ElectroLux Sidekick compatibility

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Air purifiers are generally like that. Way overpriced.

UV, ionizer, etc. don't make sense unless a person has major concerns, and they expose people to other problems to consider too.

HEPA appliances are sufficient for many folks, folks like me who deal with allergies to just about everything.

Of course, now HEPA filter replacements are like the printer toner catridge situation: the appliances are priced OK but the manufacturers milk their $$$ off the filters.

P.S. and I refuse to go back to Dyson-like bagless so pay the filter fees ;)
 
I have both the original, teal wrapped hoses (2x) that came with the 1205, and a replacement plastic hose that came with the SuperJ. So I've been using the replacement hose for my frankenmonster. Interestingly, the hose color is a kind of biege that matches that trim color of the 1205.
Asthetically, that was always a plus for Electrolux, as their factory hoses had a woven-in color that matched the tank model color. They were beautiful, but depending on use, they would leak/fray in time. I never made the extra effort to find matching hoses for my tanks. I have them now, because I bought all that old dealer stuff, but I never use them. I was hoping that when I got all that dealer stuff, the tool for making the electric hoses would be included. I'm pretty sure the dealer never had the tool, since there was no stock of blank hoses or ends.

Many of the OG salespeople here have mentioned the tool, but it was expensive, and so far, I've never seen a pic of it. With the first PNs, dealers just replaced the hoses with plastic hoses and carried the electric cord outside the hose with plastic clamps (I have lots of those in different colors). Salespeople would often send the hoses back to get matching colors, while Connecticut still had stock, or Connecticut would send back a new hose of whatever they had. Like broken G wheels, they sent back teal replacements for a while, but when the G went to bronze, you got bronze replacements. I've seen lots of Gs for sale with color-mismatched wheels. If a customer had an older tank, it wasn't so much about matching colors as it was about maintaining a functional vacuum. I've even seen dealers take post-G tanks and add a port so they could use the external cord and plastic hoses before aftermarket hoses with internal wiring were available. Any combination is possible, but even with my original new Diamond J back in the day, a new factory hose was $80, then went to $100 from the dealer... before there was Aerus.

On VL, some members have written about a lengthy band-aid process of internally repairing the leaking hoses. I've never been motivated to try any of that, and since I don't display my vacs, I don't care about matching hoses. But I do think the original hoses are lookers, especially the teal!

Kevin
 
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UV, ionizer, etc. don't make sense unless a person has major concerns, and they expose people to other problems to consider too.

HEPA appliances are sufficient for many folks, folks like me who deal with allergies to just about everything.

Of course, now HEPA filter replacements are like the printer toner catridge situation: the appliances are priced OK but the manufacturers milk their $$$ off the filters.

P.S. and I refuse to go back to Dyson-like bagless so pay the filter fees ;)
Lots of people have fibromyalgia or allergies and need something proactive going on all the time in their living spaces. Most central HVAC systems spread germs and bacteria throughout the home. But I agree, most can get by with HEPA appliances. I use HEPA bags on everything, but I think the imported bags/filters labeled HEPA aren't very well regulated/tested. Price could dictate authenticity...maybe.

Kevin
 
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Over here we don't have HVAC. I don't know if that is related, but not nearly as many people over here seem to have breathing problems, excluding hay fever.
Central HVAC systems are allergen and germ magnets if you have issues with them. One house I lived in had an electrostatic air filtration system within the central HVAC system. It was thousands, though, as an add-on, and there was maintenance involved as well. Never saw any dust with all the windows and doors shut. I don't know if the rest of the claims were legitimate.

Also, there are some schiester companies out there that come and clean your ductwork with vitamin C and other chemicals, using giant vacuum trucks. They can be as much as a $1,000 for the service, better off with the add-on electrostatic system long term.

Probably other factors are involved in your area, like 'lifestyle' as well. But I definitely think lack of central HVAC would be a good thing....

Kevin
 
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We have heat pumps that you know as mini-splits. They are 300-400% efficient , so 1 kw give you 3-4 kw of heat. They don't make heat, they capture it on one side and move the heat energy through a fluid to the other side.
I know them. If I had to do it again I would have specified mini-splits instead of a central heating and cooling system when we built our home.
 
Got the Perfect hose. Compared to the OE Electrolux, it's lighter. It seems to be OK. I had to push it into my Sidekicks about 6 times until everything clicked as it should have. Side by side, the same detents were visible. I don't know how to explain that. I could put a micrometer on the new versus the old, but I don't feel inclined to go down to my cold shop and do it. At least it works for now. Goes into my PNs OK too.

So all in, I'd say it's a winner for the price, and I'd buy another. Certainly better than the other aftermarket hoses that I don't/can't use with the Sidekicks.

Kevin
 
Got the Perfect hose. Compared to the OE Electrolux, it's lighter. It seems to be OK. I had to push it into my Sidekicks about 6 times until everything clicked as it should have. Side by side, the same detents were visible. I don't know how to explain that. I could put a micrometer on the new versus the old, but I don't feel inclined to go down to my cold shop and do it. At least it works for now. Goes into my PNs OK too.

So all in, I'd say it's a winner for the price, and I'd buy another. Certainly better than the other aftermarket hoses that I don't/can't use with the Sidekicks.

Kevin
That is good to know.
 
I know them. If I had to do it again I would have specified mini-splits instead of a central heating and cooling system when we built our home.
I had mini-splits in our previous home. Or rather, a multi-split (with one outdoor condensor and multiple indoor heads).

The problem here in the upper Midwest is efficiency in very cold climates. The cold climate minisplits have 2 heaters on them: a backup electric heat (think electric baseboard), and the outdoor condenser's heater for the unit's condensation. When it got very cold, I had to go outside with a heat gun and melt away the frozen condensate because the unit's own heater couldn't keep up. So there are issues in certain climates.

Generally though, I agree that ducted HVAC in the US are overpriced, oversized dust recirculation systems. I've always put HEPA filters on my ducted air handlers, but that's half the battle.

The better solution is to air seal and insulate a home to stabilize the indoor temp. Then the home doesn't need a heated/cooled air supply in every room.
 
Got the Perfect hose. Compared to the OE Electrolux, it's lighter. It seems to be OK. I had to push it into my Sidekicks about 6 times until everything clicked as it should have. Side by side, the same detents were visible. I don't know how to explain that. I could put a micrometer on the new versus the old, but I don't feel inclined to go down to my cold shop and do it. At least it works for now. Goes into my PNs OK too.

So all in, I'd say it's a winner for the price, and I'd buy another. Certainly better than the other aftermarket hoses that I don't/can't use with the Sidekicks.

Kevin

Which hose is this?

I searched "perfect hose" on eBay and got too many results, including garden hoses.
 
I had mini-splits in our previous home. Or rather, a multi-split (with one outdoor condensor and multiple indoor heads).

The problem here in the upper Midwest is efficiency in very cold climates. The cold climate minisplits have 2 heaters on them: a backup electric heat (think electric baseboard), and the outdoor condenser's heater for the unit's condensation. When it got very cold, I had to go outside with a heat gun and melt away the frozen condensate because the unit's own heater couldn't keep up. So there are issues in certain climates.

Generally though, I agree that ducted HVAC in the US are overpriced, oversized dust recirculation systems. I've always put HEPA filters on my ducted air handlers, but that's half the battle.

The better solution is to air seal and insulate a home to stabilize the indoor temp. Then the home doesn't need a heated/cooled air supply in every room.
You have to be careful when sealing and super-insulating homes. This can lead to moisture traps and mold. It got so bad on the rainy side of the Pacific Northwest that it was hard to get homeowners' insurance, and it raised our contractors' insurance and bonding requirements. Only two companies will now deal with contractors.

Kevin
 
You have to be careful when sealing and super-insulating homes. This can lead to moisture traps and mold. It got so bad on the rainy side of the Pacific Northwest that it was hard to get homeowners' insurance, and it raised our contractors' insurance and bonding requirements. Only two companies will now deal with contractors.

Kevin

Of course. A house that cannot breath is a problem. But I'm not talking about Passive certified homes. Those are very rare.

I focus on what's typically a problem. I'm not worried about suffocating from mold because a house sealed up too tight is not a typical problem.

Door blower tests and infrared scans will show that almost all homes are too leaky. I've had specialists do one too many of them for my homes. Most any home built 1970s and before is still leaky. Slapping on poorly installed batts during the 1980s and 1990s didn't get at the problem.

The tin foil hat in me suspects that talking a lot about houses that are too tight is a scare tactic by HVAC companies. It's like the fear of flying. People do die in plane crashes, but death from car accidents is much, much more common.

Some sealing jobs were done wrong, which may be what you're talking about for the Pacific Northwest. Vapor barriers installed on the wrong surfaces that trapped moisture, etc. We don't have moisture problems in the Midwest. It's very dry.

A properly sealed & insulated average sized house won't rot from mold, and won't need an expensive 5 ton anything. HVAC contractors benefit from overselling oversized units, not from properly sealing and insulating homes. Around here, a new ducted HVAC is at least $15k. New installation and sealing is below $10k.
 
Of course. A house that cannot breath is a problem. But I'm not talking about Passive certified homes. Those are very rare.

I focus on what's typically a problem. I'm not worried about suffocating from mold because a house sealed up too tight is not a typical problem.

Door blower tests and infrared scans will show that almost all homes are too leaky. I've had specialists do one too many of them for my homes. Most any home built 1970s and before is still leaky. Slapping on poorly installed batts during the 1980s and 1990s didn't get at the problem.

The tin foil hat in me suspects that talking a lot about houses that are too tight is a scare tactic by HVAC companies. It's like the fear of flying. People do die in plane crashes, but death from car accidents is much, much more common.

Some sealing jobs were done wrong, which may be what you're talking about for the Pacific Northwest. Vapor barriers installed on the wrong surfaces that trapped moisture, etc. We don't have moisture problems in the Midwest. It's very dry.

A properly sealed & insulated average sized house won't rot from mold, and won't need an expensive 5 ton anything. HVAC contractors benefit from overselling oversized units, not from properly sealing and insulating homes. Around here, a new ducted HVAC is at least $15k. New installation and sealing is below $10k.
It was a trend in the 90s to super-seal homes for HVAC efficiency. The problem was on the rainy side of the PNW. I don't build homes, so I don't know precisely what the issues were (other than the mold pics I saw), though if I had inspected the mold, it would have been evident. I like mid-century houses anyway, and older ones, so it's not my issue to deal with. In this case, it was a regional issue due to the humidity, but we all had to pay for it, even over here in a semi-arid climate. But we always pay for the blunders and transgressions of the Pacific Corridor.

Kevin
 
If you have a sealed home you really need a heat recovery ventilation system. If you want to know more, I could start a different thread. Anyway, there is a guy called technology connections on YouTube and he talks about how over sized hvac systems are among lots and lots of other cool things.
 

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