Best place to buy a central vac hose?

[panofan]

So I'm looking for a new central vac hose - non electric - either with the low voltage switch or even the plain old fashioned kinds that turn the vac on when you plug it in.

I've found a bunch of good looking deals online, but the details about the hose construction are usually lacking. I want to make sure I get one that is 1 3/8" interior diameter, smooth bore, etc. And, of course, I don't want to pay a fortune.

Also, I want a chromed end that is friction fit, not button lock.

Anyone have experience with any of these?
ebay / allegro vacs: http://www.ebay.com/itm/FREE-SHIPPI...-Hose-Crush-Proof-Non-Electric-/231013008334?

Amazon:
on/off plastiflex (from the image, best looking quality wise I think):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970559082&pf_rd_i=desktop

regular, plain hose:
http://www.amazon.com/30ft-Beam-Cen...420044180&sr=8-5&keywords=central+vacuum+hose

or, centec directly:
crush proof: http://www.centecsystems.com/silver...-soft-grip-handle-friction-sub-tube-30-ft-9m/

same with performance taper:
http://www.centecsystems.com/3200-s...ube-performance-taper-hose-1-25-x-1-375-x-30/

(ps - anyone know the difference between the above 2? Is performance taper as good for airflow as 1 3/8" hoses?)

Thanks!

 

[luxflairguy]

Go to Central Vacuum Store or Central Vacuum Factory for the best prices and selection. Shipping might even be free. Get the larger 1 3/8. Performance is much better and if you use a TurboCat rug nozzle like I do, the difference is amazing. Both of these sites are my "go to" places. Greg

 

[ultralux88]

Hard to decide on the best place to buy hose, but my personal favorite would be the one on Amazon, that kind of hose has always been my favorite, but Centec's hoses are good as well. I also would stick with a 1 ⅜ inside diameter hose as well, they give much better airflow than a regular 1 ¼ hose will.

 

[kirbylux77]

Panofan

I don't know where is the best place to go for a central vacuum hose. But one of the sites that luxflairguy recommends, Central Vacuum Factory, I strongly suggest you avoid them & not do business with them. Back in late August 2014, I placed an order by phone with my credit card for a power nozzle & some accessories for one of my vacuums. Nearly 2 weeks later, the company didn't even ship out my order, & I was verbally notified over the phone one of the items wasn't even in stock & they were waiting for it to arrive to fill the order, & the complete order would be sent out by September 9th. So, that date comes & goes, & a week after that yet more excuses by phone. I finally got my money back by finding their Facebook page & blasting them for their lousy dealings. However, they also had the nerve to deduct a re-stocking fee from the refund, which I think is ridiculous, since the order was never even mailed out.

A customer should have been notified at time of order placement that something they wanted was on backorder! Consider yourself warned should you choose to deal with them.

Rob

 

[panofan]

Ya - that's exactly why i'm looking larger ID and smooth - more power for the turbo, more airflow, etc.

How I tested this - I took one of my turbo burshes and stuffed the neck into the utility inlet on the power unit - man does it ever spin like mad (I couldn't stop it) v.s. at the old hose's end.

CentralVacuumFactory - I too had a bad experience - the charged my card right away but took their time shipping until I nagged (I thought it was illegal for companies to charge you before shipping ... I know Amazon, Home Depot etc don't charge until it ships). Then, when the stuff arrived, a piece was missing - I still haven't got a response from them about this - this reminds me to re-nag again. As much as the nostalgia for schleppy websites from 1999 is fun, they are pretty ridiculous.

 

[panofan]

Correction

Actually, I was mistaken - it wasn't Centralvacuumfactory.com that i had a problem with my order - it was vacuumstore.com. Somehow I confused the two.

I ended up ordering from centralvacuumstores.com -- better price, free shipping, etc. Thanks all for the help & advice!

 

[panofan]

And it came!

I got it from central vacuum stores. The new hose is nice - lighter, slinkier, larger diameter and smoother interior. I like it a lot. I have a few turbo brushes (I really like them) - and one in particular seemed to spin a bit faster with the better hose (compared to a 15+ year old 1 1/4", rough interior hose) -- it is also one with the largest intake between the brush roll and the turbine chamber - so that makes sense - better airflow hose -- more air sucked through.


Thanks all for the advice!