Vintage Fairfax on "The Butler"

[beerad]

I just saw the movie "The Butler" tonite .

It showed a vintage red Fairfax vacuum with power Nozzel bring used to clean the red carpet in one of the main hallways of the White House!

 

[dysonman1]

Ironic that the White House actually has a Spencer central vac.

 

[tolivac]

When I lived in Wash DC in the 70's,80's and part of the 90's-Daycon Janitorial products and Govt supplier GSA provided cleaning equipment for the White House.The first NSS Model M1 I bought in the 70's was delivored by Daycon in their delivory truck-in it with the one I got was a fleet of M1's-I asked where they were going-the delivoryman said to the White House.If memory serves right-the uprights used there were Windsors.Many of the Spencer central systems in Gov't building are no longer used.I worked in such a building-the Spencer hose outlets were in the hallways-asked a building engineer where the vacuum unit was-he said"Don't know-think it was taken out years ago".

 

[jade_angel]

Government choice of vacuums

I wonder if there was ever any standardization of that sort for the military? I know on the bases I've been on, I've seen a motley assortment - Sanitaire (by far the most common), Royal, Hoover (Guardsman) and Electrolux uprights, Simplicity and Kenmore canisters, a handful of beat-up old Fairfaxes and at least one Silver King. I've seen a very old Filter Queen too (a 500, I think), used for vacuuming out computers and radios.

I'm not so sure about the government outside the DoD, though, since most of my experience has been there.

 

[chan55]

Fairfax

I have never been in contact with a Fairfax. What are they all about? Are they still around? do they work well? Do they have a bag?

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Chandler, Fairfax is still around but not being produced much. It was a door to door brand until about 10 years ago. The man who ownes it now has a website where he still keeps the company going. Look up Eco vacuum or something like that (based out of the Dallas tx area). a new unit is like $2300 but if you talk with him over the phone he is very easy to work with. Fairfax is one of my favorite machines and at one time we had a big dealer here so they are pretty common in these parts. They do use a bag and filters but can also be used for wet pick up and also steam cleaning.

 

[rugsucker]

Goverment vacs

I remember a salesman got a picture in Electrolux news of delivering 40 CBs to a military base about 1982.There would have been a discount for certain quantities and might have been a bidding procedure with certain required specs.

 

[tolivac]

As one who works for the government-there is no standards for the vacuums used in various agencies-GSA-Goverment Services Administration-simply provides equipment and services to gov't agencies that want to use them-They don't have to.Last look in the GSA catalog showed NSS equipment,Sanitaire,and some Hoover.Goverment agencies are now issued agency "credit cards" so they can purchase equipment from whoever they like.I requested and was able to get two Porta-Vacs" from Greenville Vacuum and sewing to use for our shop work and cleaning out transmitters.I liked the Porta-Vac becuase the machine has a very long hose and cord-you can leave the machine OUTSIDE the transmitter so me and others aren't tripping over a machine while working inside the transmitter.they used to have Shop Vacs--HORRIBLE choice-their short hoses-bulky bodies,bad filtration,and to top off large clumsy tools made it difficult for transmitter maintenance.The Porta Vacs solved those problems.We use the Shop Vacs for water pickup-since tubes,capacitors and other parts are water cooled-you do get water leaks and spills-the Shop Vacs excell there.Our Porta Vacs were purchased on the company credit card.
Contractors have to supply their own equipment-we have a janitorial contactor here to do the general housekeeping cleaning,polishing floors and so on.They furnish their own machines--but if you aren't careeful-they try to "adopt" whatever they find around the plant-they tried to adopt one of our Porta-Vacs-explained to her it was a government machine and goverment property-as a contractor she could not use it in that fashion.If she wanted to "borrow" it for a job after asking the shift super-fine.In the meantime-they continue using that screamer Red Commerical Oreck.They have two nice Sanitiares-why they don't use them I don't know-one is brand new!!