Brad Prince, with over 26 years of installation experience , now stands by our phones to offer tech support to our online customers. Give him a call if you need any help;. 1-800-221-8227 He wanted to share this story:
While I was working last Saturday, a gentleman came in to purchase parts to finish his NuTone IMA-3303WH install. While he was looking around the show room he asked, "Could I install a vac system in a home with a flat roof and only enough room to lower 12-18 inches of tube at a time?" He really wanted to have the vac system and was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get it done.
In the past I’ve been on installs that put me in that same
situation. Gary Lamb,our top tube tech,has been in spaces that seem
humanly impossible to fit in. He has an incomprehensible attitude of
"whatever it takes" as he goes about the task. This "matter of fact" approach has served our customers well over the years and when they turn on
the switch of their central vacuum hose they are always delighted that their new vac is ready for
use.
The method of installing in small spaces is this:
1.You must adjust your position to be able reach the location with the tools and materials.
2.Drill a 2-9/16" hole,best done with Plumbers Kit right angle drill motor.
3.At the first piece of tube, tuck 4-6" of 2 cond. wire into tube end. Two inches past that, wrap wire against tube with cable tie. At the top of the tube in front of the stop coupling,place another cable tie. This will hold the tube in a position that will in able you to pull it back up through the hole if the tube and coupling fall past the hole opening. This infuriating situation can be a real setback if the above technique is not followed.
4.Once the length of tubing and wire are lowered to inlet opening, the connection to the mounting bracket and face plate can be made. Having a person to do this task will speed this process.
We know why customers want to have one of our central vacuum systems up and running in the home. Most of us have one, Gary too, and all of them were retrofits. The above technique applies to attic installs, the type of retrofit most common for those of us in Florida. Gary,being a fitness aficionado, gets ready by doing a series of stretches and other preparatory moves before retrofit installs. Smart,huh?
You don’t have to be a tube tech like Gary, who has installed literally miles and miles of tubing, to install a central vacuum system. But, with a little patience, our online instructions, our fine line of products, and experts on board to offer you advice, you can get this done.
(Gary is also a personal trainer so let us know if you need some tips on how to get in shape for attic installations.)
Check out our Central Vacuum Installation Manual
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