I have just finished with most of the small projects that I started for my home. One of them is the central vacuum project and it really great.
It is very important to learn the installation procedure of a central vacuum as you would not require to vacuum each and every part of your sofa and other furniture if you do it well. I keep on vacuuming the armrest and the sofa back as it makes the sofa look clean and more astonishing.
If you have a sofa and you have been cleaning it then you can understand the problem that it generates. I have used tablecloths for years and so that I can just put it out clean it and then place it again. But, this doesn’t happen with sofas only, you would find this problem with almost each and every furniture in your house.
Yes, it is great to use this method and keep away from dust but there are times when you need to open up your windows and take some fresh air. So, what would you do now? The moment you open the windows and if your windows have holes the dust particles with start coming inside your room.
There is dust particles which are bigger in size and can be seen but at the same time, there is dust which is so small that your naked eyes can’t see. These particles will come and settle on the sofa or other furniture and then make it look dull and tidy.
Therefore, a central vacuum system is required. This system has motor placed inside the basement and has the exhaust outside so that you won’t find any dust particles roaming around your house and making the house dusty.
Do work with Gravity
All of us start doing this right from the basement where we can create a mess and it doesn’t hamper our home. However, it is much easier if you can line up the holes so that you don’t have to hang your drilling machine upwards.
Tools required
- Good and a powerful drill
- Drill Extension must be of at least 4 feet
- Hole saw, better if you get 2 and a ½ inch
- Drill bits for hanging up the motor unit
- Hack saw
- Must have a drill bench
- A clamp
- Meter box
- Measuring tape
- Screw drivers, check your screws first and then get a screwdriver of appropriate size
- Wire cutters and Saw for cutting the drywalls
- Flash light and even a marker
However, each installation requires a different set of tools and materials. But you should also keep these materials handy.
- Tubes
- Tube fittings depending upon the varieties you need for your work
- Plastic pipes and strapping for metal
- Glue for fittings
- Plugs and screw
- Mattresses for splicing up the 18-2 wire
Now you have got all your installation tools and materials required handy, you have to start with planning.
Planning
In this stage, you have to look out the type of house you are having. If you have a bungalow, then you would have to put outlets in a straight line whereas if your house has two levels then you must keep it vertical. Here straight outlets will not be a better choice. Always remember, less bends is better and keeps your outlets strong.
Also figure out the opening of the outlet so that you can figure out how long hose you would be needing. You should also plan the spaces that left out to be empty so that you can comfortably reach out to all parts of your house like under the bed, around the furniture and closet.
Sometimes walls are not aligned properly, in that case, you need an odd bend in the tube. Try to put those through the closet so that it is not visible from the outside.
Mounting
This is the second step in the process of installation. The main unit needs to be mounted strongly but at the same time you need some empty space below and above the unit for easy accessibility. The below space can let you empty the canister easily.
The mounting should be done near the outside wall for easy exhaust. You can also put a muffler for bringing the noise level down. Always remember to put a power outlet nearer to it so that you don’t have run a long wire.
Installation
This is the most important part and needs to be taken care of with great precision. You need to check all the dry parts by putting them together first and then putting glue on them. If you glue the parts and then it doesn’t fix well then you will have to run to the hardware store to get more pieces.
When fitting you must be careful when putting it to the edges and sides. On edge, fitting requires to be of 8 notches whereas down the line it should only be till dashed line. It is better to mark the first with the permanent marker and then go forward for fittings.
Mitre box and hack saw is best to cut the tubes in a straight line and then you can provide a better finish to the edges for clean look.
Now, start fitting the parts and glue them together. You can start from one end but it is better to start from the middle. Once gluing is done pull out the 18-2 wires and attach it to the outlet. It is better to put some support to the tubes so that it can glue together in a straight line or the vertical line required.
Sweep inlets are not an easy thing to install yourself. They are basically done in the awkward places but at the same time they are not glued together so there are chances that it can dislodge before you connect it to the rest of the pipe.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to use the duct tape to some of the joints in case you need to do some changes so try to keep it handy. It is also possible that you need to use the pipe temporarily as you are not done with the job fully, so use the duct tape at that time.
