Central Vac

mitchjav

mitchjav

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Messages
140
Location
Belle Mead
Anyone have opinions on Central Vac - Pros/Cons - having a home built and it's offered as an option. We'll have all hardwood floors with just area rugs. Don't think it's worth it, but looking for input. Thank You
 
We got one, used it maybe twice in 13 years. It's a pita to haul the hose out and maneuver it around. Actually, I've used it so seldom that I've never even had to empty the canister in the garage. If they could figure out how to get a robotic vacuum to connect to it so I never had to empty the robot I'd be a happy camper. But the only way I can see a central vac being useful is if you can leave the hose/attachments hooked up all the time. If you have to take it out, hook it up, take it apart, and put it away each time it's easier just to get out the regular vacuum. IMHO.
 
Nope, I would not add it now. Our home was built w/one, I guess it was a thing in the late 70's? I'd never seen one before till this house. When we remodeled we drywalled over all the holes. To me it seems very throw-back.
 
We had one in our last house and I installed it myself. Liked it quite a lot, but that was before Roombas were invented, and I think that's a much better option these days.
 
Some car company was touting a factory-installed built in car vac some time back. Now THAT might be something worth having. In house, I suppose if you have a huge house, it would be okay. We do okay with our Roomba and Orick upright on our all-tile floors. YMMV
 
We have a 3-storey house, with a hose stored on each floor. This avoids having to haul a vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs.

Could not get a Roomba to work reliably. Kept getting stuck under furniture.
 
Hauling and storing the hose is a PIA. Takes up lots of room and is heavy. I did have a little suction port in kitchen that was super handy, but that was the only "pro" i could add for central vac.
 
HarveyS said:
Hauling and storing the hose is a PIA. Takes up lots of room and is heavy. I did have a little suction port in kitchen that was super handy, but that was the only "pro" i could add for central vac.
Click to expand...

We liked ours, but that was before roomba. Dragging the hose around was easier than hauling an upright or canister vac around the house as it is not like those are typically light. Also, our house was small enough that we only needed one outlet upstairs and two downstairs so it wasn’t like we had to drag the hose around much.

I wish we would have had the suction port in the kitchen. We didn’t get that option and regretted it. FYI, it’s a thin slot at floor level that you can sweep your stuff right up to it and it sucks it all up.

I also did like that it had great suction. Ours was bagless and even exhausted to the outside. There was still a canister to empty, just like any bagless vac, but the small particles were discharged outside.

I guess like anything, there’s pros and cons.
 
I guess I'm in the minority as I like my central vac, and I've had one in the last two houses I've lived in.

OTOH, I've been slow to try a robot. Hmm... Xmas is coming up!
 
We had one for 22 years in our previous house.
Really liked it as all the dust went to the canister in the garage.
Cannot have one in our current house as the design is "too modern" according to the central vac installer expert.
 
I retrofitted one into my old house, a Colonial with a walk out basement, so 3 floors. It was quiet and discharged any fine dust into the garage. The heavy long hose was a PITA, though and I am fine with an upright in our new house.
 
Last edited:
My Dad didnt like them bc he said you had to cut the studs to install it and he didnt want the studs cut. YMMV we never had one growing up and my Dad built our house
 
Just give me a Dyson rechargeable vacuum and I'm good.

With all hardwoods and rugs, we use our vacuum many times per day. It's fast, light and efficient to use.

We of course still have a canister vac to use when heavy cleaning is needed.
 
MrsHaloFIRE said:
My Dad didnt like them bc he said you had to cut the studs to install it and he didnt want the studs cut. YMMV we never had one growing up and my Dad built our house
Click to expand...
Studs don't need to be cut if it is installed properly.
 
I never had one, but I was looking with my son at a rental place for him, and was very excited to see it. He kind of rolled his eyes. We talked with the guy living there and he said he maybe used it once. I saw the big hose and realized the issue.

Roomba may have killed it, along with bagless canisters to reduce dust getting stirred up. Another alternative I haven't seen mentioned here yet is a vacuum of some sort on each floor so you don't have to drag them up and down stairs. Of course you could also get a central vac hose for each floor too, if you have room to store them.
 
we installed ome in our MH. the hose and attachments take up precious room. this was a bad decision as sweeping is much easier.
 
I can't imagine a lot of people are buying central vacuums for new homes these days. The technology of vacuums in general has improved so much that between a cordless vacuum like a Dyson and a robot vacuum that's all you pretty much need.

We installed one 20 years ago so we still have it. Our housekeeper uses it but I'm too lazy to drag around a long hose throughout the house. With our robot vacuum I almost never need to vacuum any more, and if I do our Dyson cordless is the goto vacuum.
 
We have had Central vac in the last 2 houses. I just signed a quote yesterday for one in the new house. Floor sweep outlet in the kitchen plus one outlet up & 1 down. Plus a garage port. I use the garage port at least once a month doing the car. (and sometimes the garage floor!)

I love them. Very easy to use for me
 
They might make sense if you have a lot of carpet, but if your house is mostly hard surface flooring central vac is probably overkill.
 
travelover said:
I retrofitted one into my old house, a Colonial with a walk out basement, so 3 floors. It was quiet and discharged any fine dust into the garage. The heavy long hose was a PITA, though and I am fine with an upright in our new house.
Click to expand...

Ditto, except the house was 2 floors.
That LONG hose is awkward and big PITA.
 
Thanks for all the feedback .... On balance, seems like not worth the investment - we'll be only 1 floor and can drag around the vacuum or maybe a Roomba:confused:? We'll see.
 
We've had one for 28 years, had to replace it once in that time. DH does the floors and he really likes it. I probably would not use it.....too heavy for me.
 
I had one in my condo in Toronto. It was great for a three-story residence because of all the stairs and not having to schlep the vacuum all over. We loved it. Don't know if it would be as practical for a single or even two story home.
 
I have not had a central vac, but wonder why its hose has to be heavy and awkward.

I use an attachment extension hose and wand all the time with my upright vacuum cleaner. It requires a small box to store after use, but is light and not too unwieldy. It's about 8-ft long. Perhaps the hose for a central vac is a lot longer than that.

Would it help to have more inlets in the wall, perhaps 2 per room?
 
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