Sebo canister or Air-way

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Central Vacuum instead of AirWay

Ok, so I bought a new VacuFlo unit model 566Q instead of another canister. I have a large german sheppard and I just cant deal with how my machines smell after a few uses. My housekeeper cant stand it either! She also hates that my Miele Blue Moon and misses the Lux Epic 6500. Its not practical to change the bag after two or three uses and I will not buy a portable bagless vac. I figured this is the best way to go, no smell since its vented outside and constant power. I purchased the Hayden Superpack with the machine since my vac dealer said it has a much better hose than the Vacuflo. It has almost the same power nozzle as the Air Way. It should be completely installed tomorrow and i cant wait to see how it works. Does anyone have one of these units and are you satisfied with them?
Thanks
-Steve
 
I don't have a Vacuflo, but I can say that from my reoair experiance, they are very reliable and well built. I do have a Riccar central vac. I really feel that the best vacuum anyone can get is a central vac, nothing comes close in power and cleaning ability.
 
Central Vac

Do you like the Riccar? My dealer sells Riccar and Simplicity vacuums and speaks highly of them. I have never used one, but they sell only the VacuFlo as their only central vac line. I was looking at the Riccar but I didnt want a filter or a bag to change. Do you like your system and its power nozzle? Did you install it yourself? I have a colonial splanch so it should be easy to install it myself. Only thing that may be a slight problem is wiring the direct connect valve. Ill know tomorrow if i bit off more than i can chew.
 
Congratulations on your Central Vac Purchase!

I bought and installed a Beam Serenity central vacuum system over five years ago and I love it. I actually wanted to go with a VacuFlo unit, but I didn't like the local dealer. His customer service skills were very poor and he came across as a real jerk. I wanted to do my own installation, but he insisted that installation in an existing home was too complicated for a layperson. The Beam dealer was totally the opposite. He was very encouraging and extremely helpful. He even stopped by my house before the purchase to go over my plan with me. He gave me all sorts of helpful hints and told me to call if I had any problems or concerns at all. He even lent me a "do-it-yourself" installation video to watch before I began.

Central vacuums are perfect for households with pets. I have an English Springer Spaniel and dog hair is a constant concern. She actually likes the central vauum and loves to be vacuumed/groomed with it. (I purchased the pet grooming brushes).

Installation went very smoothly in my 2-story townhouse. (I only installed the standard inlet valves, not the "direct connect" dual voltage electric valves. However, I am going to upgrade my valves this week to the direct connect "ElectraValves." I ordered a "fuse plug" hose end kit to convert my "pig tail" hose into a direct connect hose.) I had a lot of fun planning my installation and even doing the actual install. I'm sure you will too. It requires minimal technical and craftmanship skills and only very basic wiring skills (even for the 110-volt electric inlet valves).

When I purchased my system I bought the standard Beam Rugmaster Plus Power Team. I didn't like the "Eureka" power nozzle at all. It was effective and cleaned well, but it was VERY loud, INCREDIBLY rattly and didn't seem to be of the same quality as the other components in the system. So, after a very short time, I upgraded to a Lindhaus PB14 Electronic power nozzle, which I liked MUCH better. It was much quieter, cleaned just as well (if not better -- especially on throw rugs) and it was of much higher quality. Plus, it was adjustable and had a cogged drive belt. But, I found that the brush roll supports would become bound up with dog hair three or four times a year. So, this year I upgraded again, this time purchasing an entirely new attachment set (hose and all) with a Wessel-Werk EBK340LL power nozzle. So far I'm fairly impressed with this nozzle, but it isn't adjustable and is more difficult to use on certain throw rugs. It does have a telescopic wand, which I really like and it came with a large, European-style dusting brush, which is very handy.

I can't wait to hear about your experiences installing and using your new central vacuum system. Good luck and have fun!
 
I love my Riccar, the best part is the power nozzle with the 3 full rows of bristles and the all metal bottom. The unit wass also the most powerfull home unit on the market at the time, and probably still is. I also got the direct connect electric inlets, and would never have anything else.
 
I second that Swingette!

I have a Hoover 1060 that I used to use regularly to deep clean the carpets. But, unfortunately last year it developed motor problems. The motor starts and runs okay at first, but after 15-20 seconds of use is starts to slow down and comes almost to a stop. I've never repaired an electric motor before, so I wouldn't know where to start or even what to look for. So, I've been keeping my eyes open for a replacement. I should get it fixed as I really miss using that machine.
 
Direct Connect Inlet Valves

Yesterday I converted my central vacuum hose end to direct connect and upgraded my first floor invlet valve to an ElectraValve. What a difference! Getting rid of that 6-foot pig tail cord makes using the hose so much easier, especially when it comes to coiling it up for storage or moving it from one level to the next. (I was always worried about tripping over the pig tail when carrying the hose up or down the stairs as it was often a challange to keep the cord from dangling loose while carrying the whole hose from one location to another.) Plus, the hose connection is now made in one simple step.

The hose conversion was very simple. It took all of three minutes to complete and the only tool required was a flat screwdriver to release the hose cuff. The valve conversion took a about 45 minutes, most of which was spent in running the Romex a short distance through the wall and in order to tap into the nearest electrical circuit.

I plan to convert the second level inlet today. That one should be much easier as it is on a wall behind which is the attic space of the garage. I will be able to easily tap into the outlet circuit in the garage cieling/floor of the attic that serves the garage door opener.
 
Carbon brushes...

Seamus,

How easy is it to locate and examine the carbin brushes on the 1060 motor? And, being a novice, what should I look for once I find them? (How do you tell if they are in need of replacement?) Are replacements readily available?
 
Riccar Central Vacuums

Compact9,

Do you have photos of your Riccar central vacuum installation and especailly its power nozzle? I visited the Riccar Web site, but it doesn't really offer much information on their central vacuum systems. Would I be able to conncect a Riccar power nozzle to my standard button-lock wand system? Is the power nozzle/hose handle electrical connection compatible with standard central vacuum hoses (see picture below)?

10-5-2006-09-56-7--ahzeks.jpg
 
There is also a much better picture of teh unit in there too, I didn't realize this picture was soooo small.
 
Central Vac Muffler

Ok, so I didn't finish installing my central vac. I ran into a few problems running one of the inlets but hopefully I will be done tomorrow. One thing im not sure about is how do you put the muffler on the unit. My system vents outside, does the muffler slide over the exhaust tubing, or does the exhaust tube get cut and the muffler attached between the tubing? I think that if it is attached to two ends of tubing that it will get all cloged with dirt from the exhaust, but im not sure how the muffler really works.
Thanks!
Steven
 
The muffler is installed by connecting the pipe to each end, like any other fitting, just glue the pipe into it.
 
Compact9 -- Thanks for sharing the photos...

...of your vacuum cleaner collection and central vacuum! I like the looks of the Riccar power nozzle and would like to check one out in person. Unfortunately, our local Riccar dealer just went out of business. We do have a Simplicity dealer and I assume there is a comparible Simplicity power nozzle. I wonder, does Riccar/Simplicity sell just the power nozzle and wand assembly? From what I can tell from your photo it looks like the wand has the industry standard central vacuum hose connection.

Also, what is the red/beige Filter-Queen-looking canister in photo #8 of your collection? I've never seen a FQ in that color scheme.
 
Muffler won't clog

Steven,

The muffler installs on the exhaust port of your central vacuum power unit and the exhaust tubing is then connected to the muffler. I've attached a picture from my Beam install manual that shows the muffler placement in the exhaust tube.

It won't clog with dirt. I'm not sure what type of muffler you have, but mine is the "Sound Off" model. If I remember correctly, it's simply a larger plastic tube lined with sound-absorbing foam.

I'll examine mine later today and see exactly what it looks like.

10-6-2006-12-17-0--ahzeks.jpg
 
Since my last post to this thread I have sold two new Rainbows, one rebuilt Rainbow, and one new Air-Way. I have heard from all those customers, and they all love their machines. The Rainbow customers were all repeat buyers. One of the new machines was sold to a well-to-do couple who bought a new machine from me in June for their vacation home, and wanted another for their primary home. When they bought the second machine they told me they would probably be wanting another one soon. The other new Rainbow went to a lady who traded in her very well worn Rainbow D3, about 20-25 years old. The rebuilt Rainbow went to a lady who had bought one from me a few years ago, and since gave it to her daughter, who had just purchased a new home. The mother realized she couldn't get by without a Rainbow, and bought a second one from me the other day. She called me yesterday and told me she loves it. The new Air-Way is an interesting story. I sold it to a customer who has been using a Miele. They wanted something that wouldn't be plagued by expensive and constant repair bills. Just before buying the Air-Way from me, the Miele dealer told them their machine needed $200 worth of repairs, and that wasn't the first time they had a big bill on it. Just thought I'd send this along.
 
Central Vacuum Muffler Photos

Here's a photo of my Beam central vacuum system power unit with the Sound Off muffler attached and a close-up of the muffler end. You can see the sound-absorbing foam on the inside of the tube. It shouldn't clog or interfere with the exhaust as the foam layer (about one half inch thick) only goes around the inside of the tube leaving plenty of open space for the exhaust air to pass freely through.

My system isn't exhaused to the outside, so I have no exhaust tube attached to the other end of the muffler.

10-6-2006-16-53-1--ahzeks.jpg
 
the power nozzle is the same on the Simplicity and Riccar, but the central vac wands have a different electrical connection for the hose than the canister version, as well as a more Miele like locking tab, the wand will only fit a Cen-Tec hose that has the correct metal tube on the end. THe canister wands will only fit the Riccar/Simplicity canister hose end. Buying just a nozzle and wand wouldn't do much for you unless you already have a hose that it will fit.
 
Muffler

Ahzeks thank you so much for the info and the pictures! They are a huge help! I just need to run the exhaust line outside tomorrow, connect the wires, and Im all done with the installation. I have to say it was alot more work than I thought. Im not the do-it-yourself type (im only 22), im more of a pay-someone-else to do it for you type. Anyway, it wasn't extremely difficult to do but it is time consuming! I'm glad i put it in myself and learned how to run the pipes, but in the next house im having someone do it for me!
Thanks Again!
-Steven
 
Air-Way's new brush roller

The only new brush roller offered by CenTec is the current, chevron style. The beater-bar brush, with replaceable bristles, is only available as a repair part. For many rugs, the beater-bar brush is the way to go. However, for newer rugs with very long pile, the new chevron brush is really better.

Air-Way has done a splended job of keeping the machine up with the times. When I first became involved with them, back in 1999, the machine was still white in color (like an oxygen cart), it did NOT have direct connect at the handle or the power nozzle end, and it had the cheap Douglas power nozzle. I have a video tape that I made during my two visits to the factory. One of them shows the owner of Air-Way and myself fighting over the position of the two speed switch. I got my way, and the first Air-Way Signature Series models were, indeed, two speed machines. Ultimately, Air-Way decided that the extra manufacturing costs involved with the two speed models was not feasible and discontinued the two speed motor models (called "select-a-flow"). Those first two speed models are now collector's items.
 
Red/Beige Filter Queen

The machine is made by filter queen but (owner correct me if I am wrong) made for sale in retail, usually a Vac Shop. At a lower price point than the door sold model. It is called a princess! I was approached back in the 80's to be a dealer!
 
Central Vac

So I finally got my VacuFlo unit up and running and I LOVE IT! I am waiting for the 110v to be wired into the inlets this weekend and I'm very anxious to see how well the power nozzle works. I love the power of the machine! Its so quiet! Even if you stand next to the unit down in the basement, its not very loud at all. VacuFlo claims its 60Dbs, which is great! I used it to clean my cat's two cat condos with the upolstery nozzle and it got the hair right up! Its usually much more difficult to get it all up and very time consuming. I must say that I am a little shocked at what is in the container so far and I haven't even used it on the carpets yet. I thought my house was cleaner. Scary!
 
You will about faint when you see what it gets from the carpet. I was shocked the first time that I used my central vac on our carpet that was only a few weeks old, and had been vacuumed daily since we moved in.
 

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