Modern Day Installed

[gman]

Hey Guys,

It’s been a couple of weeks but I had the MD installed. LOVE IT. I don’t know how I went this many years without one.

Now that we both work from home and with the two new fur babies, I can actually vacuum without disturbing anyone and the puppies freaking out.

Cannot get over the power this thing has. Powerful than any other vacuum I have. Here are some pics of my power head collection. I also got a 35ft low voltage hose.

 

[n0oxy]

central vacuum

Congratulations on the new central vacuum, yes, they are very powerful, I use all of my units without pipes by attaching a hose directly to them, the power is awesome and I find myself using my central vacuum units more than my other cleaners. By using a unit without pipes, anyone can have that cleaning power, no need to mess with pipes.
Mike

 

[regularrett69]

Idea

I don't know much about central vacs or their power heads, but how hard would it be to switch a canister powerhead for use with a central vac if the suction fittings are right? Would it be possible to use a hoover WindTunnel power nozzle on a central vac?

 

[bagintheback]

Congrats!

I've always wanted a central vac. MD used to have some great older sales tapes online I would watch all the time. There's some new home builds out where I live where I saw a DirtDevil system being installed. Thought that was an odd choice.

How did you decide on the ModernDay model? I know they really push the SilentMaster as the TOL, and there's also the FlowMaster, which may be the lower end. I'm sure there's some sort of overlap in terms of airflow, so I wonder how their sales model works.

 

[n0oxy]

power nozzles

Most power nozzles can work with most canisters or central vacuums. I think Hoover's hose connection was nonstandard so you may need an adapter to make this work. I've kind of done the opposite of what you mention, I have just about all of the central vacuum power nozzles and I've gotten them to work on most of my power team canisters. In most cases, it was just a matter of using a power nozzle extension cord that has the mini connector on both ends and connecting the cord to the connector on the hose. This means that you have an external cord but that's no big deal.
Mike

 

[gman]

Hi Mike,

I didn’t go through a vacuum dealer, I went through a company that installs home theaters, central vacuums, etc.

Because the previous owners had installed cabinets I had limited space, and this unit was the perfect fit. I had actually decided upon it before they came out. There was no hard sale, no push for upgrades, etc. That was the unit they came back with in the bid.

 

[dysonman1]

I love my Modern Day. Love the True Seal bags. I had a Vacuflo for many years until I got a sinus infection from emptying it. Cost me more than $100 for a doctor's visit and the prescription. Out went the Vacuflo and in came the Silent Master (which is NOT silent - not even quiet). I love it. I use it with my sixty foot hide-a-hose and the battery Perfect power nozzle as well as the Volt battery nozzle.

 

[ultralux88]

I both own/use an MD as my primary vacuum, and I’m a dealer for them as well!

 

[ultralux88]

Also, which model of MD is that? My guess is either the M615h or the M715h.

 

[vacuumdevil]

@gman aka "gestapo man"

Welcome to the central vacuum club!
MD Central Vacuums are wonderful and put one in my house before I even moved in.
Love it years later it really is hard to get over the power that Central Vacuums have.
#CentralVacuumpropaganda

 

[tolivac]

I have an MD vacuum unit like in the picture.Mine can use the large open top bags or the Tru-Seal ones-use the Tru Seal bags.Takes MOMENTS to change-and they are HUGE hold like 8 gal of debris.You connect the inlets on the bag you are using-mine I use only the utility inlet.There is just a tiny bit of dust leakage from the top of the bag-but no big deal.Cleaner to replace than the open bags.Those are like GIANT TriStar bags.You replace those when about half full.The MD dealer here says he had to replace one of those open bags in a customers machine-had over 60 pounds of stuff in it!!WHAT A MESS!!!!

 

[tolivac]

For my Silentmaster use the Volt powernozzles or others I have.One time used a Kirby as a "powernozzle"was using the open bags on that experiment-got a LOT of stuff in the bag!!!Had to run the Kirby and MD on separate outlets-the MD machine needs 15A 120V.Kirby needs 7A.The two are a KILLER system!!!No stuff on the floor is safe from those!Its sort of a headache to set up,though.

 

[n0oxy]

power of central vacuums

I love my central vacuum units, I know many of us collect canister and upright cleaners but a few of us, myself included collect central vacuum units, I've been meaning to do a post showing all of my central vacuum units, hopefully I will get to that soon. My favorite ones are what I call the beasts, and I have 4 of them, they are 240 volt dual motor units. Plug a hose directly in to those, the power is amazing. I have at least one central vacuum unit in every room of my apartment, and some rooms have more than one.
Mike

 

[cam2s]

Perhaps this needs to be in another thread but those that have a “portable” central vacuum system I would be interested in seeing your set up. Could be a fun little project to rig something up.

Cameron

 

[n0oxy]

portable central vacuum

Some central vacuum units already have a utility valve built in, and for those that don't, it's very easy to turn it in to a portable unit, well, they're kind of large so I'm not sure how portable it really is, but it's a simple matter to use them without installing pipes. You can just attach a utility valve to the in-take, depending on how the in-take is designed, you may need a small piece of pipe as well. Some units have a manual switch to turn them on and off, for those that don't, you can connect a short wire to the utility valve and then connect it to the terminals on the unit, and there you go. Connect your hose to the utility valve and you have yourself a very powerful hose cleaner, and since you're not using pipes, you get the full power of the unit.
Mike

 

[tolivac]

I did the conversion to a NuTone central unit-bagged.Forget the Model# offhand.Simply bought the inlet plate and parts needed from the vac dealer I bought the machine from.Came from their central unit trade in pile towards an MD.Works fine this way.The machine didn't have a utility inlet on the machine itself.Its red-gray-sort of looks like a medicine capsule-I call it the mdedicine capsule vacuum.Has a 12A motor.All of my units are 120V too much trouble to go 240V-no more 240V poles in my breaker panel and don't want to have to run the cables and put in another 240V outlet.The last 240V poles in the panel were used for a 240V GE Advantium oven.Bought that before any central vac units.

 

[ultralux88]

Back years ago, we had to have a whole sub panel installed to allow for adding in the 240v circuit for the central vac.

 

[n0oxy]

another way to use a 240 volt device

If you want to run a 240 volt central vacuum without running a whole new circuit, this device allows you to do just that. Even though I have a 240 volt outlet, I picked up one of these as well and it definitely works. Basically you connect the two cords to two different 120 volt outlets on opposite phases, works great. Whoever designed this was a genius.
Mike

https://www.quick220.com/-A220-15D.html

 

[panasonicvac]

I miss ours

We had a SilentMaster unit with the Stealth powerhead at our old cabin until we sold the place back in like 2007. We've only had it for like a few years. I liked it better than our system at home which is a Beam 287S with the Rugmaster Plus powerhead and a few Turbocat turbineheads that we rarely use nowadays. I don't know which model our unit was, it might have been a S2 since the place was about 6,000 sq. feet but given for the fact that our cabin was located in the highest altitude of Idaho, it might've been a different model (Could also been used as 240 volts). Another thing too was that our third floor up (We've had four floors in that place), there were no inlet valves installed in that floor. I still don't get why we didn't had those put in when we first built the place but eventually we've somehow managed to reach the hose up there without either having the contractor come back out and put in more inlet valves (Which probably would've effected the performance) or simply buy another vacuum which that was our original plan. Anyways, I've somehow managed to grab some pictures of our unit from the realtor since the place had been recently listed for sale again so these first two pictures is what was our old SilentMaster when it was put in. The next two is an older SilentMaster literature that I've also managed to save from work a few years ago since they looked just like ours. I think these are my most favorite looking units ever from MD.

 

[ultralux88]

Mike, were you with us in the old museum when Owen and I fired up that old Filtex? We used two Kirby cords to do the same thing as that device. It was while we were running it, with the intake covered, just letting it build suction then opening the utility valve. Made it bark like a seal! Every time it barked the lights went dim in the place!

 

[n0oxy]

was that last year

Was that last year at the convention when you ran the Filtex? Wish I could have seen that, in September I'm going to try to bring all four of my beasts to the convention, I will probably have to bring that power supply as well since I don't think a 240 volt outlet is available there. I can't wait for everyone to see those.
Mike

 

[dysonman1]

Mike

Since the theme of this year's convention in September is "Central Vacuums", it will be so cool to see your "beasts". Owen and Evan and Evan S. and Reggie are central vac experts - their input will be amazing. Thank God we have more than enough room here to hold the invited guests (we have limited the number of people we have invited to the convention so as to be able to social distance the entire time). We are planing a "Pilgrimage" to Evan R.'s home on Friday afternoon/evening as his central vacuum collection is breath taking. Don't forget that Saturday is the banquet - fresh Sea Food from New Orleans, Hans Craig's Southern Specialties, grilled "beer can" chicken and pulled pork, Robert C.'s wonderful deserts. And everyone gets to take home their "Mid Missouri Vacuum" mask. Good times ahead.

 

[tolivac]

Ran my Silentmaster earlier today and LOVED it! Ran it with the Volt powernozzle.Then did the hand tool cleaning with it,too!Was satisfying-hadn't used it in a while.15A 120V seems enough for me!Feel I don't need the 220-240V versions.I look at it like projector light apetures-you can only force so much light thru a given size opening-pretty much the same with vacuums-only force so much air thru the given opening.

 

[n0oxy]

240 volt units

There's just something about having all of that power that is awesome, especially when you connect a hose directly to them. You can only put so much air through the hose, but the water lift on those 240 volt units is awesome, it's really something to watch a turbine attachment spin with one of those. I can't wait for everyone to see them at the convention, and the food that Tom mentioned sounds amazing.
Mike

 

[tolivac]

Along with the Patriot have a Viper central vacuum on order along with extra bags.9 gal size!This would hold as much as some shop vacuums!Has the same amps as my MD Silentmaster 15A 120V.A nice round of vacuums!

 

[n0oxy]

viper

I'm assuming you're talking about the Drainvac Viper, that is an awesome central vacuum unit. It's probably the most powerful single motor central vacuum unit available but it's very quiet, are you going to use it with pipes or just attach a utility valve and use it as a super duper canister cleaner?
Mike

 

[tolivac]

My Viper is supposed to arrive today(Monday)like you I used my central vacs with the hose in their utility inlets.I am figuring this one is going to be at least as powerful as my MD Silentmaster.Both are 15A 120V machines.I ordered HEPA Filtrete style bags for the Viper-its the 9Gal size.Sounds like it should be a real hoss!

 

[tolivac]

Received my Viper and put it together.It does not have a utility inlet so I made up one with the parts that came with the machine.The 9 Gal bags are HUGE!!!!May see if they can fit in my NSS M1's.Borrowed a muffler from another machine I have-Beam bagless.The machine came as I was about to go to bed for my mid shift.Its VERY quiet-and powerful like the MD Silentmaster.Will use the Viper some more to see just what this baby can do!Neeed to try it with the Volt powernozzle!

 

[tolivac]

220V machines--I figure I could try one with that device shown earlier that combines two opposite phases to get 240V.Most 240V central vacuums use a 240V15A outlet.Drainvac makes a 240V dual motor machine.Similar to the Viper.Their main difference is greater suction pressure over airflow.