Central vacuum install "pipe dream"

[amtraksebo1997]

Like A lot of people here, I've been captivated by central vacuums. There are a few people on my street who have or had a central vacuum installed at some point, and I wish to add my house to that list as well.

Anyways, my house is a small,2-story, cottage-esc house. I've already scoped it out, and concluded that only 2 inlets will be necessary to cover the entirety of it. My first floor is entirely wood-floored, and the upstairs is entirely carpeted. I wish to have a Vacu-Valve on the 2nd floor, and as for the first floor, I'm debating whether or not to use a Vacpan ii. Unfortunately, there are next to no reviews on it to gauge its quality, so im not sure of getting it. The kit I wish to get for it is a 30-35 foot MD Stealth kit, although I was also looking at getting a Whirlpool PN (the same one used on Kenmores) as a budget option.

For the power unit, I decided on this compact OVO unit. It seems like a good pick for a house as small as mine, and one that's pretty feature rich for something that's $300 and under.

Finally, the pipe layout. I want both inlets to be located at the center of their respective floors. The upstairs inlet is gonna be piped up into the attic, and down into my laundry room, where the power unit will be. The 1st floor inlet will have its piping running along the wall that the door to the laundry room is located, and then along the ceiling, and down to the power unit, which would be located on the other side of the room. I also wish to have it vented outside, so that would follow tthe ceiling until it goes out of the wall on the LR that leads outside, which is on the opposite wall of the door.


So far, nothing is set stone. I'm not entirely sure if this would be a DIY project, or if I would have someone install it for me. If the ladder were to be the case, then I'd want to assist in it to ensure that it's done right (I've watched a lot on central vac install videos on YouTube, as well as the stuff on Owen Perkins' channel. Does that count as good qualification?)

I'd love to hear your guy's input!

 

[lesinutah]

If

You want it vented outside I'm pretty sure you could tie into your plumbing vent system or hvac negative air and it would vent outside.
I'm a plumber I'm pretty sure I could do my own central vacuum. I'm not sure in your skill level and how complex of a system you would need.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Vent.

I'm not sure what the layout of my vent systems are like, so for the sake of simplicity, I think I'll just stick to piping it normally.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

You certainly seem like you

Have a plan.   Best of luck k.   Keep us posted.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Gottahaveahoover

I'll try! Thanks for the support!

 

[panasonicvac]

That's a good choice!

I think it'd be worth the extra if you extended the warranty. I've seen someone on YouTube with the same system as what you'd like to have and they've been really pleased so far. I do recommend venting the exhaust outside because overtime you'd have carbon dust build up in the piping which would give a rather unpleasant look, not to mention filtering outside all the other particles you'd vacuum up. You could if you wanted to use a ActiVac III muffler filter but it'd be expensive to change out and by blocking some air would run the thru-flow motor even hotter. That's one of the reasons why I'd rather have a unit like one of these Dirt Devils that has a bypass motor and a carbon filter inside. Anyways, that's my two cents.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

PanasonicVac

Warranties are something that I've never really thought of much. I figure if something were to go wrong on the unit, then I could just take it to my "local" vacuum store and have it fixed there. As for venting it outside, I already said that I would (and forgot to mention that I also wanted a muffler installed on it, too). Finally, those Dirt Devil central vacs (and other "name brand" CVs like Hoovers, Eurekas, and Kenmores) have always intrigued me, as I like the idea of a company that primarily sells portable vacs selling a CV (even though the DDs are rebadged Vacuflos I think).

 

[panasonicvac]

Ah ok

Must've not noticed it. But that's good! Just make sure you have a exhaust vent to avoid bugs and everything else from getting inside, learned that the hard way from my Eureka. Warranties is one of those things that's just nice to have especially "when" they come in handy not "if" because not everything can last forever. Personally, I'd rather have a warranty because not only they help save some bucks on the parts especially a replacement unit if warranted but warranties also help companies put in reports on the track records. Gives me a better decision on buying stuff when they show by how reliable something is. Dirt Devil is indeed made by the same company that makes Vacuflo, in my opinion one of my top three recommended picks for a central vac system today but definitely the very best for warranties. They've been using the Dirt Devil brand just shortly after Royal got bought out by TTI, Dirt Devil is no longer a company today just like Eureka and Hoover. I'm not sure what the future holds with Kenmore cause Sears is expected to be gone for good. But Kenmore hadn't sold a central vac here in over 30 years. The Galaxie GA-100 today is as close to what the old Kenmores were back in the day. Anyways, here's the video I was telling you about.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

nicely done

video

 

[amtraksebo1997]

PanasonicVac

Kenmore has actually sold a few central vac models since their old proprietary ones of the 70s. I don't know any details on them other than that they exist.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Also PanasonicVac

I've seen that video, and it's honestly quite surreal that they have the same inlets, powerhead, attachments, and unit that I want to get. What are the chances of that happening???

 

[panasonicvac]

Those were Canadian models, they'd be hard to import one over in the states.

 

[ctvacman]

For what it’s worth I chose to go to my local vac shop and have him order me the 12” lindhaus head with quick disconnect. With the 12” nozzle you can get the double row brush that is much more effective than the single row that’s standard and is the only option for the 14” heads. Plus the smaller size fits in/around things, especially if you have a smaller house

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Ctvacman.

In all honesty, I really just like the looks of the 14' Stealth head over the other offerings from MD and Lindhaus. And yes, while it's true that my house is pretty small, I think the 14' one would work just fine. Although, now I'm wondering if the single row brushroll is gonna do a lousy job on my medium pile carpeting. However, I'm still not 100% sure if I'd even get the Stealth nozzle. I'm thinking the alternative would be to get a Whirlpool Kenmore PN, or maybe an ET-1, or maybe a Hoover Windtunnel nozzle, just to name a few other options. Whatever the case, I want a nozzle that'll be durable, quiet, and effective.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

PanasonicVac

I see. I mean it's not like I wanted to get a Kenmore unit for my house, I just wanted to let people know that the Kenmore Built-In vacuums from the 60s and 70s weren't the only ones that Kenmore sold.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Some updates...

So... still not much has happened in terms of physical progress... but trust me, it's getting there. In the meantime, I still have some questions about some obstacles that I may encounter with how I decided to lay my CV out.

1. I was watching an installation video for that Hoover Hose Magic retractable hose system, and it made mention of how you shouldn't install the Hoover central vac unit that goes with it in the same room as a furnace to avoid overheating of the power unit. Is that something I'm going to have to worry about with my unit? Am I potentially going to have to move its location?

2. Do I need to check my local building codes to see if my retrofit install complies with them?

3. Am I going to have to worry about drilling holes for the pipes into load bearing walls? Will that cause problems?

Here's the video I was talking about:

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Stuff I forgot to mention.

So the other day I was vacuuming with my Nacecare Henry 160, and I plugged it into the outlet in my laundry room that I had designated to be where I'd plug in the Ovo unit, and when I turned it on, the lights went dim. I'm assuming that the laundry room light is connected to that outlet on the same breaker then. The OVO unit is rated for a 15 amp breaker, and I believe that breaker is either that or 20 amps. So my question is if having the central vacuum on while something else is being used on that circut (i.e, the laundry room light, another appliance) could possibly trip the breaker?

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Update:

Remember how I said that not much was made in terms of physical progress? Well, that's changed. I've acquired some clear 2 in. I.D. central vacuum piping! (Or at least I'm pretty sure it is. These came from a box of random pipes that was at a club I go to. They have a dust collection system that they use for woodworking, and I guess they used to have one that had smaller diameter tubing that they used this clear stuff with. It was kind of an impulse acquisition, but regardless, that's progress! I don't know how much of it I'll actually use with my system, but I would like to incorporate some of it into the piping that'll be in the laundry room. It kinda reminds of how Dirt Devil used to use clear windows on the suction intakes of their uprights, noting that they show you "power you can see!" I think it would super cool to be able to see the dirt being sucked up for a split-second before it goes into the power unit.

In other news, I've been once again toying around with the idea of installing a Vacpan with my system. As much as I like the idea of the Vacpan ii, I'm not keen on its look (and that's coming from a guy who doesn't typically complain about stuff like that), and not having an idea if it's a pile of junk or not. If possible, I'd like to just be able to install a normal inlet by my laundry room door, and a normal automatic dustpan in the same wall in close proximity to it, but I think that's easier said than done. Any other wall on my first floor is either an external wall, or has no good straight shot up to the attic, or to my laundry room. If there's any good solution to this, please let me know.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Dusted off this project lately

I've been thinking once more about this project, and some of the potential complications that may come with it.

For starters, about who is going to install it. I still want to have some control in how the system is installed, but If possible, I'd rather not spend the additional money on tools. I'm thinking maybe if I bought the piping kit, unit, and pretty much all other components of the system, then if I were to hire someone to install it, it'd cost significantly less. I'm thinking about maybe shooting a local vacuum store chain near me that sells Vacuflo and Beam systems an E-mail about it, and seeing what they say. However, my dad says it'd still be an astronomical cost for the labor either way. Would that likely be the case?

In addition to this, I've had some concerns about my chosen placement of the power unit, and the installation process.

As I said in the first post of this thread, I've watched a lot of central vacuum installation videos on Youtube, and that's where I've gotten most of my knowledge on them from. However, one thing that I'm still uncertain about is obstacles inside the walls. They often say that you should drill pilot holes with coat hanger wires for bits, but that doesn't help much in terms of obstacle avoidance. I'm not worried about running into plumbing, but I don't want to accidentally drill into some electrical wires or something. Are there any good ways of finding obstacles (besides studs, of course) without tearing open walls?

A while back, I watched that installation video for the Hoover Hose-Magic system. Not because I plan on installing one, too (though I kind of wish I could), but just to gain any additional insight on things. Well, I did, just not what I was hoping for. The video made mention of how you shouldn't install their power unit in a "heat-producing area, such as an attic or furnace room". Well, my heater system for the house is in the laundry room, so that's got me a bit concerned. There are vents in the room that lead out of it and into the front of the house that I presume are in place to keep the room from becoming and inferno when the door is shut, but would it still be too much heat for the OVO to handle? The only other decent place I could think of to put it in is this closet by my front door, but it's still a pretty terrible spot due to how cluttered it is in there.

Before I put this project on the back burner for a while, I was looking into load-bearing walls. Once again, I'm worried about drilling into something that I'm not supposed to, and in this case, it's LBWs, though I'm not entirely sure if I can or not, nor if I'd even run into them with my install.

Finally, do I need to adhere to my local building codes for this retrofit? If so, I'm not entirely sure what they are...

In other news, I recently went up into our attic, both to get down our Christmas stuff stowed away up there, and to snoop around and get an idea of what I'd be dealing with if the pipe were to be run up through it. I found that all the insulation on the floor was covered up by floor boards, except for in a corner of the attic above our upstairs bathroom. I heard in another installation video that you should cover up central vac piping with insulation to prevent condensation from forming around them when it's cold out. If I were to do that, then I'm thinking I'd have to drill through the floor joists and run the pipe through those holes so they can be properly covered with insulation. It'd also probably be a neater location for them in an already crowded attic. That's another thing, though. Apparently my mom says that the attic floor is under a lot of stress from the weight of all the stuff in there, so she's worried about people going up there. That being said, she did have some people who replaced our bathroom ceiling fan go up there to do just that. I'm thinking 2 adults is likely the maximum it can handle, but I could be wrong (let's hope we don't find out!). Do you guys think she's overreacting, or is that something I should also be concerned over?

Let me know your thoughts!