Central vacuum comparison

If you want to sell one of your units, let me know. We’ve got an old one in our basement that isn’t sucking well.

C

CNeufeld wrote: ↑ If you want to sell one of your units, let me know. We’ve got an old one in our basement that isn’t sucking well.

C

Have you replaced the filter by any chance?

I noticed mine was becoming sluggish as the filter was clogged with very fine dust. Good thing I didn't run it too long this way or the motor might've burnt out.

@OP, you could always hook up the husky and see if it gives you the same suction power, if it does and it's smaller then why not? Costco is great to deal with for warranties.

teqtoke wrote: ↑ So my question is, should I keep the Beam system and sell my new Husky?
Thanks!!

Most definitely!! The Beam system, has one of the best central vac motors in it. Ametek-Lamb Two Stage tangential bypass motor.

CNeufeld wrote: ↑ If you want to sell one of your units, let me know. We’ve got an old one in our basement that isn’t sucking well.

Thanks, I'll let you know. I'm in Calgary though, you are in Edm?

barqers wrote: ↑ Have you replaced the filter by any chance?

I noticed mine was becoming sluggish as the filter was clogged with very fine dust. Good thing I didn't run it too long this way or the motor might've burnt out.

@OP, you could always hook up the husky and see if it gives you the same suction power, if it does and is smaller then why not? Costco is great to deal with for warranties.

Thanks for the reply, I cleaned/dusted the filter into a bag, but didn't replace it. It seems to be a cloth type, so wondering if I should wash it. The suction hasn't changed, although when I use the accessories from the husky system (on the Beam), it seems to suck better. Weird right? I'd ultimately like to keep the Husky as a backup in case the Beam breaks, but the wife doesn't want it sitting around lol
I'm not sure if I want to unmount and mount the new one just to try it, or is it super easy?

Bianco13 wrote: ↑ Most definitely!! The Beam system, has one of the best central vac motors in it. Ametek-Lamb Two Stage tangential bypass motor.

Thanks for the reply. This is what I need to know, if its more reliable, etc. Sometimes the older stuff works way better than the newer stuff!

teqtoke wrote: ↑ Thanks, I'll let you know. I'm in Calgary though, you are in Edm?

Yup.

C

I just found this video, that helps me big time. Thought I'd post in case anyone was as clueless as I was lol. I too felt that huge lump in the middle and thought it was really dirty.

I was going to suggest that you vacuum (no need to wash) your filter with a shop vac every time you empty out the canister.

Here's a tip to removing most of the big dirt clumps stuck to the filter prior to vacuuming the filter. Take a black garbage bag, fit it around the bottom of the vacuum body. Let the air escape the bag, twist the garbage bag tight around the body hold tight using one hand. Take the other hand and reach under the bag upwards until you feel the filter. Grab the weight (the sack) in the middle of the filter, move it up and down fast, shake it side to side for a 1-2min. This will break loose the dirt stuck to the filter and it will fall into the garbage bag. Once done, wait about 30 sec with the garbage bag still tight around the vac body, so the dust will settle. Remove the garbage bag, the filter at this point should be fairly clean. Now you can vacuum the filter to remove the fine dust embedded in the cloth filter.

I hope that all made sense?

Hi Teqtoke, Re:

teqtoke wrote: ↑ ...I’ve been to some vacuum stores, etc. Asking about which vacuum system I should keep, but they weren’t helpful,.

Not sure why they couldn't give you a suggestion. May be coz you went to Costco instead Vacuum store? LOL Anyways, as someone already mentioned here, Beam has a good reputation and it's one of my top recommended central vacuum. 189D is an old model & good one. "If it ain't broken why fix it" . Depending on how old & it was taken care, any central vac can get clogged or lose a bit of suction after such time.

You can wait until your Beam dies or just use it in your garage for vacuuming your car. I can tell which is better if you give me complete spec of the Husky sprint (though I'm sure Beam is....it has 2 stage Ametek 119407-00 motor-Bianco already said it). Husky sprint? Can't find other than airways http://huskyvac.com/en/sprint/. The only good thing with buying a new unit is that you get a warranty esp. for motor. Manufacturers provide those years warranty based on their calculation & estimation of roughly how long the brushes or generally the motor will run.

There you go!

ridcvac wrote: ↑ I can tell which is better if you give me complete spec of the Husky sprint (though I'm sure Beam is....it has 2 stage Ametek 119407-00 motor-Bianco already said it). Your husky sprint? Can't find other than airways Huskyvac Sprint.

I couldn't find any specs on the motor that is in the Husky Sprint. But judging by the compact size of the unit and warranty, I would say it probably has a low end flow-thru motor.

I've never used my central vac in the house. Instead I use my Dyson canister.

I hate the idea of having to go to the garage (cold right now) and unhooking that big canister and dumping it out. Dumping out my Dyson is much easier and lighter.

Also no need to drag the big hose around the house, then coiling it back up in the basement for storage, etc.

Is the central vac better in terms of suction power? My friend told me his Dyson was soooo much better than the house vac

I agree with you Bianco.

rfdrfd wrote: ↑ I've never used my central vac in the house. Instead I use my Dyson canister.

I hate the idea of having to go to the garage (cold right now) and unhooking that big canister and dumping it out. Dumping out my Dyson is much easier and lighter.

Also no need to drag the big hose around the house, then coiling it back up in the basement for storage, etc.

Is the central vac better in terms of suction power? My friend told me his Dyson was soooo much better than the house vac

You may like your Dyson... Me, I prefer my central vac and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Crazy suction power... Can empty out the canister every 3-4 months... The hose I find is perfectly fine to maneuver around. I have one hose that services the first and second floor, another hose strictly for the basement and another hose for the garage. Operating the system is very quiet, hardly any noise unlike a canister or upright vac.
Last but most important, 100% of the central vac's exhaust is vented outside of the living space. Means less dust, cleaner air and reduced allergies.

rfdrfd - Not everyone buys / gets the idea of central vacuum. Sometimes every house is different, so does a person and situation. Your house is roughed in and got central vac installed and never used it. That's interesting! I do some rough-ins (retrofit) into existing houses (because they want it badly and got tired of canister & upright vacuums). I even did a retractable hose system into a house that has a conventional central vac roughed-in (but owner wanted the retractable badly). It's always interesting how we are different and our situations.

Dumping out central vacuum is not as often as portable vacuum (e.g Dyson), if you talk about the weight sure. You probably will empty your central vacuum big dirt receptacle once 3-4 months (average). That's one or twice in the winter compare it to how many times we take out our garbage to garage or outside - weekly? .

I hear about dragging the hose often some people don't like that. That's when the Retractable Hose System comes as a solution. Again, that may not be for everyone.

100% central vac is much more better than portable in-terms of suction You'll hear/read central vac makers claim at least 5X stronger.

Thank you everyone, for all of your help!
I went to another vacuum store, and the guy was super helpful! He explained the same as some of you have, about how to clean it properly, etc.
He also suggested I buy bags for it, I just need a small adapter piece to install onto the hose where the dirt comes in from, and the bags slip onto there. Then I wouldn't have to clean my filter as often. I do like the idea of bagless, but that filter was damn gross lol

I also threw my same delemna at him, about how I bought this whole Husky system just for the hose and power head, but he confirmed my thinking, as the exact same set without the Husky unit would cost me $449.99 at his store, and the complete Husky system I bought was only $499.99 at costco! So I've decided to sell the Husky unit without the hoses, in case anyone needs a replacement unit.
Any suggestions on how much I should ask for? I'm thinking I could easily get at least $200 for it.

rfdrfd wrote: ↑ I've never used my central vac in the house. Instead I use my Dyson canister.

I hate the idea of having to go to the garage (cold right now) and unhooking that big canister and dumping it out. Dumping out my Dyson is much easier and lighter.

Also no need to drag the big hose around the house, then coiling it back up in the basement for storage, etc.

Is the central vac better in terms of suction power? My friend told me his Dyson was soooo much better than the house vac

I was debating on getting the dyson, but you have to bring that around too. And you'd have to empty it more often, even if easier. If I empty my central vac cannister before winter, I'd most likely be fine for awhile, and can go do it on a warm day. Also, the big thing for me is that the central vacuum air output is in the garage, so less chance of it blowing dust/allergens into your house. Take cat dander for example, it will go right through any filter other than a HEPA filter, so basically just picking it off the ground and shooting it into the air. So you have to keep the HEPA in good condition and change regularly, etc. With the central vac blowing in the garage, I'm a little less concerned with allergens blowing around in there.
My Husky set came with a sleeve/jacket for the hose, it makes it nicer to carry and doesn't wreck the walls/furniture.

teqtoke wrote: ↑ Thank you everyone, for all of your help!
I went to another vacuum store, and the guy was super helpful! He explained the same as some of you have, about how to clean it properly, etc.
He also suggested I buy bags for it, I just need a small adapter piece to install onto the hose where the dirt comes in from, and the bags slip onto there. Then I wouldn't have to clean my filter as often. I do like the idea of bagless, but that filter was damn gross lol

I also threw my same delemna at him, about how I bought this whole Husky system just for the hose and power head, but he confirmed my thinking, as the exact same set without the Husky unit would cost me $449.99 at his store, and the complete Husky system I bought was only $499.99 at costco! So I've decided to sell the Husky unit without the hoses, in case anyone needs a replacement unit.
Any suggestions on how much I should ask for? I'm thinking I could easily get at least $200 for it.

Good to hear that. There are good people I know in Calgary (vacuum shops). You will love using bags. Just remember to throw it once it's getting full don't wait until it's 100% full. You'll easily sell brand new vac at that price. Didn't offer that to the vacuum store you visited?