For installing Central Vacuum outlets (and any other outlets for that matter) sideways in the baseboards you always have difficulty with them being too far recessed on the final installation. Instead, on the rough-in, take a piece of plywood and rip it into a strip 5” wide by 8 foot long. Nail that to the wall at floor height and then drill your hole through the plywood. Mount your back-up box to this plywood and now it protrudes out an extra half inch into the room. When the drywall guys put their sheeting on, they butt it to the top of the plywood and now even the baseboard guys have a firm backing for nailing. Your back-up plate is easy to reach once the baseboard is installed and no additional extensions are required.
Thank you John Grabowski of Built-In Systems Specialist for this tip.

I hope to use this forum to keep you updated on the latest breaking news from our industry. The few trade journals that cover our industry are quite weak and almost all the reporting is simply manufacturers bragging about color changes or repackaged products.

Here’s a few tidbits from CEDIA.
First, the Filtex brand name is back. The name began in the late 40’s I believe as a portable vacuum sold door-to-door. Originally based out of Los Angeles, they added central vacuums on in the late 50’s. They actually used to make a few parts for us in the early 60’s and we made a few parts for them also. They company was sold a few times to VSI, Nader Mfg, M&S, and Chamberlain. Chamberlain sold out their central vacuum division to Linear late last year and apparently everyone forgot about the name. Well Lindsay Manufacturing noticed the gap and wisely picked up the name. So we now have a re-invented central vacuum called “Filtex” that looks just like a Vacuumaid. It is blue and silver will likely be sold to the builder/installer market.

Beam had their new”Prism” RF (Radio Frequency) hose at the tradeshow. I believe it contained two-way communication verifying that the power unit was operating with a led light on the end of the hose. (Something MD has had for 4 years). They really weren’t showing off the hose at CEDIA and no one we spoke to said they demonstrated it. Also they had their Electrolux Power Brush at the show but we noticed that the neck was completely broken off of the mount. They state that this was only a sample piece and not a production item so it will ikely be strengthened before they introduce it. Maybe they can’t slam it on the ground like we do when we demonstrate our Stealth Brush?

Also Beam had a new Electrolux Solaire unit at the show. It was an aqua green color and rather small. We’ll be posting the stats of it on our website as soon as we can.

Nutone displayed their new style unit that is egg-shaped and plastic. It looks cool but we really doubt that it will improve their performance. Somebody has to teach their booth design crew to install vacuums. This is the second show in a row where they installed their tees completely backwards! No one coming to our booth even mentioned that they saw it.

Of course MD, as always had a ton of new things. Their 5.0 version of the AirForce was a big hit turning off when the phone or door bell rings, but this version now offers a fool-proof way to check all the communication before you leave the job site. Simple test procedures are now built into every device to determine background noise, signal strength, and if any devices are not on the same phase. A laptop computer can also be used to run a series of tests to determine fluxuations over time. All this, without having to run low voltage wires. They even demonstrated turning the unit and or the power brush on and off from any laptop that had the software installed! MD also has it’s new CentraMop attachment that essentially gives you a “swiffer” on the end of the central vacuum wand. It’s pretty cool. And then they introduced their new website with new graphics and a far-easier means of drilling down into the tons of info found there.

Hope this helps bring you up to speed. I’ll be telling you more as the weeks progress.

Yesterdays anniversary of 9-11 reminds us of the preciousness of life. To think of the tens of thousands of lives that were permanently effected by those few hours of terror - all of our hearts sank as we watched it unfold on live TV. So it also goes with the Katrina Hurricane victims. Hundreds of thousands of lives displaced with an unknown-as-of-yet quantity of deaths. It is hard to fathom.

If you personally have lost a loved one recently, either in the storm, 9-11, or maybe to cancer or a car wreck, you have had to come with the finality of death. You will never see that person again. I lost my beloved father-in law a few months ago and then a sister-in law a few days later. Moments like these make you truly realize the preciousness of life.

If our lives can end so abruptly, then how shall we live our lives here on earth? What are the important things of life and what is frivolous? Obviously it shatters the American mentality of accumulating wealth! I’ve never seen a herse pulling a U-haul!

Is this why our knee jerk reaction to Katrina of 9-11 is to give of whatever we can? What is it in humans that instinctively tells us to help others? This is certainly not a phenomenon that we see anywhere in the animal kingdom. There must be something inside of us telling us that we need to value other human beings.

So do you live your life as if others mattered more than yourself? Sounds like a good policy to enact in all our lives, doesn’t it!

Well CEDIA 2005 is now ended and already we look forward to Cedia 2006 in Denver. Where else can you find a compilation of 15,000 high-end custom AV installers all in one location ready to lap up our latest technology?

The show ended yesterday in Indianapolis and thankfully we received the crate for our booth before 11:00 PM this year. We always judge the results of the show by the degree that my voice has been lost. This year you can hardly hear me talk so I guess it was a great show!

It is such a joy to see the faces of these professionals light up. Most of them have never heard of MD Manufacturing and they are currently purchasing through a supply house such as ADI, AVAD or Worthington. When they hear that they can receive our products at or below their current pricing level, including all our bells and whistles, they go crazy. They had no idea anyone could do what we are doing with central vacs! They stand outside our booth mildly interested in our products but soon realize that our products are so superior to their current brand and always end the conversation saying: “Now make sure you get back to me right away!”

Having additional support personnel has also been a great pleasure. In the early shows 20 years ago, it would just be Wayne and me. Then, when we lost Wayne, I would do the shows solo for years. Ten hours of standing and talking was gruesome! The last few years have been so much easier having Mike, Andrew, Grant Jr. and other support personnel. This year Rebecca joined us at the show and she was a real trooper. She even helped tear down the booth. At one point she was moving too slow and got shrink wrapped! You’ll have to ask her about it!

The real highlight of the show; though, is seeing all of our existing enthusiastic dealers. They always are anticipating our new products and certainly weren’t disappointed this year. The CEDIA dealers especially care so much about quality so we displayed the new 5.0 software including the UPSTART tool. Imagine doing full diagnostic tests on the vacuum at the jobsite with your laptop computer. It was so cool!

So dealers, make CEDIA 2006 in Denver next September a priority. You’ll be “wowed”. To all those who purchase our vacs, these shows only help to fuel the flame of creativity that MD Manufacturing can bring you!

Every few years MD performs a makeover of it’s website and this year we’ve outdone ourselves with our 10th year anniversary of being on-line. Thanks to master web-designer Matt Gonzales who undertook this task under the direction of Andrew Bransby, the new website should allow better navigation and a more palettable viewing. Please provide us your comments if you find any dead links, poor design, or if you have any suggestions.

As you know, we are creating the cutting edge of central vacuums on-line and we really love any input you might have. E-mail me at grant@builtinvacuum.com or post comments on our blog!

Well it’s off to CEDIA tonight. The Custom Electronic Distribution Installation Association trade show is an awesome showcase for our AirForce central vac. Sure there are other central vacuums at the show but none of them have the rich features of our AirForce units. They are still the only central vacuums to tie into the Home Automation system and have automated doorbell and telephone shut-off features.

So I won’t be posting possibly for a few days but will report to you any new occurances in the industry. This show is so exciting because our competition just sits back in unbelief as we wow these high-end installers.

Mike Kretsinger, and Grant Olewiler Jr. will be joining us again as well as a relatively new representative, Rebecca Nosaka. Rebecca has gained huge respect at our company quickly learning our entire operation and a vast sum of technical knowledge about the central vacuum industry. So stop by our Booth #500 and welcome Rebecca to the show. You’ll be quite impressed!

History of Built-In Central Vacuums
Just when you thought you had your vacuuming problems in the bag, news filtered down that there is a strong and dependable outlet for your frustrations, with an inlet that will send all your vacuuming problems down the tubes…
So hang on to your portable vacuum, it may soonbe worth something — as a collector’s item!
Built-in central vacuum systems are leaving portables in the proverbial (and literal) dust. And now, you can take one of these exciting new built-in central vacuums for a “test drive” by calling a M.D. Manufacturing dealer nearest you. Their professional staff can show you how a system can be installed in any home (existing or new construction) in less than a day. They will also answer any questions you may have concerning performance, durability, convenience, etc. and explain how the built-in central vacuum system is just as affordable a necessity as your dishwasher, trash compactor, or garbage disposal. But for those of you who have never even heard of a built-in central vacuum, here is a little background information:
1800’s to WWII. The housewife’s age-old problem of getting (and keeping) the house clean had a brief glimmer of light shed on it in the late 1800’s. Ducted dust removal systems gave just a glimpse of the housewife’s dream that was yet to come. Copper tubes extended from a bellows chamber in the basement to various locations in the house, providing a cumbersome and extremely expensive light-dust removal system. Only a few of these systems were sold in extremely expensive homes. This concept was replaced in the 1930’s when World War II brought about the advent of small, portable motors which were ideally suited for portable vacuums. These units, with which we are now so familiar, were fairly inexpensive and able to extract dust into some type of bag or canister that the individual had to lug around.
Missing Link Sought. In the early 60’s, the wonderful invention of PVC (PolyVinylChloride) pipe brought back the previous concept of a ducted vacuum system. A few more necessary inventions, however, would still be needed to make the system truly effective. But, with outlandish overstatements (accompanied by outrageous prices), a product was oversold that had under-powered motors, poor filtration systems, cumbersome hoses, poor attachments, and an overall improperly designed system. Many of the people who tried these early systems were left with an unfavorable impression; many of them vowing never to buy one again.
Finally, a Clean Sweep! With the advent of a wide range of new technologies in the 1990’s, everything came together for the built-in central vacuum industry to boom! Therefore, with both high quality components available and a solid understanding of the needs of the modern household, M.D. Manufacturing created the top-of-the-line homemaker’s dream, today’s Silent Master Built-In Central Vacuum System. Just for openers, the system has 3 to 5 times more power than any portable vacuum — including the industrial types — and, the total weight of the hose and wand is a meager 8 1/2 pounds. And, because the power unit is located in the garage in a stationary position, it can have as much motor weight as needed. All this airflow not only cleans the surface of your carpet, but will pull out that deep down grit and dust that actually grinds up your carpet at the base of the fiber where you can’t see it happening! Carpet is one of the most expensive items ever replaced in the home. Keeping it clean (from the bottom up) will not only make it look better, but will ultimately save you a great deal of money. The standard model recommended by M.D. Manufacturing has an airflow of 185 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) compared with 60 to 90 CFM in a portable. Don’t you just hate having to vacuum over a piece of thread 3 or 4 times before finally having to bend over and pick it up?

Please consider all a central vacuum can do for you:
Let’s Talk About Health. Most portable vacuums pick up the dirt and dust, catch it in some type of filter, and then exhaust the air back into the room. Included in this exhaust air is very fine dust that settles back onto your furniture, floors and carpeting when you’re done vacuuming. Allergist will tell you that a portable vacuum is one of the worst things for allergies. But because a built-in vacuum system exhausts the air outside your living area, you can easily see how it eliminates dust from the room. Therefore, your furniture, carpets, and drapes will have much longer and cleaner life….not to mention how much healthier yours will be as well!

Talk without Lifting Our Voices. Another advantage of having the power unit located outside in the garage is that it removes that loud, screeching portable motor from your living area. You don’t have to be afraid to vacuum the baby’s room while the baby is sleeping, or the den while your husband is watching his favorite football game. Plus, important phone calls will not be missed because you couldn’t hear the phone ring. You can even go right on with your vacuuming while talking on the phone.
Convenience for All. With all of these advantages, just think of the convenience! Insert the lightweight hose into any conveniently located inlet and the power unit starts when you turn it on at the hose handle. There is no heavy unit to push or pull around, and no messy electrical cords to continually trip over. And, if you have a staircase, you know what a problem it can be. (The weight of your portable vacuum is directly proportional to the number of stories in your home.) But, with a built-in central vacuum, you can whisk up and down your stairs with just a simple hose and brush. This is also the perfect answer for the elderly who can’t physically lift, or push and pull heavy objects.
Bagging the Dirt. Now for those of you who just hate emptying and changing the bag so often on your portable — an 8 or 12 gallon Silent Master unit in the average home only needs to be emptied once or twice a year! And, here’s a real serendipity. If you ever sell your home, you’ll get back your financial investment! Incredible? Seeing is believing! That’s why M.D. Manufacturing encourages you to compare their products to any portable or other built-in on the market.
One Tract Mind. M.D. Manufacturing is not the only manufacturer of built-in central vacuum systems, but does claim the best. M.D. does back up that claim with some overwhelming evidence: a full, 6 year-warranty (written in big bold letters, not tiny, little print) — the highest rated CFM of any unit on the market — the largest trash capacity — the easiest to empty — the most effective and extensive filtration system — and, an all steel constructed power unit (no plastics). M.D. Manufacturing is a family owned and operated business that has stood behind it’s product since 1961. Each power unit represents over 40 years of quality craftsmanship in the design and production of central vacuum cleaning systems. M.D. is proud to say that built-in vacuums are their only business and not just a sideline.
What an Investment. M.D.’s extensive dealer network, the companies that install and services this product, is privileged to have a “who’s who” of clients — from millionaires, doctors, and lawyers to those of us who are still as yet undiscovered. But they all have one thing in common…..they all wanted (and received) the very best, and are willing to tell you they chose SilentMaster systems! And due to the price being so reasonable (less than some portables for the average 2400 square foot home), everybody can now invest into saving their carpets, drapes, and furniture, not to mention their time, energy, health and money. All of this, plus a dividend if and when they ever sell their home.
If you are even a little bit curious about this fantastic product continue browsing their website and make sure you fill in the Response Form to receive a free product video and brochures and thorough consultation on how to make your life a little easier.
Let M.D.’s central vacuums give you a little more time and energy to do the things you prefer to do!

I just have to get this off my chest and you guys are the lucky recipients! I have a major confession to make:

Two weeks ago I slicked back my hair, applied sun glasses, put on a baseball cap and wore shabby clothes and made a mad dash to Costco. It wasn’t going to be a normal Costco run where I always run into someone I know. Usually an additional half hour must be planned due to Costco being such a “meeting place” in our town. Not this time! I went at 11:15 in the morning, their least busiest time on a weekday.

So my mission was to purchase a portable vacuum. I already know what you are saying…. “why didn’t this guy buy one of his dealers… the real salesmen pounding the pavement….. what a traitor!” No, I couldn’t do it. I had to anonymously bag the goods and get out of there as fast as possible. The 8 minutes and 14 seconds from leaving my car to returning and starting the engine seemed endless!

Never before in my life had I purchased a portable vacuum and I wasn’t about to let anyone see me betraying my central vacuum heritage! This was beneath me! So there I was standing in the Costco aisle looking for a cheap, high amperage piece of junk to test a new invention of mine. This was a sad day that I never thought would come upon me. There was Dyson alluring me.. Sorry but I wanted inexpensive, not just cheap! So I made a selection at about $100 and left as quickly as possible.

With the goods in my cart, I found the most obscure route back to the check-out counter. What would my friends say if they caught me? What if one of my central vacuum dealers caught me in this compromising position? My heart raced as the clerk rung up the sale!

So I got the product back to the shop and sure enough, my invention worked. As soon as I get the clearance from our patent attorneys, I’ll let you in on a great new idea that is sure to help all my faithful independent vacuum dealers.

Will it all be worth the humility of having to purchase a portable vacuum? Time will only tell!

Welcome to the beginning of a massive web log dedicated to central vacuum information. Most of you have visited www.builtinvacuum.com before and have found it to be a comprehensive compilation of central vacuum information.

So herein I will attempt to continue my musings while answering all the basic questions of life through central vacuum eyes!

Please feel free to pose any questions related to the subject and I will answer them as detailed as possible.