6 most commonly asked questions about central vac systems

ArchiPro: What are the common misconceptions people have about installing a central vacuum system?

Mike Wiggins: It's usually around the cost and value of a central vacuum system. But when you take the fact that it's going to last you for 25 years, it's actually an investment, the same as if you buy a fridge, put in a stove, all those sorts of things. It's an investment in your home and the air quality inside the home is such an important thing.

AP: When retrofitting into an existing home, what sort of common challenges do you have to solve?

MW: It's almost as simple to retrofit into an existing home as it is to put it into a new build. Quite often the ducting just goes through the ceiling, and it will come down through a wardrobe or through a pantry. Because you only need two or three inlets in a home, it's quite easy to cover a whole house. Cathedral ceilings give us a problem sometimes, but in conventional homes, it's almost as easy to retrofit as it is to put it into a new existing framework.

AP: And what would you like architects to know about integrating a central vacuum system into their design?

MW: I think for architects, builders and for homeowners that are doing renovations or building new, we're looking at why do they need a central vacuum system? It's about the cleaning – it makes it so much easier and noiseless for cleaning – but it's also good for asthma, allergies, all those sorts of things, because it cleans the air inside the home. All the stuff that comes into your home has to go down somewhere which is usually the floor. A central vacuum deep cleans the carpets, deep cleans the floors, and makes it easier to take all those things away from the home environment to a sealed container. So nothing is getting back into the air and to me that's a big benefit because architects are using double-glazing on windows and doors – houses are almost airtight now so we need to have something to clean up the air in your home.

AP: How often would a homeowner have to change that external sealed container and how does that work?

MW: For the Beam Central Vacuum System everything comes into a sealed container, which is located outside of the house. It's a 16 litre bucket so you only have to clean or empty it about two or three times a year. It’s just as simple as taking the bucket off, usually giving the filter a shake and then emptying that out and putting it back on.

AP: Do the systems suit some houses or designs better than others?

MW: It suits every house. There's a range of systems, so if someone has just got a small one-bedroom home, we've got smaller systems that we put in a one-bedroom home. Whereas, if someone's got a six-bedroom home, we've got a bigger system.

AP: And how long do these systems last?

MW: We are now probably servicing machines that are 25 to 35 years old. And it's like your car, you should service your system every two years to make it run properly. Most systems are lasting 25 to 35 years, which makes your investment pretty damn good.