The name “Stealth” has been synonymous with quality for the past 17 years. When originally introduced in the mid 1990’s it established a new standard for central vacuum expectations in longevity, durability, and performance. One recent client described it as, “thoroughly impressive quality and performance”; and the quality keeps getting better. 

M.D. Manufacturing, Inc. presents Stealth’s most recent enhancements which include a stainless steel telescopic wand with hidden cord channel that also incorporates one of the easiest handle-releases available. A large thumb-tab gives easy release to the handle with minimal effort. The brush itself, spinning at 5,000 RPM, is governed by a unique computer chip that shuts it off the moment anything jams in the roller.  MD is so sure of this feature that it backs the brush up with a lifetime belt warranty.

Sound absorption material, rubber-cushioned sealed ball bearings, 10-position height adjustment, and non-marking wheels have always been unique features of this top-quality brush. Its low profile allows under-furniture cleaning and the 180 degree swivel neck allows the wand to lay flat to the carpet in almost any position. 

The Stealth Kit also includes the new “Comfort-Grip” wand which is perfect for applications with all other included tools. Its rubber end provides a leak-free seal against any handle and reduces dings and scratches on the floor should it be accidently dropped. MD also added its new “Axis” 13-inch floor tool with double swivel neck and castle-cut bristles. A chrome steel hose hanger, two wand wall clamps, tool caddy, horse hair upholstery and dusting brush, and a high quality crevice brush round out the package.

This central vacuum attachment kit fits most standard and all electric valves on the market and offers dealers fantastic profit. Available in 12″ and 14″ wide with a hose length of 25′, 30′, or 35′ and direct connect or pigtail, it has an initial suggested retail price of $559. Are you tired of warranty repairs on power brushes? The Stealth is the brush for you. Take a moment to look at on-line reviews at www.builtinvacuum.com/stealth-kit. Time and time again the Stealth brush has proven to provide tremendous customer satisfaction.

For dealership information contact Stan Mann at MD Manufacturing at 1-800-525-2055 or stan@builtinvacuum.com.  M.D. Manufacturing, Inc. has been producing top-quality central vacuums and parts since 1961. Based in Bakersfield, California, MD also markets under the names SilentMaster, ModernDay, Flo-Master, and AirMaster.

By Grant Olewiler

Why is it that more than 65 percent of the CE Pro 100 companies are not offering central vacuums? Is it the ugly step-child the industry only offers when it’s absolutely necessary? Is the category not sexy enough? Is the price point too low to include in a package?

Our company participated in a recent CE Pro 100 Summit and even offered a free vacuum system for each of the participants. Yet, they still didn’t pursue the offer.

How do you reconcile this with regular statements from industry leaders that claim that central vacuums are one of their most important category products?

It’s time for the industry to wake up. Maybe you’ll never get excited about selling vacuum cleaners, but you should have a proper perspective of this as a “must have” item.

In Canada every home has the central vacuum pipe-work automatically installed during construction. This year in the U.S. a paltry 145,000 central vacuums are projected to be installed, according to Appliance Magazine. That’s pathetic compared to the over 12 million portable vacuums sold.

Central vacuums have been clinically proven to provide one of the greatest health benefits for allergy and asthma patients because the air is exhausted outside the home. The aging population loves the lightweight convenience and versatility, especially in multi-level homes. The product fits the green initiative perfectly with tremendous efficiency.

Get Educated

So why doesn’t the average CE pro install them? I believe the acceptance of this product centers around education and information.

The major gaps in knowledge are related to the profit potential, ease of sale and installation and technical aspects. No one wants to add a category that will contain a huge learning curve, but central vac offers one of the easiest entry pathways.

Profit Potential

A central vacuum installation in a 3,500-square-foot home sells for about $2,500 with about $800 in component costs in the U.S. A pro should be able to complete the installation in less than eight hours. Do the math. The quick-added profit is hard to argue with.

We are told regularly that dealers love the central vacuum because it does not require any tweaking after you leave the home. In fact the accolades for the central vac are higher than most other installed devices. The central vacuum is often what brings in the referrals of new clients.

Ease of Sale

Matt Panter of Waco, Texas-based Panter Home Theater received an Internet referral for a Silent Master Central Vacuum on George Bush’s home and ended up doing over $30,000 of electronics because of the quality of the lead. The central vacuum can be your entrance into projects you never knew existed.

Upon gaining the clients’ trust on any one of your trades, the add-on sales are far easier.

Ease of Installation

I believe this is the major barrier keeping CE pros out of the C-Vac market. Having exhibited at 12 CEDIA Expos and almost all EHX events, I’ve had the dealers come up to me excited about selling central vacs but lost with the installation. New or existing construction projects are actually quite easy with the aid of training manuals and videos. Or subcontract out the installation to other experts in the area who would love the additional work. They can often assist with ongoing maintenance as well.

Technical Aspects

“CFM,” “waterlift” and “airwatts” are all Greek to the average integrator. Take an hour to browse the thousands of educational pages. Over 12,000 product reviews there can help you understand what the clients appreciate and what they don’t like. And if you can’t find an answer, technicians can respond to your e-mails.

Don’t let a lack of education keep you from adding this great category to your package of products. Give central vacuums an opportunity to prove themselves and you’ll find a bright spot in these tough times. The market for existing home central vacuum installations is unbelievable and now is an ideal time for you to educate yourself on it.

Come out to California and I’ll train you myself!

There are essentially three major options for pipe choices for installing a central vacuum: Plumbing Pipe (such as schedule 40 PVC), Flexible Hose, and Vacuum Tubing designed specifically for central vacuums. Herein please find the advantages and disadvantages of each:

Plumbing Pipe: This installation would include standard plumbing pipe that is used in the construction of homes for carrying waste water or even supply water. Generally it has an inside dimension (ID) of slightly greater than 2” (50 mm) and is available in 10 foot or 20 foot (3-7 meter) sections.

The advantage is that this pipe is readily available in most countries and can be found at local hardware and plumbing stores. It has a thicker wall and is generally inexpensive as it is mass-produced for various applications.

The disadvantage is that the interior of this pipe is not very critical to the manufacturing process. Generally it is assumed that it is carrying water which weight will easily push any obstructions through the pipe. The wall thickness varies greatly and the joint between the pipe and the fittings normally leaves rough transition points where stiff objects can easily lodge. Because the pipe is also fairly thick, it is normally cut with a chop-saw or hack saw and the edge of the cut normally results in a crooked and/or rough finish. This too creates a strong potential of debris getting stuck. Some retailers have offered a transition fitting for this pipe to mate with central vacuum pipe but one must always be extremely careful when transitioning from a larger pipe back down to a smaller pipe at it will increase the potential for obstructions. No known USA manufacturers of central vacuums recommend this pipe for central vacuum applications and it is not an acceptable standard for installation based upon IAPMO or ASTM F2158 standards.

Flexible Hose: This option was attempted in the early 1960’s with central vacuums and was soon abandoned as a disaster. This method employs a 2” (50mm) flexible hose in lieu of the fittings and elbows in the system. Currently this flexible hose is only used within the first few feet of VacPan locations to allow for more accurate installation capabilities. The hose currently is available in two styles; one as a vinyl material with a wire reinforcement and the other as a more rigid PVC material. Both exhibit the issues listed below.

The advantage is that the installer can reduce his inventory of fittings and the complexity of the installation process. He would simply cut short pieces of the flexible tube any time the installation requires a bend. Some installers have even proposed running the entire system in flexible hose except where one pipe intersects another to add it into the flow. The cost savings is mainly achieved by reducing the skill required for the installer to properly install the system; having a solid knowledge of proper installation techniques.

The disadvantage is that this flexible piping adds a tremendous amount of friction loss to the system. The air bounces as it passed the ridges of the pipe that are intended to flex when the hose is bent. Also in short radius turns, the propensity for a clog greatly increases as sharp pieces of debris could easily lodge in the corrugations of the flexible pipe. This pipe is often much thicker walled to allow for the absorption of the radius of the bends and thus this ledge is accentuated and the smaller diameter of the pipe further increases friction loss. This “ledge” is where debris and long objects can permanently lodge. Because of the unique structure of this pipe, it cannot be cut with a pipe cutter but rather only a saw, again creating additional opportunity for problems. All of this friction loss results in a major decrease in the useable AirWatts of the system. No known USA manufacturers of central vacuums recommend this pipe for central vacuum applications and it is not an acceptable standard for installation based upon IAPMO or ASTM F2158 standards.

Vacuum Tubing: This pipe is made specifically for the central vacuum industry and almost all manufacturers adhere to a strict guideline established by American Standard of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Ruling F2158. This standard was developed by pipe manufacturers, central vacuum manufacturers, installers, and consumers as a means to build consistency into the manner that central vacuums are installed. Most municipalities in the USA have adopted this as a part of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) and building inspectors in these regions have a right to reject any central vacuum installation that does not meet this standard or have this value stamped on the pipe and fittings. This pipe maintains a very concise wall thickness and rigidity to allow for maximum airflow through the system.

The advantage is that it is specifically designed to minimize the potential for clogs in the system. Its thinner wall allows for cost savings but more importantly it exactly matches the thickness of the hub of the fittings; almost creating a bob-sled run inside the pipe wherein there are no potential gaps or crevices. The thin pipe can easily be cut with a special plastic tubing cutter to obtain a precise flat surface each and every time and professional installers also use a pipe reamer to insure that the pipe-to-fitting transitions will not present any possibility of restriction. The thinner wall also bonds more easily to the fittings without the aid of any PVC primers. All currently know back up plates in the industry are designed to fit this size pipe whereas schedule 40 pipes require a special adapter. As of the date of this publication, every central vacuum manufacturer is recommending solely the use of this type of piping over any other of the options.

The disadvantage is that this pipe is not readily available at the local hardware store or plumbing supply house. Because of its limited production, the freight expense to obtain this pipe has become a major cost as part of the system. Countries where central vacuums are not manufactured require even greater costs to import the pipe as the pipe product is not even produced in their country. Some retailers have begun to suggest that the do-it-yourselfer should use one of the other options mainly because it is difficult for even the retailer to handle and work with storing the pipe. In the entire scope of the cost, an average installation may only incur a few dollars of additional cost for the correct pipe.

Conclusion: All central vacuum manufacturers recommend using the proper Vacuum Tubing for very logical reasons.

Depending on how much a central vacuum is used, the motor(s) may last decades or just a few years. When a motor goes bad, some of the common signs include an electrical “burning” odor, only a click is heard, and the motor can turn on when the central vacuum unit is bumped. Depending on how old the motor is when it goes bad, you may want to consider only changing the motor brushes. Motor brushes are much less expensive to change than an entire motor; however, they may not always fix your problem. It may be that the motor ware is so great that the whole motor must be replaced.The most common central vacuum motor brand used is Lamb Ametek. Builtinvacuum.com carries the most popular Lamb motors and some of the lesser popular central vacuum motors as well. Removing and replacing a central vacuum motor is easier than most may think, and shouldn’t take an owner too much time to accomplish.

At MD’s website search brands to find out what motor is inside a unit or if an owner knows what motor they need, they can more than likely find it on MD’s motor pages. Many of MD’s staff have decades of central vacuum experience and can troubleshoot motor issues in a matter of minutes. Builtinvacuum.com provides contact forms, or you can give MD technicians a call, toll-free, for a quicker response.

Have you ever wondered how much energy your central vacuum uses in stand-by mode per year? It is a simple calculation with a pleasant outcome.

MD unit transformers draw 16 milliamps. Multiply that times the voltage (120) times 24 hours and you should find around .046 Kw.

Let’s say that your electrical rates are $.14 per kilowatt. At that rate, an MD system costs about $2.35/year. This is the total cost of “ghost” power for the unit to remain in the ready position.  If you desire to conserve this energy, the most effective means is to change the electrical outlet for the central vacuum to one that has a switch on the plug. This way, you can turn the unit power on and off whenever you desire to use the low voltage system. If you were building a home and wanted to plan for this conservation, you would locate this switch in the closet where you intend to store the central vacuum hose. Each time you grab the hose you would switch the switch “on” and then the low voltage portion of the inlets would be activated. When you are done vacuuming you would put the hose away and flip the switch “off.”

The new Hide-a-Hose system is becoming quite popular, and for good reason. It conveniently stores the hose inside of the vacuum tubing for easy access whenever the user wants to vacuum. We have written before on the issue and identified the pros and cons of the concept. Today we heard of a potential problem that can occur in the installation and a few simple warnings may avoid major headaches for you should you install these Hide-a-Hose systems.

First, if you run pipe up into an attic, you must insure that the attic remains below 147 degrees Fahrenheit. Any temperature above this tends to break down the viscosity of the pipe and it gets quite pliable This is true for any central vacuum system with pipes in the attic. The temptation; though, with Hide-a-hose is to run the pipes as a raceway tied up to the underside of the joists; suspended in the attic. Here the heat intensifies and thus problems can begin.

The pipe truly must be supported well for the hose to be able to easily slide in and out of the pipe. Looping it from every five feet of rafters will not make it rigid enough. The pipe, exposed to high temperatures will have a tendency to warp and sag and then fittings can come loose. You must also use quality pipe that has the ASTM 2158 approval stamped on it.

Another issue is that you should not place the Hide-a-Hose sweep 90’s too close to each other. We have heard reports that this makes it harder to suck the hose back into the walls. If you need to use fittings, you should make a “square-like” pipe design as opposed to an long oval.

Lastly, we are seeing Hide-a-Hose advocates such as HP Products recommend a high waterlift designed motor in the vacuum system used to operate the system. We certainly agree with them on this issue and would advocate our Model S4, S44, S5, M45, M85, M92, J, K, G23, and Model SV.

Typically you will find that the cyclonic units are the ones with the motors on the top.  They bring the dirt in the side of the unit, spin it around with a cyclonic action, and rely on gravity to drop the major portion of the dirt out of the airstream and then pull the air off of the middle of the cyclone that is created.  Some of them then locate a filter in the middle of this space.  MD’s paper bag system prefers the motors on the bottom for the following reasons:

1. Each vacuum motor typically employed in central vacuums contains a separate cooling fan that draws air into the motor to cool it.  They do not rely on vacuumed air to cool the unit.  In the event that there is ever a clog in the system, a central vacuum will not burn its motors up as long as it has this intake cooling air.
2. The location of this intake cooling fan is critical.  If it is located on the top of the unit it will draw air from around it.  For units with the motor on top, it draws this air from the hottest portion of the unit; where the hot air exhausts.  On the MD units with the motor on the bottom, this air is drawn from the very bottom of the unit; the coolest air location.
3. If the motor is also located up high in the garage and this motor is on the very top of the unit, it is operating in the hottest portion of the garage.  MD’s motors on the bottom of the unit, are located very close to the floor, thus also drawing from the coolest resource of air available.  Hot air rises thus a unit with the motor on top runs hotter than one with the motor on the bottom.
4. Typically cyclonic units are located about eye height.  This puts the motor much closer to the user’s ear as opposed to MD units with the motors down near the ground, further from the operator’s ear.
5. All of the cyclonic units (with the motor located on top) have some sort of filtration system.  Either you have to pull a cloth bag down and shake it, clean out a cartridge, or reach up to scrape off a screen.  With the MD unit you simply lift a lid, wad up a paper bag and dispose of it.  You are always back to a brand new filtering system once you change the bag.  With the cyclonic filter types you are never back to the original pure filtering system (unless you replace a cartridge.)
6. The key to MD’s filtering system is the cloth bag behind the paper bag.  This allows a much more porous paper to be used as the strength of the bag is maintained without compromising suction.  The supporting cloth bag is tapered, thus the air is not sucking through the trash but through all the pores simultaneously.  The air is rather turbulent when it enters the bag and actually “scrubs” debris off the sides of the paper bag.
7. Once the paper bag is full on an MD unit it begins to loose suction.  On many of the units with the motor on top, when the unit is full it will then allow the debris to suck directly into the motor.
8. On most units that have the motor on top, the cooling fan intake is located on the top cover of the unit.  Often we have seen that homeowners will place a box or other object on top of the unit inadvertently believing this to be a convenient storage location.  Unfortunately that box then completely blocks the cooling air intake and the motor will prematurely fail.  Having the motors on the bottom, MD units mount 6” off the ground and thus the cooling air intake is extremely difficult to accidentally block.

You might also read our article “Filtration Analysis” located at: http://builtinvacuum.com/filtanal.html

Ohio State University recently completed experimentation on vacuums and their effectiveness on killing flees.

Read the full article here.

Central vacuums don’t just assist in killing flees, dust mites, and other creepy crawlers. Central vacuums will go a step further by completely removing them AND their eggs from your living space. Imagine a home free from the terror that these insects cause - no more bites, itchiness and rashes caused by bugs, veterinarian bills due to flees, etc.

Imagine a healthier home and you.

Home shows provide incredible advantages for Central Vacuum dealers and prospective buyers! They are great avenues for showing off the countless benefits of a CV. And there is no better CV to show off than those from the MD Manufacturing! 

If you are a CV dealer, have you ever set up a display at any Home Shows? They provide excellent opportunities to teach new salespeople how to get a higher dollar for quality products. It is really quite amazing to see people excited about the benefits of the products offered. Doing a CV product demo with a quality electric brush such as the Stealth will really show potential customers major product differences. You show off the CV’s power by picking up a handful of quarters while not even wincing as they make the loud racket going up the brush and through the clear tubing on the wall behind you. You can jam the brush with a rag and show how it cannot break a belt.

Meanwhile, your competitor, using an air-driven brush, can barely demo his product and you can even hear his loud turbine “whine” as you are giving your spiel. I even stop talking for a second and say, “Hear that loud whine? That’s one of the other central vacuums here at the show.” Immediately they recognize that they don’t want the other product.

Take advantage of the next Home Show in your area. It is one of the best places for any of the CVs from MD Manufacturing to be showcased. Conscientious customers will be introduced to MD’s outstanding product line, which stands out widely against the competition, allowing these central vacuums to practically sell themselves.

One central vacuum dealer recently told MD Manufacturing of a situation where a homeowner went into coughing fits every time the central vac was on. It did not matter that the central vac was in the basement, vented to the outside, or had a caulked muffler. It seemed that the carbon dust from the motor was being stirred up and the dealer was wondering what to do. He had sought out a true measurement of the dust particles, and ventured to think that a brushless motor might be helpful.

In this situation, however, the issue may be one of two things: dirty air from the central vacuum exhaust, or carbon dust allergies.

First, the problem may be dirty air. Just because there is a port on the side of the unit for the exhaust does not guarantee that the motor is housing air tightly and capturing all the exhaust’s dust. With the brand and model number, we can give you a definitive answer about this. Also, if there are any restrictions in the exhaust, it will cause accumulated pressure. This too would cause air to escape around other places of the motor. In fact, it can even force the air back out the exhaust cooling intake vent, possibly creating this particular homeowner’s coughing fits.

Most likely, however, this homeowner is suffering from the carbon dust from the motors. MD has two solutions for this: First we offer our Silent Master Model SR that contains a brushless Switch Reluctance motor from Ametek. The motor has a high-speed computer onboard and sends pulses to magnets evenly spaced around the motor armature. This magnetic force pulls the motor in a circular motion all the way up to 30,000 RPM. It’s absolutely fantastic engineering! The motor does not emit any carbon and is designed to last about 5000 hours. We have been using it for about 4 years. The cost for this motor is a bit more than the normal motor, but has these additional features.

Our other option would be MD’s AirForce central vacuum unit. Although it does contain carbon brushed motors, the motor is totally encapsulated inside the vacuum chamber and so all of the carbon dust is contained in the single exhaust port. You could actually install this unit in a closet and seal the door because it does not require any intake air-cooling.

Harmful carbon dust emissions are not only a problem to allergic homeowners, but they also prevent the home from getting as clean as possible. MD Manufacturing has taken a few steps toward remedying this problem, providing the best central vacuum units available.