OT: Building a house - central vacuum system worth it?

[57stratdawg]

Anyone have one?

 

[NorCalDawg]

We had one in a home we rented for a few months when we first moved to CA. It worked good but I can't say it worked any better than a conventional vac. The nicest thing about it was how quiet it was.

The most annoying thing about it was getting that freaking 50 ft hose back in the closet! For this reason we found it much more convenient to use our conventional vacuum cleaner.

The house was about 1850 sq ft and 2 stories, so I think the hose had to be that long because there was only 1 downstairs outlet in the home. It was close to the stairs and would allow the hose to reach all of the space downstairs, but only about half of the upstairs space.

I don't know how these systems can be configured, but If it's possible and not cost prohibitive, you might want to make sure there are enough outlets to allow a reasonably manageable length of hose.

Hope this helps.

 

[BearcatBully]

Worth every penny!!!!

Be sure to place enough outlets to allow you to easily reach all points. We even have an outlet out in garage for vacuuming out vehicles. The filter bags last forever. Get a good assortment of attachments and get the largest unit available to have max power.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

Anyone have one?

Not no but helllll no. If you are building a house, why on gods green earth would you install any carpet to begin with?

 

[whosyourdawgy]

I used to sell and install them. Definitely worth it. The biggest thing is when vacuuming, all the dirt and things sucked up go out of the house into wherever you decide to install the motor. A regular vac will not contain all the dust in its filters and some will stay in the house. And the suction from a central vac is tons more powerful than most any household vac. The hose can be cumbersome but you get used to it. If ya got the money to do it, go for it. And you don't need to get the largest one. There are motors for different square footages Don't waste money on a 5000 sf unit when u have a 2500 sf house. Be sure you have the outlets in the right places with no furniture obstructions. The how should have a 30 foot reach so take a tape measure to the farthest points in room and go 30 ft to see where you have to have the outlet. Need to find central areas for them to maximize the use of the outlet. The more outlets the higher the price. I always liked to minimize the number of outlets to have less piping in the walls and attic because I think the more piping you have the less suction you get out of the unit. Ask away if you have a question.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

My grandparents house has it but they no longer use it.

He built it in the late 70s with the best technology at the time. Intercom/sound system in every room, radiant heat in the ceiling, heated bathroom floors, and central vac.

I think the biggest problem with the central vac was not enough outlets. You had to have 50 feet of hose to get around. Then they had problems with the vacuum and just stopped using it.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

Dude w a central vac you can suck up all the dust instead of sweeping and there are also outlets under the cabinets that you kick open w your foot and can sweep the dirt and trash into. Central FACS are great for wood tile and stained concrete floors

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

You realize you can use a vacuum on other surfaces?

 

[Wicked Pissah]

Dude w a central vac you can suck up all the dust instead of sweeping and there are also outlets under the cabinets that you kick open w your foot and can sweep the dirt and trash into. Central FACS are great for wood tile and stained concrete floors

Gotcha. My builder asked if I wanted one and i asked if it was worth it. He said nobody ever uses them but to talk to my 2 neighbors who installed them. Both said they never use them and were a waste of money. I opted to spend that money on foam installation for my whole house. The mop and bucket do me just fine.

 

[dawgphd]

Hire a maid and a buy her a Miele vacuum.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

That 1200-1500 u saved on the vac didn't or shouldn't have covered the price difference in the foam. The foam is a good idea if ya gonna live in the house for a long time. If you are gonna live for 3-5 years in it and move on, you don't recoup the money saved. I sell insulation too.

 

[maroonmadman]

We had a vacation house with a central vac system. As mentioned the hose is a pain in the ***. You've got to have multiple outlets per level-our place was 2 stories and a basement with the vac motor in the basement-or drag around an un Godly amount of hose. It is quieter, depending on where you install the motor. It will keep dust from blowing back into the house as you vacuum, again depending on where you install it. The afore mentioned hose was a major draw back imo. Another thing not mentioned is it is possible to plug up the line, not the hose part, and that can be a royal pain in the ***.

FWIW, I would just roll with a conventional vacuum cleaner. And if you can afford it, some fine little ho in a French maid outfit to push it around.

 

[MarriedtoStateGrad]

Best solution

Hire a maid and a buy her a Miele vacuum.

Exactly what I did.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

That 1200-1500 u saved on the vac didn't or shouldn't have covered the price difference in the foam. The foam is a good idea if ya gonna live in the house for a long time. If you are gonna live for 3-5 years in it and move on, you don't recoup the money saved. I sell insulation too.

The foam was a little more than the vacuum. However, like I said, i visited with neighbors that recently built homes with the vac and they said it is a waste of money and they dont use it. Period. Sorry that you sell it but ive discussed it with multiple people that have it. Whether it works or not doesnt matter. It is annoying to them and they dont use it.

ill be in my home a 7-10 years. I upgraded to foam for a few other reasons as well.

 

[BlxReb]

Not no but helllll no. If you are building a house, why on gods green earth would you install any carpet to begin with?

My house is all hardwood and I use the vacuum each time I clean. I have a dog and several area rugs.

Outside of that, I generally like carpet in the bedrooms. Particularly in the children's bedroom.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

Understood. Central vacs are great for folks that have allergy issues. My wife loves ours. My mother and mother in law have em and had them before I even started to sell them. They can't live without them. I've had to go do some small repairs on both of theirs. I have repaired a ton of upper scale houses that the home owners wouldn't dream of not using. It's a matter of individuals I guess. The hose isn't that big of a deal. Really not much worse than the electric cord on a regular vacuum. Once ya get used to it, it's fine. There is no doubt they do better jobs than standard ones.

 

[Wicked Pissah]

My house is all hardwood and I use the vacuum each time I clean. I have a dog and several area rugs.

Outside of that, I generally like carpet in the bedrooms. Particularly in the children's bedroom.

Yeah, i dont have kids. Sounds like some like them and some dont. Im home 10 days a month so I have a maid anyway.

 

[yee dawgy]

I have all hardwood floors at home and have a central vac. Works great. Find a place to hang ur hose up high so U don't have to roll it up.
Also have one at my business which is a lab where we can't stir up dust. It's an industrial unit and solved the dust problem.

 

[dickiedawg]

My folks have one, and we didn't even consider it when building our house. It's a great idea in theory but a regular dyson is just a lot easier to deal with.

By the way, count me on team no carpet.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Roomba for hardwoods. Seriously

 

[BulldogBlitz]

no, that's why i have a woman.