Central Vacuum System

Author
Discussion

Too Late

Original Poster:

5,117 posts

241 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Anyone had any experience with Central Vacuum Systems?

I am looking at a BEAM CVS system:
http://www.beamcentralsystems.com/central-vacuum-s...

Just wondering if anyone might have used a system like this and what they thought of it

Thanks
N

sidekickdmr

5,116 posts

212 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I had one in one of the apartments I used to live in.

It worked well and never had any problems with it.....just didn’t see the point of it.

What are the benefits?

We currently have a decent Miele Hoover, its very compact and has great power etc.

Rather than having to sink the pipes behind the walls everywhere and running the power to a specialist cupboard somewhere, then having to have ugly plates in most rooms and if anything comes dis-connected or breaks it could be a nightmare.

Then there is the actual using the thing, I plug my Miele into the hallway and I can Hoover the whole of downstairs in one go, with the old central system I would be bending down to dis and re connect the hose about 5 times.

so unless im missing something they are more expensive, more work to install, more work to use, take up more room, a nightmare to repair/replace and are no good for things like taking out to Hoover the car.

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
OK, how about one of those robot jobbies?

Wozy68

5,420 posts

176 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I've just worked in a house where they have just installed one. The customer is an American and by all accounts they are fitted quite alot over there.

To be honest, I do not know why she bothered. Its a heck of alot of work to have it installed and other than lugging a vacumn up the stairs I see no real benefit from it vs cost.

Finally the storage area aint that great (and that takes up space in her utility) so I can't see much of a saving on bags either. biggrin

Edited by Wozy68 on Wednesday 16th April 15:10

h0b0

8,110 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I have only used one and couldn't see the point. instead of lugging around a vac you have to carry this,



It's 9M long and a pain to man handle. I found it much easier to carry the bloody vac!

paulrockliffe

15,976 posts

233 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I considered installing one when I was doing our house as we had all the floors up and it wouldn't have been a great deal of trouble to fit everything, an extra day's work maximum. I think it would have been cost neutral as the cost of the hoses would have been offset by being able to buy a cheap powerful workshop hoover rather than a £3-400 Dyson or similar. Over a few decades the saving is likely to be significant due to saving each time the Dyson would have broken.

I imagine they're easier to use as they're lighter and if you put some thought into the installation not much hassle in use. I think a 9m hose plugged in on my landing would easily cover the entire upstairs of the house and the same downstairs. If I had a cupboard up there and a suitable place downstairs I'd have two and leave them permanently plugged in.

Now I've typed all that I kinda wish I'd bothered to find time to finish looking into it as I might have installed one.

h0b0

8,110 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
I had a house built in New Jersey in 2012 and had the option of a relatively cheap vacuum system. In the end I bought my Dysons refurbished for $200 each. I have a DC24 for the upstairs bedrooms and a DC25 for the larger carpeted area in the basement. No issues so far and at the cost they are almost "dissposible"

TheTardis

214 posts

196 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
OK, how about one of those robot jobbies?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbOqsp3oUQI biggrin

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SajTWY9a0e0biggrin

andy43

10,428 posts

260 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Our house was in bits after we bought it in 2006 so I fitted a discounted system I bought from the homebuilding show.
Spent about £500-600 to date I reckon.
Works very well - I mounted the main unit outside in a upvc box, so everything dust-wise that gets through the very basic washable filter ends up outside. Asthma was the main reason for doing it - and I think it has helped.

The motor failed at one point so from watching ebay for second hand bits I've now got two complete matching units mounted in parallel, meaning suction is full-on Lewinsky-spec. Motors are cheap - £20-£30 standard Henry/type units.
Then the control system board failed (low voltage contacts in the hose and wall sockets switch the motor on/off) so I made my own with a couple of chunky relays and a 9V plug-in power supply.

Is it worth it - dunno! Could have bought two or three Hoover/Henry/Miele for what we've spent.
Good points are no daft filters (rinse ours out every 6 months), no constant emptying (maybe every 3 months), no noise - which is great, and all the crap ends up in the collection bin or outside - no hepa filter is that clever.
Damn sight easier on the back than pushing a hoover around as well - with the turbo head there's no weight to it at all, and it literally pulls itself across the carpet. So I'm told wink
Bad points - that hose. And due to location I need a cheapo hoover for the car.

The americans/canadians swear by them.

Brother D

3,940 posts

182 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
OK, how about one of those robot jobbies?
I recently purchased a roomba as there was $50 discount on Amazon.

Once it had run for a few days, I kid you not, Mrs D said (and I quote verbatim) "That was a really good idea" AND it was not said sarcastically.

We go to work during the day, and come home to a nice vacuumed flat everyday. Previously - lucky if the flat was vacuumed once a month. Best money I have spent in a long long time.

Only con, is you have to empty everyday, but eminently worth it.



Laurel Green

30,835 posts

238 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Purchase an Henry - well someone had to say it! wink

Rosscow

8,980 posts

169 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
A £200 Miele - best vacuum we've ever had. Also, for something like £50 they'll give you a 10 year parts and labour guarantee.

Wozy68

5,420 posts

176 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
Purchase an Henry - well someone had to say it! wink
I'm with you, you just can't beat a Henry. biggrin

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

201 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
2 yachts I've worked on have had central vacs. Nothing but trouble, always clogging.

Hateful things.

poppopbangbang

2,090 posts

147 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Brother D said:
I recently purchased a roomba as there was $50 discount on Amazon.

Once it had run for a few days, I kid you not, Mrs D said (and I quote verbatim) "That was a really good idea" AND it was not said sarcastically.

We go to work during the day, and come home to a nice vacuumed flat everyday. Previously - lucky if the flat was vacuumed once a month. Best money I have spent in a long long time.

Only con, is you have to empty everyday, but eminently worth it.
I've had Roombas for a while and the upgraded them last year as the original ones were looking pretty battered and worn. They are brilliant, brilliant bits of kit and with the large dust bins option will do 3 - 4 days in my place without needing to be emptied. We have one upstairs and one downstairs with a Scooba to do the kitchen and conservatory floors.

Far better idea than any plumbed in stuff that you still have to put all the effort of hoovering into wink They also seem to be totally bomb proof as in 3 years our old ones didn't need any attention. The old ones are now in work, one of which does the workshop and the other the offices. Still going strong.

Oldred_V8S

3,726 posts

244 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Brother D said:
I recently purchased a roomba as there was $50 discount on Amazon.

Once it had run for a few days, I kid you not, Mrs D said (and I quote verbatim) "That was a really good idea" AND it was not said sarcastically.
Are you sure? She is female right?

Revisitph

983 posts

193 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Have you got small children? Where's the lego / car keys / hamster gone??

Brother D

3,940 posts

182 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Oldred_V8S said:
Brother D said:
I recently purchased a roomba as there was $50 discount on Amazon.

Once it had run for a few days, I kid you not, Mrs D said (and I quote verbatim) "That was a really good idea" AND it was not said sarcastically.
Are you sure? She is female right?
Yeah definately female, I've like checked and everything. Even though roombas are the best most amazing inventions ever, there no way a woman would unprompted say a man had a good idea.

Bugger. She's having an affair.

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
quotequote all
Brother D said:
Bugger. She's having an affair.
Then again as you have the vacuuming sorted out, you don't need her any more. Assuming you can cook that is...

MattS3

1,981 posts

197 months

Friday 18th April 2014
quotequote all
We've got one of the Beam models.

It was in the house when we moved in. Great idea, silent and massive collection bin.

Used it 3 times, the hose is a grind to coil up.

Shame really, it's got wicked suction.