More Central Vacuum Information

Sanitaire Commercial SC899 Cleans the White House

Check out this photo from the White House website.  They are using Sanitaire commercial uprights to clean the Oval Office.  I think we can assume that they are using them to clean the rest of the White House, too.  The particular model shown here is the Sanitaire SC899.  This really is a deep cleaning machine, and at $349 the price is actually very affordable.  The model they are using has a 16" cleaning path and shake-out bag...but we can outfit this machine with a paper bag, if that is what you prefer. 
Again, $349 is really a reasonable price, and it always makes me happy to know that the government is saving money somewhere. (of course I am assuming they paid $349, when in reality they could have purchased them on a government contract for $1000 each!)

Check out the features of the Sanitaire SC899 on our website, or call us at 1-800-221-8227 if you need more information. (If you are reading this, Mrs. Obama, and you paid more than $349, do your part to balance the budget, give us a call, we can save the government money on their vacuum cleaners!)

Central Vacuum Motor for Cyclonic Systems

I'm counting down my favorite blog posts of 2009, and this next one is definitely at the top of my list for two reasons...

1.  Finally customers can see for themselves that the motors in cyclonic central vacuum systems are designed to keep dirt and dust OUT of the motor.  The actual motor components are never exposed to any dirt an dust.  I love it when myths are debunked and this post definitely settles once and for all the issue of dirt passing through cyclonic motors.

2.  My daughter, Faith, is featured in the video explaining the tangential bypass motor.  (Faith is part of the team at Central Vacuum Stores.  There's a country song by Martina McBride that reminds of of Faith if says..."everyone that sees you always wants to know you and everyone that knows you always has a smile..." You can listen to the song here)

• I Just Call You Mine by Martina McBride

Then watch Faith on one of my favorite blog posts of 2009...

Recently we were given a cut-away Lamb Ametek tangential bypass motor.   This is the motor that is used in true cyclonic central vacuum systems.  We thought you would all like to see how this motor works, so we let Faith Elliott, our Professional Engineer, make a short YouTube video explaining in plain terms (she calls the armature and carbon brushes the "guts" of the motor) how this type of motor works. Seeing is believing, and once you see this video you will understand that in a true cyclonic system the dirt, dust, and fine particles you pick up do not enter the  chamber of the central vacuum motor that houses the armature and carbon brushes. Take a look at the true cyclonic systems on our website. Just click the video if you would like to view a larger version on YouTube.

Veterinarians Choose Latest Central Vacuum Accessory

Last week we finished installing a central vacuum system in the Bird and Animal Hospital located in Clearwater, Florida.  This is an impressive practice with extremely skilled veterinarians...we trusted them enough to let them do some surgery on our dog son, Rush  (we adopted Rush when he was two days old because his mother tried to kill the puppies).

The Bird and Animal Hospital decided to install our brand new HolsterVac as part of their system.  This is the perfect place to use the HolsterVac, and we are finding our online veterinarian customers are also choosing it for their offices. 
In addition to vets, we have sold the product to light manufacturers for their work stations and to other central vac dealers who want the HolsterVac on their workbench.  Homeowners also love the HolsterVac for their garage spaces, laundry rooms and workbenches. 

The HolsterVac was recently highlighted in the VDTA (Vacuum Dealer's Trade Association) monthly trade magazine (you can find a link to the article here), and soon it will be featured on a well known home improvement television show (watch this blog for more details).

The HolsterVac was Roger's brain-child, so take a look at the video where he demos the product....or visit our website to learn more about the HolsterVac.  Order by Monday, and you can have the HolsterVac in time for Christmas.

Central Vacuum Systems and Pets: Helping Your Dog Overcome His Fears

I know there are lots of customers out there who would like to vacuum their pet, but their dog or cat is afraid of the vacuum.  You're not alone.  Our dog is definitely afraid of the vacuum. It seems almost Freudian, considering the line of work we are in. You can see it on one of our homemade youTube videos.  Watch our dog run from the vacuum. 

Evidently, according to yesterday's Wall Street Journal,(read the article here) there are lots of pets who are threatened by the  Roomba robotic vacuum. In fact, so many pets try to attack their owner's Roomba there is now an online forum dedicated to that subject.  Here's the online advice (according to the Journal). When your dog is trying to attack the Roomba, shake your finger at it and say, "Bad Roomba, you're a bad Roomba". Evidently this calms the dog.  So, I'm thinking when our dog, Rush, starts barking at the mailman I need to run outside and start scolding him, "Bad mailman, you're a bad mailman".  If any of you want to try it when your dog starts attacking your central vacuum hose, let me know if it works.

For those of you who have pets that love to be vacuumed, don't forget the great pet attachments on our website.  See our selection of pet attachments.

Central Vacuum Makes Top 500, Thanks to our Customers

TOP 500

Every year Internet Retailer magazine comes out with a list of the Top 500 Internet Retailers in the country.  On May 12, 2008 their 2008 list came out and Central Vacuum Stores made the list!  We are so excited! Here's a link to the site with our name on it!  Internet Retailer's Top 500 List

We want to thank all our customers for their business and loyalty.  It is because of all of you that we were able to  squeak into this prestigious spot. (and I mean squeak, we are #495!)  We look forward to serving you all in the future, and tell your friends about us, so we can continue to be a part of the Top 500 Internet Retailers  in the U.S.

Is Vacuuming a Pain in the Neck?(or Back)

When I was in high school Hoover came out with a self-propelled vacuum cleaner.   I remember because I used to sell them.  The idea was to offer a vacuum that was easy to push for folks suffering from back and shoulder pain.  Unfortunately, self-propelled vacuums weighed so much, it kind of defeated the purpose of being self-propelled.  When customers objected to the weight they told us to tell people to plug in the vacuum and turn it on before they took it out of the closet so they could use the self propelled feature to back it out....that is the honest to goodness truth...and now you understand why the Hoover Company has lost significant market share and is owned by a Chinese company.

Well, the good news is, central vacuum systems are much easier and lighter to use than traditional vacuum cleaners.   However, if you vacuum improperly you might still find yourself experiencing back and/or shoulder pain.  You can hire a maid, which is a short term solution, but you might want to also consider strengthening your body.

Last year I found a company called Real Health.  They are located in the Tampa Bay Area.  After the most thorough assessment I have ever had, they prescribed a series of exercises and stretches for the many aches and  pains I lived with on a daily basis.  Today, almost a year later, I am amazed at the difference their program has made.  They looked at my weaknesses and developed a plan that included corrective and strength building exercises. 

Neil Habgood, the owner of Real Health, has been kind enough to write a short article describing an exercise that will be beneficial to those who have difficulty vacuuming.  I really wanted to give our customers this information.  I think it might really help some of you.  If you live in our area, Neil has also included a gift certificate for a free assessment.  Take a look at Neil's article and visit his website to learn more about what they do at Real Health.

Download vacuum.pdf
Real Health Website

Central Vacuum Systems Vented Outside Add Green Building Points

I have really mixed feelings about all this "green" stuff.  Some aspects of  "green" living seem to be very legitimate, and other angles seem, well frankly, bogus.  But whether I like it or not, I think it is here to stay with us, so we need to sort out what is true and what is hype.  In the latest copy of the NAHB green building standard, on page 73, section 902.10, you will find that builders, hoping to accumulate green points, get 5 points for a central vacuum system exhausted outside. There are a couple of interesting things to consider...first you only get the points if you vent that system outside.

Having been in this industry for several decades, I firmly believe that unless it is impossible, every central vacuum system should be vented outside. This is the only way to guarantee that you are not venting dust back into your home. If you have ever had a central vacuum system or been around a home with a central system that was not vented outside, you know that after a couple of years the system begins to smell like dust,your animals, or dirt. When you vent outside this simply does not happen. We used to have a system in our home that was not vented outside.  We also had an Irish Setter, who was sweet, but smelly. When you would turn on our un-vented central vacuum system our entire garage would smell like Rusty. After Rusty went on to the squirrel hunting ground in the sky, he was never far from us...all we had to do was turn on the vacuum and we could smell him.  So if I were judging, I would say a central vacuum system vented to the outside really will improve the indoor air quality of a home. 

Secondly, if you get your hands on a copy of the entire green building standard it is obvious that a central vacuum system might be one of the very easiest, and least costly ways to accumulate five points. If you are considering a green building project, a central vacuum system is really an important component.

Understanding that living green is extremely important to many of our customers, we created a "Living Green" page to help them determine which products on our website are the best green choices.  Take a look if you are interested.

Green Central Vacuum Information   

Central Vacuum System Helps Eliminate Fleas

We love our dog, Rush.  He has short hair and spends most of his time indoors, so, thus far we have managed to avoid any real issues with fleas.  However, for 13 years we had an Irish Setter, Rusty the Wonder Dog.  He was perfect in almost every way.  That means he smelled and we constantly battled fleas.  Fleas can be a real problem for pet owners.  Someone sent me this article and I thought I would pass it on to our friends and customers.  The article discusses the effectiveness of vacuuming to control fleas.  A central vacuum would be the very best way to tackle this because those nasty little fleas would all go into the dirt canister, which is usually located away from your living space.  Many people are not aware that central vacuum systems can be retrofitted into existing homes, and the cost is usually much less than expected. 

Read more about vacuums and flea control

Compare central vacuum systems here

A Brief History of Central Vacuum Systems

Our resident research specialist, Sean O'Connor came upon this really interesting article about the history of central vacuum systems.  Sean has a vast knowledge of all the products we sell at Central Vacuum Stores and is always looking for more information to share with our customers.  In his search he sometimes finds great articles.  Take a look at this brief history of central vacuum systems and don't forget to visit our website at https:www.centralvacuumstores.com for all kinds of technical information about central vacuum systems.
Here's the link to the article:  http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/2002/jan-feb/vacuum.shtml

Central Vacuum Installation Instruction Booklet

At Central Vacuum we  have written and published our own instruction booklet.  It is really quite excellent.  You can view it on our website at https://www.centralvacuumstores.com/cvs/install_1.  We also have it in pdf format so you can actually print out the entire booklet.  Here is another email from a satisfied customer who really appreciated our instruction booklet.

Dwight,

I wanted to send you a short note to tell you how pleased I am with the
central vac system I purchased from you and installed in my home.  The
great kit, coupled with your insightful instructions made the job easy
enough for me to complete in a couple of weekends.

The only bad thing I learned is that I hate blocking studs!

Regards,

Brian R.
Director, Quality Assurance