Central Vacuum System Can Keep Entire House Clean
Question: My allergist recommended a super-powerful central vacuum cleaner, and I like how quiet they are. Do the powerful motors use a lot of extra electricity and can I install one myself to save a few bucks?
Answer: For deep cleaning of your carpeting and furniture and for dust-free indoor air, you cannot beat a central vacuum system. Installing one, even in a two-story house, is a fairly easy do-it-yourself project. You use just ordinary PVC pipe, including elbows and angles, and glue them together.
With a 30-foot vacuum hose, a typical house needs just several wall inlets. When you insert the hose, the main power unit starts. A handy feature is a VacPac for kitchens. With a broom, you sweep dirt over to it. Flip a switch with your foot and the VacPac sucks away the dirt.
The powerful motors draw a lot of electric current. With the superior cleaning power, you probably will vacuum less often and for less time. This may end up saving electricity overall, and your house will be cleaner.
For precise cleaning, without wasting electricity, consider a central vacuum with a dust sensor monitor. A small battery-operated device on the wand senses when there is no more dust in the air flowing through. When the air is clear, a light switches from red to green to signal the carpet is clean.
Most central vacuum-cleaning systems have the central power unit located in the garage, utility room or basement. This makes vacuum cleaning so quiet that someone can sleep while it is running. If you want it even quieter near the central power unit, there are special mufflers available.
It is important to select a unit powerful enough for the size of your home. A larger house requires longer plastic pipes to reach the wall inlets, creating more air-flow resistance. This requires more power.
Don’t base your decision on the advertised “peak horsepower” rating because it is meaningless. The true cleaning power of central vacuums is best compared by the suction (water lift in inches) and air flow (cubic feet per minute or cfm).
Air watts is a calculated power value derived from a combination of the air flow and suction. It ranges from about 400 on some models to more than 900 on others. The most powerful ones use several motors and multiple fan stages to attain this powerful cleaning force.
If you have easy outdoor access, vent the power unit exhaust to the outdoors. A cyclonic air-cleaning design is great for this setup. You have to empty the canister only every three to six months. If you cannot vent it outdoors, select a design with filters, bags or a combo cyclonic-filter system.
Write for (or download https://www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 984, a buyer’s guide of 11 central vacuums, cleaning designs, air watts, cfm, suction, features and a layout guide. Please include $3 and a business-size self-addressed, stamped envelope and mail to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244.
Painting Doors Hinges on Tape, Steady Hand
Q: I want to paint the indoor trim around the front and back doors. Are there any good tips for painting around the hinges without removing the door. It took a lot of time to adjust it for a good airtight seal.
A: In an older house, in which the walls have done some settling over the years, it does take time to adjust the door fit. If you have a steady hand, just paint around the edge of the hinges.
If you do not, try this method. Stick clear plastic sealing tape over each side of the hinge so that the tape extends over the edges. Using a utility knife, trim it along the edges. Paint the trim and then peel off the tape.
Take an online tour of James Dulley’s house and see all the money-saving improvements and products that he tests. Go to https://www.dulley.com/house/ on the Internet.
