Replies

1. 
   CloudHidden | Jul 20, 2003 07:38pm | #1

   >Also -- does anybody live with (or have previous experience with) a central vacuum system.  If so, are they worth the money?  Any opinions on which brands to look at and which to avoid?  Any other advice?

   Yes!!!! I think they may be especially effective with more open floorplans, because then you don't wrestle with the hose so much from room to room. We LOVE ours! A search here will uncover several recent threads. I'm partial to VacuFlo. Long time in business, permanent filter, no bags, and good price.

2. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jul 20, 2003 08:14pm | #2

   Downdraft range vents don't work as well as ones above the range.   The fundamental physics is that hot vapors from the front of the stove want to go up, not horizontally to the back of the stove.  

   A second issue is that downdrafts often are installed with long small-diameter ducts with lots of turns, and that greatly restricts the performance.  

   The biggest thing you can do to get good hood performance is to use a large-diameter short duct with few turns.

3. 
   bobl | Jul 20, 2003 09:49pm | #3

   we have a Beam vac and like it.

   be sure to plan your runs out well.

   our house is a small ranch and we were able to have only one vac outlet.

   to repeat plan out your runs.

   and where your vac itself will be located for noise and exhaust

   the beam also does not use replaceablr filters, you empty a canister.

   hose is 30 foots long

   the beam has vacum end uses a beater bar that is driven by 130v so the vac outlet must be near an electrical outlet,  power provided through the hose.

   the installation manual is on the beam web site. 

   edit: be sure u have a local dealer, the warentee is thru the dealer and not the factory for Beam.

   bobl          Volo Non Voleo

   
   

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   Edited 7/20/2003 2:50:49 PM ET by bobl

1. 
   donpapenburg | Jul 21, 2003 02:22am | #4

   I got central vac . Have an outlet in every room ,saves the hassle of a hose caught on something.  Think about adding floor sweps at all enterance doors.  Buy the one with the most power that you can get. Exhaust to the outside.  I will be adding a floor sweep to one of the kitchen counters  that will generate the most crumbs.

4. 
   Glendo | Jul 21, 2003 05:02am | #5

   Howdy,

   Central Vacs are great. Had ours about 8 years. Its the Nu-Tone cyclone model, it's been Alright but, if I had to replace it I would probably shop for something different. The wall connectors are flimsy and they leak. Also I would have liked a bit more power. It's nice to have a lot of connectors but long pipe runs and elbows can eat up a lot of CFM. If you can, locate the unit somewhere isolated and as has been said, vent to outside, and install a muffler. Central vacs are really loud.

   Cheerz,

   Glendo.

   
   

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   Edited 7/20/2003 10:07:21 PM ET by Glendo

1. 
   skids | Jul 21, 2003 05:46am | #6

   i don't like the idea of downdrafts or central vacs, but then i'm somewhat of a minimalist. i bought my last new truck with hand operated crank windows, less to go wrong, and easier to fix if it does. i want it to last a long time and will put up with inconvenience for longevity. buy a robot vac instead, and try to find a way to put the hood overhead in a design style that is asthetically pleasing. if you can't hide it make it obvious, and make it a feature.

1. 
   donpapenburg | Jul 21, 2003 07:20am | #7

   I would say that is a good argument for central vac . Simple, less noise,less dust in the house,and less to go wrong . No cords geting fraid . It is hard wired to the house. and the dust is dumped out side.

5. 
   EricGunnerson | Jul 21, 2003 07:40am | #8

   I have a Thermador combo (gas top, electric oven) with the motorized downdraft in the back, which uses a big remote blower.

   It works reasonably well, though you do have to make sure you use one of the back burners if you're cooking something that makes a lot of vapor. The draft will pull a gas flame to the side, which will effect the heating a bit. It will pull a bit of the smoke from pans on the front burners, but won't get all of it.

   I'm glad we did it, because in our remodel there was no easy way to put in an overhead without it dominating the room, but there are tradeoffs.

6. 
   steveh | Jul 21, 2003 07:53am | #9

   have both love the vac hate the downdraft ,think abot changing it every time the smoke sets off the smoke alarm and its noisy

   The vac is great have a three story house ,Put an outlet for the vac and and elec outlet on each landing and use a 25' hose

7. 
   steve | Jul 21, 2003 08:43am | #10

   down draft cooktops can work well, biggest thing is restriction in the ductwork, read the manual regarding size and length

   if in doubt use the bigger size duct

   caulking is not a piece of trim

8. 
   jhausch | Jul 21, 2003 01:22pm | #11

   The only thing I don't like about central vacs - or I guess I should say, if I got one, the one thing I would insist upon - is an electrically powered brush in the carpet/rug attachement.

   We had one in a house in the 80's.  The brush was vac powered and did not do a good job on carpet. 

   Other potential drawbacks: hose damage to drywall corners.

   I am not totally against them, but I do think that a good, regular vac is hard to beat.  I really like the idea of a vacuum type floor sweep dust thingys.  If I were to build a house without central vac, I would add a non-powered version to the kitchen that you emptied from the basement.

   Steelkilt Lives!
9. 
   Mongo | Jul 21, 2003 05:41pm | #12

   I always thought central vacs were silly...until I put one in my own house.

   I highly recommend Beam. Best I've seen to date.

   You do need to pay attention to the outlets and wand/attachments. Easiest is an all-in-one outlet, containing vac plumbing, low voltage (to turn vac on/off from wand) and high voltage (to power rug beater/brush). Pigtails and separate on/off switches on the wall are an inconvenience. Minor whining, but if it's easy to use, you'll use it more often.

   As others have mentioned, the toekick pans are nice in kitchens or mudrooms.

   Get a sock for the hose to kee the rubber hose from marring floors/trim. Also makes it easier to side the hose across the floor.

   You can mix/match...using one company's vac and another company's outlets/wands, etc.

   Use outside exhaust.

   Downdrafts can work...though they are most limited when installed on islands with 'free air' on all four sides, or when used with high-BTU cooktops. Sometimes the downdrafts just can't reverse the upward movement of all the hot going upwards.

   Shop carefully, and ask the seller for referrals from customers who have that particular downdraft installed. And, make sure it's a working kitchen and not a show kitchen where the 'cook' likes the cool-factor of the downdraft but in reality only uses the kitchen to reheat takeout food.

10. 
    calvin | Jan 31, 2019 07:29am | #13

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