More Central Vacuum Information

Pictures of a Nutone Intercom Installation Upgrade

Today, I'll post my last few "favorite" blogs of 2009.  This next one qualifies as a favorite, because it is typical of our incredible customers.  You guys are always sending us pictures and comments, and it makes my job so much easier.  One of these days I'll catch up with posting all of your comments about your online shopping experience at Central Vacuum Stores, but until then, enjoy these photos from a customer who installed an intercom system in his home.

 I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Our customers are the greatest!  They are smart and resourceful, innovative and generous.  Yes, generous, because they take their time to send us emails and photos to post on this blog.  We just got these photos and details from a customer who upgraded their Nutone intercom system.  Take a look and notice their advice at the bottom of the page (Just click on the photo to enlarge).  Send us your pictures and we'll be sure to include them on this blog, or send us a video describing your installation or favorite part of your system, and we'll post it on our YouTube channel.

Nutone Intercom Patio Speakers

This week we are in Orlando with most of the family.  We visited Sea World, Discovery Cove, where they allow you to interact one on one with the dolphins, and today we visited Aquatica, Sea World's new water park. Six of our grandkids, ages 10 through 2 are with us, and  at the waterpark it took 7 adults to keep an eye on them!  I believe when you enter a theme park, as you walk through those turnstiles, they disperse an odorless, tasteless gas that acts as a stimulant on children.

Thankfully, at home we have a Nutone intercom with a patio station by the pool.  Over the years, if Roger was watching the kids by the pool and he needed something, all he had to do was use that patio station to call me from inside.  Or vice versa.  If you have a swimming pool, you need to seriously consider an intercom with a patio station by your pool. If you are thinking about Discovery Cove here's a short little youTube video I found describing the experience.

Nutone Intercom with Select Call Plus Music and Monitoring

With 50 years of experience, Nutone is the brand that has longevity in the intercom market.  I have a Nutone intercom model IM5000 in my home.  I really like the product because of the select call feature.  This means I can call specific rooms and they can talk back to me, hands free, without having everyone else hear  what we are saying.   We have two other intercoms with this same feature. 

The GE Smartcom and Valet System One both offer hands free select call.  What I like about the GE and Valet is the compact size.  The GE fits into a two gang box and the Valet, a three gang box.  They both use cat 5 wire, so if you have an old Nutone system you would have to rewire with cat 5. 

I have an iMi built into the wall above my intercom.  This product allows me to play music from my iPod over my intercom.  The Nutone and Valet offer mono for your music, but if music is important to you, the GE has true stereo

All three systems also have a door chime feature and allow you to talk to whoever is at your front door.  Finally, you can use all three systems to monitor specific rooms in your house.

For more information, take a look at these products on our site. Our intercom pages are full of great information, instruction manuals, installation guides, plus a great selection of intercoms from the top manufacturers in each product class.

iMi Music Interface
GE Smartcom
Nutone Intercom
Valet Intercom

OEM Built In Stereo PLUS iPod Compatability

At Central Vacuum we have been selling the OEM built-in stereo music system for a while.  For folks who don't need an intercom but want a nice built-in system with stereo speakers, this is a terrific product.  Well, we've gone one better and added an iPod adaptor to the system.  Now you can play music throughout your home from your OEM music system.  Take a look and call us if you have any questions.
OEM with Ipod adaptor

Valet Intercom System

My son, Nathan,  is here from Virginia for our family Christmas.  We all got together last night for a great Italian feast; pasta, gnocchi, meatballs, sausage, bracciole, red sauce, and an antipasta. Yum!   We opened presents afterwards, and as you can imagine, with seven children, five being under the age of six, bedlam ensued...but it was fun!  Everyone was here except out son, Thomas. He is a junior at Georgia Tech and this week is final exams, so he couldn't make it home.  Nathan told me I should blog about the Valet intercom system.  He retrofitted one in his two story house and he said it was really easy.  The Valet is nice because it is small and has select call which allows you to call privately between rooms. He also installed a small built-in cd player.   You can read more about the Valet  intercom on our website.
Valet Room
Station

OEM Built-In Stereo System

This is a great built-in music system that can interface with your intercom. We've sold these to homeowners and commercially to restaurants and bars.  All we hear is rave reviews.  Check it out on our website.

IW-SYS3 In-Wall Stereo System

Choose an audio unit to interface with your intercom...or stereo speakers for up to eight rooms Enjoy music throughout your home or office with space saving convenience. This elegant in-wall audio system plays CD´s as well as AM & FM radio stations. It is capable of driving 8 pair of 8 Ohm loud speakers. This unit has a number of outstanding features including a Digital Clock with Timer and Sleep functions complete with a full function Remote Control.

Video Intercom Security Solutions

In today's Wall Street Journal there is an article entitled "Wave of Home Invasions Puts the Wealthy on Alert".  The article says this past year several high profile individuals, including Warren Buffett, were victims of home invasions.  The journal believes that in many cases lax security opens the door to these brazen crimes.  They mention several steps that could reduce your risk of a home invasion.

1.  Don't accept unscheduled deliveries
2.  Update your home-security system
3.  Check backgrounds of employees and contractors

And last but not least is one we can help you with....
4.  Install a voice-video intercom system

We carry some really good voice-video intercom systems that are pretty simple for the do-it-yourselfer to install.  The simplest to install is the Aiphone JF series.  It has a really neat color picture.

KoCom makes a less expensive black and white version and you can actually buy the kit for around $180.
Be sure to check out these products on our website. 

An added benefit, beyond the security they offer, is the fact  that you can see who is at your door.  Once you have installed a voice-video intercom system you no longer have to answer the door to your pesky relatives.

Hopefully, you will never need the security these products provide, but it is better to be safe than sorry. We have been installing these for years in our local market, so call us if you have any questions. 1-800-221-8227