of an old chest - but it can be a pain. However, looking at their video; I did see one potential problem - clogs in the hose. These long hoses can develop clogs when something goes up them that should not be there. With our detached, pain in the butt long hose; we can reverse the flow of air through the hose and clear the clog. Both ends of our hose will fit in our wall outlets. I do not know how you would get a clog out of the Hide-A-Hose since the one end is hidden in the wall? It might be a problem.
Our is a NtTone. Beyond that I can't tell you the details. It seems like te whole deal was about $1,000, or less. I may not be remembering correctly, but it wasn't a fortune.
OP, is you house built? Not sure how you retrofit a central vac system. Run it in the attic and do drop downs, or the basement and pop up in the walls or floor.
Assuming it is new in the studs and running the pvc pipe and the accompanying wires. When the housie is finished sheet-rocking and painted they come back and install the vac portion and the conduit covers.
Quick, easy, reliable...and doesn't cost much to get a more powerful system which hardly ever needs a new bag.
Old house retro DIY? I cannot imagine a worse nightmare. Let someone else do it.
Our is a NtTone. Beyond that I can't tell you the details. It seems like te whole deal was about $1,000, or less. I may not be remembering correctly, but it wasn't a fortune.
OP, is you house built? Not sure how you retrofit a central vac system. Run it in the attic and do drop downs, or the basement and pop up in the walls or floor.
Assuming it is new in the studs and running the pvc pipe and the accompanying wires. When the housie is finished sheet-rocking and painted they come back and install the vac portion and the conduit covers. Yes its a new construction and the walls won't be up for a while. I want to take my time and plan stuff accordingly. Which is why i'm tempted to get a system like this.
Quick, easy, reliable...and doesn't cost much to get a more powerful system which hardly ever needs a new bag. Does the system you got have a hose that sucks away into the wall or do you have to connect it every time you use it?
Old house retro DIY? I cannot imagine a worse nightmare. Let someone else do it.
I plan on doing this myself. Most of this stuff isn't complicated, I just wanted to get opinions from people who recently installed one.
My system has a hose which attaches to the outlet, which has a remote switch. I have to take the hose off and store it. I didn't have sufficient room in my walls for a retractable system.
If you have time, should be a reasonable DIY project. You go in after the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing guys are done. Requires a little imagination to get the runs done with minimal turns. Don't forget to have the electrician install a power outlet in the basement where you expect to mount the vacuum unit.
The additional power makes it worth the time and money.
Has anyone had one installed recently? (within a couple years)
Can you go into details on the brand, price, options, did you install yourself or hire a pro, etc...
i'm thinking about installing one but really don't know where to start.
I installed one in a house under construction for myself. I needed a very big electric drill and a special size spade bit for the holes. The thinwall PVC pipe was easy to work with and can be cut with a very large tubing cutter. You can use a demo saw but you'll need to deburr the cuts.
You should have an outlet next to the vacuum ports for a motorized beater brush. We placed the motor drive out in the garage with a vent to the outside.
Love not having the noise and the smell in the room while we clean.
Went back and squirted urethane foam around the pipes where they went thru structure to prevent rattling.
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