Central Vacuum Systems: Making Housework Easier

One of the most tedious and therefore disagreeable housekeeping jobs is running the vacuum cleaner. One has to carry a heavy, portable vacuum cleaner from room to room, plug it in, and then vacuum the floor. Afterwords one has to empty the bag of dust and other debris, a messy job under the best of circumstances.

While the time when one's house will clean itself is still far off, there is a bit of technology available right now that will make vacuuming the house a lot easier. Just as homes now have central air conditioning and central heating, homes can now, with a little expense and work, have central vacuuming. Oddly enough, these systems have been available for the past fifty years.

How Does Central Vacuuming Work?

A central vacuum system consists of a number of parts. Spaced about the house, each covering about six hundred square feet of floor space, are inlets installed into the wall at floor level. The inlets are connected to tubing that snake behind the walls to a central power unit, in the utility room, basement, or garage, and a central receptacle. One would have a power hose with attached brush or another attachment that would connect to each inlet in turn for vacuuming. Each inlet might also have a built in dust pan so that one could just sweep dust and other debris into the inlet, best in rooms like kitchens which do not have carpets on the floors.

After the receptacle, which would be either a canister or bag, is full, one would just empty it unto the trash, which manufacturers claim would happen about once every three months. The system is controlled either by an on/off switch on the hose or by just attaching the hose to the inlet, obviating the need to turn on the central power unit every time one goes to a new room. The brush that is attached to the end of the hose is used to loosen dust and debris from a carpet being cleaned.

Types of Central Vacuums