End of an Era for Cana-Vac

[vgwpg]

For those of you that do not already know, Cana-Vac was bought out by Trovac Industries. (The company that owns Cyclo-Vac)

Unofrtunately, that meant changes to their product line. Their product line is completely refreshed. They still have their "Cana-Vac"/"Ethos" series with flow-thru motors and their "Signature" series with tangential bypass motors, but the model names are completely different and they no longer mention the motor size in their specs. The units are now manufactured with a Trovac style body, so they look a little different now. (Especially their bagged units which moved from a top to bottom emptying bag.)

Now, Trovac makes great quality units, but what I am disappointed about is that they no longer have a unit that is equivalent to the XLS-990. While they don't mention their motor sizes, I have heard from an installer that they no longer manufacture a unit that has an 8.4" motor. Apparently it won't fit in their current bodies and there weren't enough of them being sold for them to keep it in production.
That's really sad for me because that was the model that I was going to get as my next unit. I really like the 8.4" motors because of their power and longevity. I am aware that there are other manufacturers that have units with 8.4" motors, but I liked that it was a Canadian made unit since I am Canadian.

Anyway, that was just a little announcement for any of you that may not have known yet and want one of their discontinued models as now would be the last chance to buy them while some dealers still have stock.
(I unfortunately cannot do that because I do not really have room for another central vac and also really do not have the money to be buying one right now.)

I have also attached some pictures of their new product lineup on their website, including their new Trovac style accessories, for those that want to see as well as a couple of photos posted by vacinstaller on Instagram. (Those signature units are a special edition grey because they apparently do not yet have the right "Signature" color.)

https://canavac.com/

 

[centralvacs1928]

The 8.4" motor fits the same bolt pattern as a 7.2" motor...but the only Trovac units that use a 7.2" motor are the HD ones with separate motor pods. Some Trovac units are now using the 6.6" motor(s) which have better performance and lifespan (approaching the 8.4)...not sure if/which CanaVac models use that motor currently.

I am remembering the CanaVac Doc-It (formerly the Hoover Hose Magic, and before that I believe the Hose Genie by Vacs America)...wondering if they were still producing/supporting it, and whether Trovac will continue to (doubtful). Not at all a fan of the product but it was an interesting idea and they kept it alive for a surprisingly long time.

 

[vgwpg]

Yeah. Doesn't the Cyclovac 7525 with the dual motors also have 7.2" motors even though it isn't an HD series? The Thoro-Vac GTP240 (a local rebrand) would be the equivalent to the 7525 and that one does have 7.2" motors also... although two of them. But that means that they do have a body that would have that bolt pattern and would theoretically be able to hold an 8.4" motor.

However, I think that part of it may also have to be with the fact that the 8.4" motor is (obviously) a larger diameter than a 7.2" motor, and because Trovac has their electronics in a separate compartment from the motor, the motor compartment part wouldn't be able to fit an 8.4" motor. I have never measured how much room is inside the compartment though. When it's not so cold outside and in the garage, I might take a look at my G61 and see how much room there is.

I do like the 6.6" motors also and am aware of Trovac using them. I think that it's great because they are equivalent to the 7.2" motors in terms of performance while being smaller, longer lasting, and more efficient. Those motors are ideal for a good chunk of homes. I am curious if and which current Cana-Vac units have a 6.6" motor. (I also think that the 6.6" motors are so cute!)

However, I want that extra power from the 8.4". I'd like to get some retractable hoses in the future and the 8.4" motors are nice because they have a lot of waterlift while retaining a high CFM level.


The Cana-Vac Doc-It was very interesting. The Doc-It-All even more. I obviously cannot speak for Trovac, but it looks like they might be discontinuing it since it is no longer on their website. I cannot imagine that they were selling much of them at all.
I liked that it had an electric hose and could be used with an electric powerhead and also that they could easily be retrofitted into a home that had no access or room to run a loop.
Unfortunately, those wire reinforced hoses were heavy, restrictive to airflow, and hell on wall corners and furniture. Then there was that complex retractor system that was prone to breaking. Then there was that giant and ugly door. It was a nice idea, but terrible design. The hoses retracted by suction are far superior, although an electric hose would be nice.

A local dealer sold them and they were nothing but trouble. The retractors just loved to fail. I think he might even still have a bunch of them in the back, but he stopped selling them due to their reliability issues.

 

[panasonicvac]

Cana-Vac was like in my opinion the middle class of central vacs. Weren't bad but weren't the best. I've always liked CycloVac, one of my top three recommended picks. So I think this is a great move by TI. I was hoping both DrainVac and Nuera Air would change the designs of NuTone and Beam when those two got bought as well but as of today they haven't. Maybe someday they might but who knows.

 

[vgwpg]

I would agree that Cana-Vac was middle class. I do agree that Trovac is one of the top manufacturers of central vacuums. I have one of their units and it is great. I would highly recommend their products also.
I just wish that they kept the 8.4" model. I am not sure what I will pick next now. Sadly, MD is not an option here, otherwise I would 100% go with their M715h. It looks like I will have to choose between an HP/Vacuflo DB8000, VacuMaid SR800, or Allegro Zenith. Although I don't love the idea of having a closed bag, so I may go with an HP 2300 or a VacuMaid SR60 instead. (I know that bags are cleaner and superior, but I have rabbits and there is a lot of hay all over the place and it fills up the bag real fast.) I know that both Vacuflo and VacuMaid are good, so I'm comfortable choosing either of those, but I am not sure about Allegro yet. They seem to be decent, but not high end by any means.
Anyway, my current system is just fine, so I will worry about that when the time comes for replacement.

Yeah, DrainVac really should have or should change the Broan/NuTone units. I understand that they were looking for units that they can sell cheaper and more widely through big stores, but I personally think that it really tarnishes their reputation and care for making a quality product. The NuTone units are crap. The Beams are okay at least.

 

[panasonicvac]

Actually what you could do is you can get yourself a Vacu-Maid SR800 (or any unit with a 8.4" motor) and also buy a separate dirt canister whether it's inverted or cyclonic. You won't ever have to worry about getting dirt inside the motor because the bag will always filter out anything that'd get past through the dirt canister. I've seen some Vacu-Maid dealers that've done this before even with the dual motor units. Regarding Allegro, I think they're decent units for what they are because my aunt has the Champion model for a few years now. Though I wasn't too impressed with their customer service when we had to ship the motor back to Allegro for repair recently. The motor failed because of the filter design which can happen to any inverted unit without a disposable bag. I could possibly see them purchasing Easy-Flo in the future cause I think they'd be next. It's a shame that nobody stepped in and bought A.C.V. because I really did liked their units, they were basically the Canadian Vacu-Maid but I think even better.

I think I'd take a Beam over any NuTone Pure Power unit. At least their Serenity and Classic models. I could care less about their Alliance units because they use thru-flow motors which are better than NuTone's but I'd rather have a unit that uses a bypass motor.

 

[vgwpg]

Believe it or not, that was actually one of my ideas!

I do actually think that the VacuMaid S2700 with a bagged canister after the cyclonic separator would be perfect or an SR800 with a cyclonic separator. It's the best of both worlds. There would be a canister that I can just empty without needing to worry about the nasty self cleaning filters that clog up so quick, but then I'd still have the motor protection of a bag. It would be my top pick since MD isn't available here.
My only concern about that setup is the price. But hopefully that won't be an issue for me when I am in the market for a new unit.

Yeah, I saw your video about the Allegro Champion. While Allegro is a cheaper brand, they still use Ametek bypass motors, and the motor is what is most important. I was surprised that it failed so quickly. Those units with self cleaning filters definitely arent great when it comes to getting dust in the motor, but they still often last many years without a problem if they have a bypass motor.

It is really too bad about A.C.V. Their units were really cool. I love the detachable motor part for ease of service. It is too bad that nobody took them over.

I completely agree with you on that one! I would actually be quite happy with a Serenity or their larger Classic units. (Their smallest unit has a low end flow-thru motor.) I really don't love those Alliances, but I would still take one any day over a NuTone because the Alliance motors are at least decent compared to the NuTone motors. I would probably use it bagged though to extend its life. But like you, I would much rather have a bypass motor.

 

[panasonicvac]

I believe it is possible to find a US dealer here who'd be willing to ship you a MD across Canada. That's what I'd like to do is to find a dealer with a used blue Modern Day unit (preferably a SV model just like what our friend Owen has) for my home because I'm just personally not a fan of the white color unless it's either a Silent Master or a Air Force.

Another one that I wished was still around from Canada are the original Hayden Super Packs. I really did thought they were neat systems for what they are, not the best but I would've certainly enjoyed having one around as my primary vacuum. I know the Super Vacs are now made by CycloVac or at least when Hayden last updated their website. No doubt they're excellent units but they're just not the same anymore.

(Curtesy of Centralvacs1928)

 

[vgwpg]

Probably. But I would probably be paying an arm and a leg for international shipping. The last time I wanted to ship just an upright vacuum, it was something like $300. I'd be scared to know what it would cost for a central vacuum! Whereas I do have both a local VacuMaid and Vacuflo distributor.
I love Owen's unit. The SV units are in my top 3 favorite residential central vacuums along with the Vacuflo 960 and the VacuMaid P-325 or S3600. (Notice that they all have dual 7.2" motors?) The chances that I'd find one would be pretty slim though.
I personally don't mind the white. I think that they look nice and modern. But I do love the blue color more. (Blue is my favorite color.) I like the venting on the older units too. It makes them look beefier.

Those Hayden Super Vacs are awesome. I am on the lookout for one myself. I love the Kenmore/Panasonic canister tools and therefore love the Hayden tool set.
Yeah, the modern "Hayden" vacuums are nothing like the original systems at all. They just feel very generic to me now since they have standard tools.

I love that brochure.

 

[panasonicvac]

Yeah, it could be pricey or maybe you might find one for a reasonable shipping deal. Either way, I'd still think it'd be worth looking around. Or eventually MD would start having dealers in Canada which I think could possibly happen someday. My next door neighbor has a Silent Partner (not silent) by Vacu-Maid S-3200. Very powerful system indeed (the most powerful central vac in my neighborhood so far) and one of the coolest looking central vacs I've ever seen. But I think that house could've gone for something better. Not because it's cyclonic but I could care less by how the motors are set up in a series way. I would've went for either a Silent Master S5 or a Vacuflo 960 (preferably the S5) by how parallel the motors are and simple it is not requiring a secondary unit, giving the system more airflow. The only two units I'm aware of with a series set up that appears to have more airflow than suction are the CycloVac 7525 and the Aqua-Air 258.

 

[vgwpg]

Yeah, hopefully. I'll definitely look around.
It would be great if a dealer in Canada started carrying MD. Hopefully one day.

Nice! I love the S3200. They sure are beasts. It would be hard for anyone in the neighborhood to beat that. I would love to have one in my home. No, they are defintely not silent. They are not even quiet! I had an S2700 (with only one motor) that I was fixing up and I compared it to how loud my P-325 is... the decibel reader read a whopping difference of 1 decibel! I think the new ones are supposed to be much quieter though.

The motors actually are in parallel in the S3200, and not in series, as well as in the S3600. The motor at the top is mounted normally, but the motor at the bottom is mounted upside down. So, both motors draw their air from the center area where the pipe connects and then they both exhaust separately, which is why there are two exhaust pipes. (Also, as I mentioned, since the bottom motor is upside down, the exhaust horn faces the opposite direction, which is why there is an exhaust pipe on the left and one on the right.) I could be wrong, as I am only familiar with the S3600,
The Aqua-Air 258 (as well as the 250, which is the 258's smaller sibling) is also actually set up in parallel with one motor facing up and one facing down. However, instead of its pipe coming in the side, it comes in the top and then there is a pipe inside that directs the air to the middle of the motor pod where both motors suck their air. The air from the top motor does not pass through the bottom motor or the other way around. It also has two separate exhausts from each motor. (You can kind of see how it's set up in the video that I linked with top cover removed.)
That's why both of those units both have more airflow than suction; they are both actually set up in parallel and not series. Which means that you don't have the disadvantages that come with the motors set up in series.

As for the Cyclo-Vac 7525, that one is interesting. They actually give you the option to set it up in parallel or series during installation, depending on the needs. Because the second motor is in its own housing, you can connect it in one of two ways. (This is why the 7525 has two sets of specifications.)
One option is to connect the intake to the port that is below the exhaust of the motor in the canister, in which case it will also pull its air from the canister and be set up in parallel. (In this case, the airflow is again higher than the suction with 273.4 CFM and 149.2 inches of waterlift.)
The other option is to cap off that port (so that suction is not lost) and connect the second motor to the exhaust from the canister's motor. (This gives 254 inches of waterlift now, but the airflow is reduced to 136.7 CFM.)

That being said, I do like the simplicity of the Vacuflo 960 or the MD SV and would definitely take the SV over the other two.

 

[panasonicvac]

You're correct that one motor is upside down over the other, I actually had one of the motors replaced on that several years ago. To clarify from my post, when I said how parallel the motors are, I was referring to the motors sitting all in one straight housing. Cause compare with that to the other two, that piping is so much smaller of being able to breathe.

I had a chance to take a closer look at the 258 and by the way I just noticed they've got a new look on their website, apparently I didn't realize there are two exhaust ports out of the motor unit. I was thinking there's one motor on the main unit and one on the secondary unit since the 8.4" motors are quite big to fit onto one unit, even the new look still shows one exhaust port on their website. Now that makes more sense because I did wondered how they managed to get away with having alot of airflow in a series set up but it's been parallel all this time.

I also didn't realize there are two set ups for the 7525 but based on your description that totally makes sense, they too have a new look on their website and confirms that it can be used as either parallel or series. Like you, I also prefer having a simpler system like the Simplicity SPU-C20 unit for example that was made by CycloVac. I do wish that CycloVac was still making those single dual motor parallel units. Our friend Reggie had the Riccar version that he's since changed out for a S5.

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?38981

 

[vgwpg]

Ohhhh, okay. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I thought that you were referring to the motor setup and not the housing setup. I apologize.

Yeah, I'm not sure what to think of it. Their new logo is a bit too modern for my liking. Yeah, no, it's not visible on their website and totally looks like it only has one, so I can see the confusion there. But it has been in fact parallel!

Oh, he changed it out for an S5? I never knew that. I saw his video on his YouTube channel of the Riccar. It was a great machine. I just loved how it made the Turbocat scream. It is too bad. I am curious as to why they discontinued them. They were nice for someone who wouldn't need something as big and powerful as the 7525. Maybe they just weren't selling enough?
Looking at that thread, I see why he got rid of it. It's too bad that the circuit board was already going bad after just 14 years. It's not a short time, but I would expect longer from Cyclovac, especially with the circuit boards being isolated from the motors and the dust from the motors.
Those S5s are fantastic machines though! I love those too!

 

[panasonicvac]

The S5's are beasts! I'd love to own one even though I'm not a fan of the color white. But, I do think white is a better looking color on the Silent Master and the old now discontinued Air Force units. If only they brought back the old golden rings, Silent Master logo, and the centralvacuum.com sticker, that would've been perfect for me! We had a Silent Master unit from one of our old cabins before, it wasn't an S5 but it may have been either a S4 or S44 cause it sounded like it had a single motor. Anyways, I did really liked the looks of that unit. This is what ours was. The newer Silent Master units today just looks too modern for my taste. In fact, just about every new central vac unit on the market today looks too modern for me. At least I outta give props to MD for now using the Tru-Seal bags, I probably would've upgraded our bag system if we still owned that cabin today. But everything else, I liked it exactly the way it was. No doubt it's one of my all time favorite systems but definitely for bagged units, this is easily the favorite one (my all time favorite central vacuum would be my grandparent's green Vacumaid P-125 at their house which is cyclonic). If only we would've known, we should've added extra inlets in the third floor up because it didn't had any in the cabin. It was originally designed to be just an attic but we improvised and made it another walk-in area which I'm glad we did. Luckily we did founded a way to make the hose still reach up there but we still could've bought another vacuum honestly (preferably a Lindhaus Valzer or a Healthcare Pro). For one, just right when we had our cabin built, we couldn't use the central vacuum yet as it wasn't fully set up. We had to borrow one of our contractor's vacuums because of it. Secondly, installing more inlets would've lost some airflow in the system unless the unit got upgraded which is rather more pricey. Thirdly, having another vacuum would've cut the cleaning in half if two people were vacuuming that big place at the same time. And last but not least, I know there were also other areas that the central vac couldn't get to. Other than all of that, I still loved it like it was the perfect vacuum for the place. Another system I looked into that I thought would've also been fantastic for the place but probably didn't existed yet would be a Simplicity or a Riccar bagged unit, I think those are my second favorite bagged systems but definitely for certain the favorite bottom emptying bagged units as the Silent Master is my favorite top emptying unit. Yeah it's surprising that Reggie's board failed even though it's in a separate housing. But at least though almost 15 years is not too bad. Definitely outlasted some other units like my neighbor's white NuTone CV-450 for example. That's another bagged unit that I really did liked but I've heard the boards failed quite a bit. I don't blame him though for tiring of dealing with the mess of emptying a bagless unit. I probably wouldn't have minded a bagless Simplicity, Riccar, or even a CycloVac at the cabin but I might've for our house. Speaking of which, it looks like CycloVac no longer offers the choice of having whatever kind of three filtration systems you'd want. Your only option would be hybrid.

 

[n0oxy]

Canavac 6.6 motors

Canavac did make at least one model that used the 6.6 diameter bypass motor, I have it, I think the model was CLS750, it was a smaller version of the LS750 since it was not hybrid, it's bag only which I'm fine with since I don't want to use anything bagless. I also have the Vacumaid SR800 which does use the 8.4 motor but that unit is quite large. Interestingly, the Canavac 6.6 motor unit that I have is much louder than the Vacumaid 8.4 unit. I can deal with the sound of the Vacumaid unit without using a muffler but not the Canavac unit, I have to use a muffler when I use it or put in ear plugs. Granted, central vacuums were not designed to be used the way I use them, I don't use pipes, I just connect the hose directly to the unit.
Mike

 

[n0oxy]

dual motor units

I have a total of seven dual motor units, two of them use a standard 120 volt plug and the other five use 240 volt. For the way I use my central vacuums, I like the series configuration better. Since I connect the hose directly without pipes, I'm not sure if higher airflow makes much difference, but higher suction definitely does. You can always tell a dual motor parallel unit because there are two exhaust ports. My Galaxie GA-240 and MD Silent Master S900 are the two parallel units. Interestingly, the Galaxie unit, even with a parallel configuration still has a water lift of 199, the airflow is 217 I think. Interestingly, the Galaxie dual motor unit that runs on 120 volts, the GA-200 has the motors in series I think since there is only one exhaust port. Also, I have the Duovac Distinction, the Drainvac Turbo which is another 120 volt dual motor unit, the Drainvac Twin Turbo and the Vaculfo DB9000, those are series dual motor units.
Mike