Should You Have a Central Vacuum?

Before we begin, central vacuums are an internal network of hoses hooked up to an extremely powerful vacuum. Most owners prefer to place this vacuum in the basement or the garage for easy clean-up. Central vacuum systems improve the value of your home and provide you with many benefits, including:

Power and Convenience
A typical central vacuum is 10 times more powerful than their conventional upright cousins. They can also store a considerable amount of dust (a central vacuum is about the size of a 15 gallon trash can). Central vacuums are also convenient. After you design and plan your network of inlets you can easily access it with a plug-in hose and begin vacuuming right away!

Toe-Sweeps
Central vacuum systems can also provide you with toe-sweep, which is a kind of vent where you can sweep dust into. Toe-sweeps are excellent to have in the kitchen or places where there are flat or hard surfaces. Instead of bending over to sweep your dirt into a pan, you can simply sweep it into a toe-sweep!

Universal Attachments
Even if you do not purchase the same brand of accessories from your central vacuum, it's very probable that you don't even have to repurchase another set of vacuum attachments! All of the wall inlets for central vacuums are universal, therefore it is easy to keep older accessories if it isn't broken or unwanted, and you wouldn't have to worry about model numbers or make while you shop for your tools.

Durability and Easy Maintenance
Central vacuums can last many years with proper care. Many owners boast that they've kept their central vacs for more than 10 years, even if the layout of their homes have changed. Maintaining your central vacuum should be a snap. Empty out the dust container once it's 3/4 full and before you vacuum, you suck up a maintenance wipe through each inlet to keep its internal system pristine and unclogged.

Mobility and Ease
Many home owners may scoff at this idea. "How can a central vacuum be more mobile than my upright?" they may ask. It's true that you cannot take your central vacuum to your neighbor's, however vacuuming stairs, floors, and carpets are easier with a central vacuuming system. Simply plug your hose in a pre-determined inlet and vacuum!

Uses
Central vacuums makes clean-up virtually spotless, since your vacuum will most likely be placed in an area where a few puffs of dusts cannot harm anyone. Imagine a dust bag exploding in your living room! Central vacuums are also useful in that they increase the value of your home, so investing in a system is not a shabby idea at all!

Judy Nguyen is a copy editor from Vacuum Home and specializes HVAC as well as environmental issues.