All Articles Tagged Central Vacuum

Tom LeBlanc | 11/18 07:43 AM, 18 Comments

A popular gripe in the custom electronics industry is that architects, builders and interior designers don’t appreciate the need to include electronics in their designs. A gripe in the building and design communities is that guidelines for including electronics aren’t communicated properly. The Council of Home Automation and Residential Technology (CHART) was formed by architects, builders, designers and CE pros to fix all that. CHART’s resources will be available online when its Web site launches in December. The organization aims to provide a forum for communication and guidelines for the… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 10/17 06:43 AM, 9 Comments

Who knew that Roombas were herbivores? There I was presenting a Webinar while simultaneously vacuuming a spare room, feeling good about my work/life balance. Following the Webinar – as any good housekeeper would do – I went to collect my self-propelled vacuum cleaner. To my surprise, the Roomba was nowhere to be found. There was, however, an overturned plant that seemed to have deliberately flung itself from its stand onto my new cork floors – soil down, of course. After a little investigative work, I found the culprit: a very… View this story

Grant Olewiler | 09/29 09:48 AM, 2 Comments

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… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 07/10 11:49 AM, 0 Comments

M.D. Manufacturing, Inc. has reaffirmed its commitment to the American workforce by building a brand new, state-of-the-art operations facility in Bakersfield, California. Many US manufacturers committed to American-made goods continue to give in to the lure of low-cost labor moving production out side the United States; however, MD put action behind their beliefs in keeping quality jobs in America. The new MD plant is double the size of the former location and offers three times the storage capacity. The new facility houses all manufacturing, inventory, sales and support staff in… View this story

Fred Harding | 03/25 04:30 AM, 2 Comments

Installing central vacuum systems is one discipline in the custom installation field that really relies on common sense. For example, while there are formulas for determining the size of the motor, it can sometimes be a nice 30-foot piece of rope that comes in handy. Here are 11 bits of hard-earned central vac wisdom. Always Size the Vacuum Motor Always size the motor of your vacuum to include areas of the house that aren't yet finished. At some point in the future, the unfinished basement will get completed. You shouldn't… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 02/16 06:58 PM, 0 Comments

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CE Pro Editors | 10/03 11:32 AM, 0 Comments

No one's going to say that central vacuum is the sexiest technology you can offer your clients. It isn't -- not by a longshot. But in a world of declining margins on A/V products, central vac provides a breath of fresh air to your revenue stream. Consumers like it because it cleans up their homes, and you'll like it because you'll clean up, too. In this Advantage Series from CE Pro, you'll learn:the fundamentals of central vac installationswhy it is a powerful retrofit optionhow to make money selling central vacthe… View this story

Tom LeBlanc | 09/03 12:51 PM, 0 Comments

HP launched its Vroom Solo, which provides "quick-cleanup" for clients who already have central vac systems or those who don’t. The company posted a video of the product in action on its Web site and demonstrated the product here at CEDIA Expo 2008. It’s the first major innovation in the central vac industry to come along in quite some time, says HP’s Amy Wesely. In a way, the lack of changes can be a good thing. “Integrators kind of like that because a lot of their products change every six… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 06/02 05:43 AM, 0 Comments

The new Vroom from Dirt Devil is the greatest thing to happen to central vacuum systems since the full-bag LED (central vac humor). The compact unit (about the size of a DVD player) can fit in tight spaces, like beneath the kitchen sink, for easy access in minor spillage emergencies. The hose reaches up to 24 feet, and retracts neatly into the base. What's the big deal? Central vacuum systems are nice, but who wants to lug around a giant hose to the site of every minor mishap? Vac pans,… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 04/01 01:34 PM, 5 Comments

In an effort to capitalize on the trends in wireless home networking, Beam, Broan, Dirt Devil, Linear, MD Manufacturing, Nutone and a handful of other central vacuum system manufacturers have announced that they will join the Wireless Home initiative. One of the last holdouts in the wireless movements has been the central vac industry, which until now has clung to its outmoded method of funneling dust, dirt and other vacuumed waste through plastic PVC piping buried behind the walls. "Unfortunately, most homeowners don't have the luxury of PVC pipe in… View this story