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Central Vacuum Systems

Do you want a Cleaner and Healthier Home?

A Central Vacuum System will make cleaning your home quick and easy. It will also keep the air quality healthy by taking the dirt and dust out of your home.

ADI can install a Central Vacuum System in your home or service your existing system. Call or email today for a free quote or keep reading if you would like to know more about Central Vacuum Systems.

BENEFITS

Central Vacuum systems have become very popular over the last few years. Typically, Vacuum inlets are installed around your home, allowing coverage of the entire house. Instead of dragging a heavy Vacuum around the house (especially up and down stairs), you have a light weight hose and Vacuum head that is easy to use. The main suction unit is installed in the garage or mechanical room. Also, Central Vacuum systems will help keep the air quality inside your home clean. With a normal vacuum, pollen and micro dust particles escape the bag as you vacuum and become airborne for all to breath. With a Central Vacuum system all of the dirt, dust and pollen are taken out of your home and into the garage or mechanical room. Finally, the exhaust from the Central Vacuum can be vented to the outside of the house to make sure that all micro particles end up outside of your home. The main unit is bigger and more powerful than a standard Vacuum.

INSTALLATION

Central Vacuum systems are typically installed in new construction, while the walls are open. They can be installed in existing homes, but the price of labor can get high. If there is an unfinished basement or crawl space, then it will be easier and cheaper. You would typically have some number of Vacuum inlets, PVC pipe that runs from these inlets to the main unit, the main unit itself, and some accessories (see below).

THE SYSTEM

The Central Vacuum system consists of the following parts:

  • In-wall inlets--The standard in-wall inlets are mounted in the wall, and are positioned around your home so that you have coverage of all floor surfaces. There are two types of inlets. Integrated power or external power. To make the difference more clear, lets look at the parts of a normal Vacuum. In a normal Vacuum, you have a motor that provides suction, and one that provides the brush rotation used to beat the carpet (sometimes one motor does both functions). With a Central Vacuum system, the unit that supplies suction is mounted in a central location (garage or mechanical room). Since the head unit of the Central Vacuum requires power (110 volts AC) to function, it must be supplied by the system. With the integrated inlet, the 110 volts is supplied through contacts in the inlet. So, when you plug in the hose, that's the only connection you need! With the external power inlet, you must plug the hose in to the inlet on the wall AND a normal 110 volt plug into a standard electrical outlet nearby. The integrated power inlet is the best and most convenient way to go. The external power inlet is often used in existing construction, since no electrical work is required. 
  • Suction Powered head unit--A fairly new option offered by Dirt Devil uses the suction of the main unit to turn the brush in the head unit. So there is no need for AC power to the head unit at all! The good news is that you can save money by not having to have AC power at every inlet. It does take a small amount of time for the brush to spin up when you turn on the system but it is hardly noticeable.
  • Vacuum-pan inlets--A Vac-pan inlet is typically used in a kitchen area, or anywhere that you have hard floor surfaces (tile, hard wood, Linoleum, etc.). They are mounted at the floor level, either in the wall, or in the bottom of a cabinet. The idea is that you would sweep the floor with a normal broom, push the "on" switch on the Vac-pan with your foot, and then sweep the debris into the Vac-pan, which is then sucked in to the main unit's filter.
  • The main unit--The main unit of the Central Vacuum system is the unit that provides the suction and filtering for the system. All of the inlets in the system are terminated at this unit, which could be mounted in the garage or mechanical room. In large homes, multiple main suction units may be used. Some of the options you will have in selecting this unit would be the power of the system. Most Central Vacuum manufacturers have several models with different amounts of suction power. The difference in power really is just based on the size of the system (number of inlets and length of pipe used). The filtering system is a matter of preference. They will either use bags (like your normal vacuum) or be a bag-less system that hold the debris. I like the bag-less systems, so that you don't have to worry about buying and replacing bags. Also, some systems have micro filters to catch and trap even smaller particles. At ADI we proudly install Beam and Dirt Devil Central Vacuum systems.
 dirt devil central vacuum unit and muffler
Dirt Devil Central Vacuum Unit and Muffler

ACCESSORIES

Here are some of the things you will be asked to buy with your Central Vacuum system:

Hoses can be purchased in different lengths, like 25 or 40 feet. If the inlets are positioned correctly, the 25 foot length should be fine.

  • Hose sock--If you have hard wood floors, dragging the hose across it can scratch the floor. A hose sock is a soft cloth cover that installs over the hose to keep it from scratching the floor.
  • Tool kit--This kit typically has things like a crevice tool, upholstery tool, floor tool, etc.
  • Car Kit--This kit has tools that are made specifically for cars like a small powered head and different crevice tools.

PRICE

A typical Central Vacuum system will cost between $800.00 and $2500.00. Some of things that will affect the cost of the system are:

  • Number of inlets (more inlets=more money)
  • Number of Vac-pans (Vac-pans cost more than standard inlets and require more labor)
  • Size of the house (a larger house will use more inlets and pipe)
  • Main unit size (a larger house will have a more powerful and expensive unit or multiple units)
  • Accessories