Budd Central Vacuums

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Attics tend to very hot so I would be concerned about installing in a attic for that reason alone, I assume your attic is convenient enough to access for cleaning otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned it
 
yes true it does tend to get very hot! But will that cause any major damage to the machine?
 
It's just extra unnecessary heat, another aspect of running pipes down is it sometimes harder for items like say a BB to make it up to the machine
 
heat and filterless units

One thing about central vacuums that have no bag or filter, there is a screen above the canister that catches larger dirt particles and the screen needs to be cleaned at times. Also, with these units, you have more dust going through the motor which can shorten its life. Regarding installing in the atic, heat is the enemy of electronics, motors and other electrical devices, if the atic gets hot I would avoid installing it there.
 
I've heard of Budd, I've been on their website many times. The rectangular shape of the power unit always intrigued me, it's an interesting change from the traditional cylindrical shape.
The idea of using flexible tubing behind each inlet is interesting, it sounds much easier than the tight 90-degree fittings used in traditional systems. My only concern would be that longer objects, such as pens, could get through and clog once it reaches a regular 90-degree fitting.

The paddle filter system is also an interesting feature. What does the filter system look like?
My central vac just has one of those standard inverted "self-cleaning" filters. I hardly notice much of a reduction in performance while using it, but they are far from self-cleaning.

I personally prefer bagless central vacuums. My portable machines have to be bagged, but with the central vac I only need to empty it a couple of times a year. It's not really worth it to me to buy bags for it.
Plus, mine has a small viewing window to see how full it is. I can just peek inside whenever I walk past it in the garage, rather than opening it up to check a bag.

I'd also be concerned about heat in the attic, plus you'd then have two tanks to dump. Have you considered the idea of running a length of tubing through a closet perhaps in order to reach a higher floor and eventually the attic?
 
Budd units are strange looking, there's no doubt about it! But they use Lamb motors and while looking like a tin can and being LOUD work!

Filtration methods are up the the user. I prefer true cyclonic systems that vent outdoors, including any smell. Un-vented units of any kind can leave a bad smell in the air. I most hate cartridge filter systems, most notably the Electrolux/
Aerus foam cartridge filter! Getting all the dirt and the water out is hard. Not to mention the wet dirty mess you have on your hands. I'm also not a fan of MD open bag units. Getting the rubber gasket out as well as the bag and not getting any dirt in the bottom of the canister is hard,, and well, 12 gallons of dirt out of the canister takes a bit of muscle. I've serviced units where they are mounted too high on the wall and you need a step stool to get high enough to lift the bag out! But to each his own! We could take about the pro's and con's for days. But the trade is noticing more and more a shift toward bagged units. Just saying!

Ian! Sorry, you've been neglected as this thread has gone away from your needs to talk about filtration. Do not put a unit in the attic! As Tolivac said it can void your warranty. Unless, of course your attic is finished and climate controlled. Of course you'd also need to make sure you have an adequately sized outlet. As I said in another thread, sharing a circuit can be risky.

In a VDTA training class we learned about getting a branch line to a upper story and I've used the training several times. Scout around in your basement and see if you can find a closet on the ground (main) floor that also has a closet above it on your second story. If you do, you can run your branch line up from the basement through the closets and into your attic and then down to the # of inlets needed. I've even used this method in one of my homes to great success!

There are two more issues with your installation. First are those Budd inlets. You do not have to use them! The backup plate that the inlets attach to are universal. You are FREE to use any inlet made with a few exclusions! You are free to use either low voltage or dual voltage inlets with those mounting plates. Two, you are using the worst electric hose on the market! It's 1 1/4" wire wound and of all the hoses available is robbing you of the full power of your system! It's not crushproof and in the hose sock you are using you'd have a hard time seeing if someone trips on the hose or steps on it, crushing it some. If you upgraded your inlets AND your hose, you would utilize the FULL potential of your Budd system! It's an investment I'd make--you WILL see a difference. I am going to email you with my email and phone if yoju've more questions..
Greg Bushman
 
Tolivac is right as well, it will void your warranty. And I also agree that the filtration methods are up to the user as well. I really hate the inverted bag/self cleaning system, I will NEVER own one. I think the Filtered cyclonic systems are alright but like what Greg said, it does take a while to clean a filter out. True cyclonic systems like Vacumaid and Vacuflo in my opinion, is the best bagless system to go for. Vented outside, not really messy to clean the screen out, and no bags or filters to ever have to replace on them. Yes the open bags on the MD are tricky and dirty to replace but they still have tons of capacity and airflow as the bags fill up. Closed bag is alot easier and cleaner to replace on a MD, downfall there is they don't hold as much and they do lose some airflow.
 
@luxflairguy, thank you so much for all that information! I really appreciate it. I actually have looked into purchasing a hose that has a larger diamiter, than my old one. But what I have noticed is that the newer hoses that are larget have a different end. That means that if I were to upgrade my current hose, I would have to rip all of my inlets out as well as the mounting plate. Yes, since the Budd inlets are not industry standard, they wont fit into the industry standard mounting brackets. I've tried, and for me to replace all my inlets I would have to cut out the tight 90 in the wall connect another one and put a different mounting bracket in the wall. Thats' just too much work for me! And quite frankly I love my Budd system and am very happy with it. But thanks to all that helped!!!!
 

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