amtraksebo1997
Well-known member
In the past few years, retractable hose systems seemingly have been all the rage, especially in new construction installations, and new players have entered into the sub-business to try and compete with Hide-A-Hose's game. When I first heard about and saw a retractable hose system myself, I was amazed by it. It's so neat and satisfying seeing the hose getting sucked back into its inlet valve. However, in their current state, I'm not as big of a fan of them as I once was. Here are some of my biggest problems with these hose systems.
1. The lack of power nozzle compatibility.
This is probably my biggest turn off from Hide-A-Hoses. This is pretty much a non-issue if it's installed in an all-floored area, but in a carpeted area, you're limited to either using a turbine head or a cordless power nozzle. Turbo nozzles generally don't clean as well as motor-driven ones, and while cordless PNs are a great improvement, I wouldn't want to worry about battery life and charging. Plus, the ladder power nozzles are extremely expensive as of writing.
Now in 2005, there was a retractable hose system made by Cana-Vac that actually did have these connections. It was called the Doc-It/Hoover Hose Magic. While it did give you an electric hose, it too was pretty complex to install (I'm uncertain in these systems could even be retrofitted into an existing home), needed a cap to be placed over the handle when not in use, was more complex in terms of its mechanism, and took up a large chunk of space on the wall, both inside and out. That being said, I wouldn't mind having one of those in my house if it means I could use a PN with it.
2. Potential installation/clogging complications
Hide-A-Hoses need extremely wide curved fittings in order to allow the hose to retract into it. This can make installing such systems more complicated, especially into retrofits. On top of that, the wide fittings mean that you lose the clogging safeguard that a tight 90 gives a normal inlet. So, if you suck up something extraordinarily large, like a pencil or a paperclip, and it makes it through the hose, it'll be free to travel into the rest of the system, where it could and would get stuck once it got past the racetrack.
3. There are better/cheaper alternatives out there.
Why would you add hundreds more to your installation costs when there are other, much better, options. I've already mentioned the Doc It/ Hoover Hose Magic, which is extremely hard to find unfortunately, but there are also stretch hoses available for CVs. When I found out about these, that was kind of the final nail in the coffin for HAHs for me. Now, that's not to say they don't have their flaws (I.e. contracting under pressure), but they pretty much solve most of the problems I have with retractable systems.
4. Why not just use your normal CV hose?
I've often seen people in promotional material for retractable systems struggling to carry their hoses, sort of like the "before" portions at the start of As Seen on TV ads. First off, central vacuum hoses have gotten a lot lighter and more durable over the years. A Plastiflex hose of today is a lot lighter than a NuTone hose from the 1970s. That's not to say they're weightless, but I think you get the idea. Secondly, you gotta be more graceful in how you carry the hose. Don't carry it like if you were a ghost that was entangled in a Proton Stream. I don't have a central vac of my own (hopefully yet), so I wouldn't know the most effective way to carry a hose, but I'm sure there are good ways of doing it. Of course, everybody's physical strength is different, so maybe for people that can't do so, Hide-A-Hoses are good alternatives in those cases. However, for those who can, I'd say just suck it up and learn how to carry your hose correctly.
In short, whenever I do install a central vacuum in my place of residence, I'll be sticking to normal inlet valves.
1. The lack of power nozzle compatibility.
This is probably my biggest turn off from Hide-A-Hoses. This is pretty much a non-issue if it's installed in an all-floored area, but in a carpeted area, you're limited to either using a turbine head or a cordless power nozzle. Turbo nozzles generally don't clean as well as motor-driven ones, and while cordless PNs are a great improvement, I wouldn't want to worry about battery life and charging. Plus, the ladder power nozzles are extremely expensive as of writing.
Now in 2005, there was a retractable hose system made by Cana-Vac that actually did have these connections. It was called the Doc-It/Hoover Hose Magic. While it did give you an electric hose, it too was pretty complex to install (I'm uncertain in these systems could even be retrofitted into an existing home), needed a cap to be placed over the handle when not in use, was more complex in terms of its mechanism, and took up a large chunk of space on the wall, both inside and out. That being said, I wouldn't mind having one of those in my house if it means I could use a PN with it.
2. Potential installation/clogging complications
Hide-A-Hoses need extremely wide curved fittings in order to allow the hose to retract into it. This can make installing such systems more complicated, especially into retrofits. On top of that, the wide fittings mean that you lose the clogging safeguard that a tight 90 gives a normal inlet. So, if you suck up something extraordinarily large, like a pencil or a paperclip, and it makes it through the hose, it'll be free to travel into the rest of the system, where it could and would get stuck once it got past the racetrack.
3. There are better/cheaper alternatives out there.
Why would you add hundreds more to your installation costs when there are other, much better, options. I've already mentioned the Doc It/ Hoover Hose Magic, which is extremely hard to find unfortunately, but there are also stretch hoses available for CVs. When I found out about these, that was kind of the final nail in the coffin for HAHs for me. Now, that's not to say they don't have their flaws (I.e. contracting under pressure), but they pretty much solve most of the problems I have with retractable systems.
4. Why not just use your normal CV hose?
I've often seen people in promotional material for retractable systems struggling to carry their hoses, sort of like the "before" portions at the start of As Seen on TV ads. First off, central vacuum hoses have gotten a lot lighter and more durable over the years. A Plastiflex hose of today is a lot lighter than a NuTone hose from the 1970s. That's not to say they're weightless, but I think you get the idea. Secondly, you gotta be more graceful in how you carry the hose. Don't carry it like if you were a ghost that was entangled in a Proton Stream. I don't have a central vac of my own (hopefully yet), so I wouldn't know the most effective way to carry a hose, but I'm sure there are good ways of doing it. Of course, everybody's physical strength is different, so maybe for people that can't do so, Hide-A-Hoses are good alternatives in those cases. However, for those who can, I'd say just suck it up and learn how to carry your hose correctly.
In short, whenever I do install a central vacuum in my place of residence, I'll be sticking to normal inlet valves.
