Central vac vs Portable vac.

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

Naughty Bill I should put you over my knee and spank you for that! 👋

I don't actually agree with a C rating on carpet I would have thought it would be an A. Maybe Kirby UK should ask for a retest and ask to be present when it's done. I did actually speak to the MD of Kirby UK about this and he was far from happy. His words to me were "Even a bloody Sebo got better ratings" Haha I slapped him down for that remark being a Sebo fan 😁
 
Exactly how are these EU tests conducted?

You would think that an upright would remove more dirt per pass than a suction only machine.

Some of the El Cheapo machines on sale in Tesco had very poor pick up ratings for carpet. What is going on?
 
The carpet test in done on a Wilton carpet. An A rating removes 91% of dust a B rating 87% and so on....

I think they need to improve the procedure. Some manufacturers do their own rests. Kirby had there's done in a test centre. I think there should be designated test centres and to use the highest standard of testing possible and test on different thickness of pile, and test for pet hair too.
 
I am in shock then Roger...

that a machine over in the USA, rated by CRI as "gold" and highly by Consumer Reports for years and years does very poorly on European "wilton" carpet. That carpet must not be anywhere close to the typical USA medium pile carpet. If that's the case, then you would need different carpet cleaning machines for European households.

If that label is accurate, a Kirby would:

1) spew out so much dust ("F" rating) that it should make most people sick or at least cough/sneeze when running.

2) Not be worth more than $100-something Euros, because don't you have similarly priced machines that also score a "C" rating for carpet?

Here's a link to CRI's certified vacuums page. Top listing? Kirby Avalir.

http://www.carpet-rug.org/certified-vacuums.html

Again, if the EU's testing methodologies are to be believed, there would be no point in buying one because most inexpensive cheap plastic vacs would meet or beat a Kirby. We all that's simply not true.

Oh, and the KirbyWHQ website is now down. For UK Kirby browsing, go to www.kirby.com/gb

Bill

vaclab-2018032412321304777_1.jpg
 
The poor rating for dust emissions is carbon dust from the motor.

The Sebo X4 had a similar rating because the HEPA or S class filter is before the motor so it doesn't filter the carbon dust very well.

But like I said Kirby has good points and bad points like any vacuum cleaner.

It does get slightly annoying when Kirby fans keep bleating on about how superior they and everything else it a load of 💩
 
Silent Master 900R2 240V Specs

The Silent Master 900R2 (240V) uses 3288 Watts (1644 Watts per motor)

https://builtinvacuum.com/dealer/downloads/spec-sheets/md-silentmaster-s900r2-240v-spec-sheet.pdf

If you want to say that a car with TWO engines is faster than just one engine, go right ahead. My comparison was specifically with a central vac with ONE motor using no more than 1600 Watts.

BTW, the 120V version uses 3336 Watts (1668 Watts per motor).

https://builtinvacuum.com/silent_master/compare.html

Bill
 
Yes I did say previously there was one model that uses 3000w. That is a lot of electricity!

All I'm saying is that not only a Kirby is capable of cleaning well there are plenty of other vacs that are capable of keeping your home clean 👍
 
Central vacuums are powerhouses, but after all the piping and hoses it really needs to be. I was surprised that some portable clean air vacuums can be more powerful than some central vacs.

My personal measurement from one 2200 watt canister vacuum cleaner.
baird 9 = 108 cfm
suction 2800 mm H2O = 110 Inches Of Water
(suction release valve cut the suction)
500 airwatts*

*Suction power tested in accordance with international standard IEC 60312-1, tested by external test institute SLG Prüf- und Zertifizierungs GmbH (Philips Consumer LifeStyle B.V., August 2012)

mike811-2018032414323800046_1.png

mike811-2018032414323800046_2.png
 
It basically depends

If they are lower end models, maybe not. But central vacuums over the years have improved the performances on the motors they've used. If they are top of the line models, it can easily out clean almost any portable vacuum there is on the market. It's true that Kirby is a good vacuum, but there are so many advantages why I rather use a central vacuum anyday over a Kirby. Easier and faster to use, quieter, better filtration and generally holds more dirt than a Kirby bag, and a better guarantee. With the Vacuflo MaxAir or the Aqua-Air 258 for example with it's two motors, you can actually have two people vacuuming with it at once. Since the Volt powerhead was recently updated with improvements, in the future it could actually out-clean any portable direct air vacuum on the market when Tacony masters it, especially the Royal which I think is the best vacuum when it comes to cleaning carpets.
 
I agree Alex. With the Tandem air volt it must clean extremely well. And yes it's definitely easier to use providing you don't get caught in the hose and go arse over tit 😂
 
I did another experiment today that I saw on Vaclabs channel.

I put a plastic cup on my hardfloors.

I move my Miele C3 towards the cup and measured the point it grabbed the cup. It was 4.5cm away.

Then I did the same with my MD Central vac..it grabbed the cup 4cm away.

So the Miele won.

A central vac will have more power at the unit but after it has travelled through a 30ft hose a lot of that power is lost. Claims that a central vac has 3 to 4 times the power of a portable vac is not true at the end of the hose!
 
The experiment would be due to the loss in the air plumbing in the house or building going to the central machine.Collectors that don't have their units connected by building air plumbing-they just use the hose on the machines utility inlet or put a hose inlet on the machine that doesn't have a utility inlet should get more power than the portable unit.For mine--15A dual stage motor vs 9-10a motor in a portable machine.My units -I just use the 35ft hose with them-awesome power!!!BEATS ANY portable vacuum!
 
The hose was plugged directly into the unit. And the unit is supposed to have over 700 airwatts.

The Silentmasters that has dual 3 stage motor might have more power but it uses over 3000w of electricity.

So I still like my central vac but it's not quite as powerful as I expected.
 
that does not sound right

If you are connecting your hose directly to your central vac unit it should definitely be more powerful than most portable machines. I'm wondering if something is not sealed properly. With all of my central vac units, which I use without pipes, it is definitely more powerful than my portable canisters.
Mike
 
I don't know. I can't hear any air leaking noises.

Can you try the same experiment with your Miele and MD Central vac?
 
My current unit is a Riccar RPU-C10. I have a thing for machines with two motors in parallel, I think this offers the best end of hose performance. Although honestly, I've seen and used lots of units that didn't have any more power than a very powerful portable machine, such as a Tri-Star or my bra late 80's Kenmore canister. Even at that I still feel there's advantages over a drag around tragedy. Mostly being that none of the air and filth is blowing back into the room, and you don't hear or schlep the thing around. 


 


All that being said, my unit won't pull less than a 7 through the 30ft hose! if you straighten the hose out it'll get a solid 9. Sadly one of the boards is going flaky and will leave one of the motors running for a bit after its supposed to stop! So I'm taking the occasion to install a different unit, a bagged one this time. I'm getting an MD Modern Day M965h2, two motors each having 137in of water lift, and 95CFM. I'm also ordering two motors at the same time, from another single motor unit... Two  motors, identical in size and shape, but have 111 CFM and 155in. of water lift... This should be fun, buy a brand new unit and then dick around with it literally the moment it comes out of the box! I have yet to see a portable machine clean better than my Riccar, so this new one will be absolutely nuts!
 
cleaning better

In theory a central vac should clean better because the motor is more powerful, especially if you connect the hose directly to the unit, I have 8 central vacuum units here and use them all free standing, no pipes, the power is awesome.
The two motor set up is interesting. If you have two motors in series, it increases the suction or water lift, and two motors in parallel increases the CFM or airflow although in that case, only so much air can go through the hose so I would think the series set up would be better. If I had a 240 volt outlet in my apartment I would probably get one of those.
Mike
 
The loss of suction in the pipe system should be absolutely none, airflow loss is very minimal, as the pipe is smooth inside, and if the proper fittings are used, the bends are too. But to me the elaborate plumbing system is part of the draw of a central vac me anyway... But I've put both the Baird indicator and the working vacuum gage "test fixture" at both the farthest inlet from the unit and the utility valve right next to the machine, no difference. The Baird immediately snaps to 10 with a loud whack! And I get about 90 inches of working vacuum at all the inlets. Sealed suction measures about 110, and the slightest drop in flow will be very noticeable on the working vacuum measurement, as it measures the suction with a (I think) 3/4in opening open, the idea being the greater the volume, the better it can hold the vacuum with the open hole. 
 
I'm with Reggie

I also don't notice any difference in the performance with or without any pipes, unless you have two people vacuumingwith it at once.

Plus, I'd rather have the unit in the garage, basement, or storage room for obvious reasons. I don't have to hear the noise of the unit, just the suction and powerhead itself. All of the dirt and carbon dust can be exhausted out of the house. I've always hated dragging and carrying the canister unit around the house, it would be a nightmare doing the same with the central unit. And it would be so much easier doing maintenance if the unit was hung at the wall.

There are some units with two motors that can run on 120 volts, but they would usually come with a different plug.
 
I agree with BIll

Central vacuums are not aerodynamic at all and have terrible cleaning performance. Portable vacuums will clean circles around central vacuums.
 
I highly disagree. Not all portable vacuums or direct air machines can out clean any central vacuum, especially the CycloVac 7525 which is now the new best overall vacuum cleaner that I've ever used. In fact, one of the problems that I have with direct air vacuums in general is the lack of suction and filtration that they have.

http://www.cyclovac.us/vacuum/vacuums-units/light-commercial/central-vacuum-7525
panasonicvac-2022050122321304309_1.jpg
 
If anybody can prove that any direct air vacuum would still do a better job on carpets than the CycloVac 7525, I'd be more than happy to listen. But when I recently tried out the CycloVac, I felt like there was no way any of the direct air machines that I've used could pull off against the 7525. Next time when my dealer puts in another 7525, I'll do a comparison test. Especially with the Hide-A-Hose CX1000 or the Volt powerhead equipped. In the mean time, I'm going to stand behind with my earlier post. I think central vacs have finally made it on top of the food chain.
 
People who don't like central vacuums should just come out and say so. No need to make up blatant falsehoods. Having had both Vacuflo and MD units I'd be highly suspect of anyone claiming central vacuums are poor performers. And nothing beats the convenience. Having Vrooms installed in the kitchen and bathrooms puts a hose in immediate reach for high use areas.
 
Maybe someone can setup an airflow box and measure CFM at a central vacs cleaner head. Not from the unit, not from the hose end, from the cleaner head/power nozzle. If it’s higher than what vac lab gets from his Kirbys. Then I’ll believe it.
 
But who cares? If you enjoy using your Kirby, use it. I'm happy for you. Those who prefer their central vacuums should be given the same courtesy. The best vacuum is one that you will actually use. Maybe the Kirby is the best vacuum in the world. But I'd rarely ever haul the clunky thing out of the closet or mess with converting it. My home wouldn't be kept nearly as clean if I had to use a Kirby.
 
It makes no difference to me what you use in your own home. I'm responding to the claims made on this thread. It would be nice to see a side by side comparison. So many claims are based on emotions or personal preference. It's nice to see facts/numbers to back those claims up.
 

Similar threads

eureka1998
What exactly is the difference?
Replies
15
Views
324
amtraksebo1997
amtraksebo1997
V
Central vacuum
Replies
28
Views
1K
vacerator
V
M
NuTone Central Vacuum
Replies
12
Views
690
thevacomaticiec
thevacomaticiec
centralsweeper63
Central vac recomendations
Replies
7
Views
407
centralvacguru
C
R
MD AirMaster XL A900r2Q 240V, my favorite even though I don't have one yet.
Replies
2
Views
322
panasonicvac
panasonicvac

Latest posts

Back
Top