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Central vacuum cleaner


A central vacuum cleaner (also known as built-in or ducted) is a type of vacuum cleaner appliance, installed into a building as a semi-permanent fixture. Central vacuum systems are designed to remove dirt and debris from homes and buildings, sending dirt particles through tubing installed inside the walls to a collection container in a remote utility space. The power unit is a permanent fixture, typically installed in a basement, garage, or storage room, along with the collection container. Inlets are installed in walls throughout the building that attach to power hoses and other central vacuum accessories to remove dust, particles, and small debris from interior rooms. Most power hoses typically have a power switch located on the handle.

The first introduction of a system similar to a central vacuum cleaner was in the late 19th century. A ducted machine that featured copper tubes connected from a bellows chamber, typically located in the basement, and extended to several locations throughout a building, was used in a select few homes at this time. Because of the machine’s cost and weak dust-removal capabilities, only a few of these units were ever sold in the United States.

In 1869 Ives McGaffey patented the first portable vacuum cleaner, or “sweeping machine”. The portable vacuum cleaner is the parent product to the modern central vacuum system.

In the 1930s, the development of small, powerful electric motors increased the popularity and availability of the portable vacuum cleaner, and further diverted consumers from purchasing central cleaners.

By the early 1960s, the invention of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) thinwall vacuum tubing made the central vacuum system more affordable in the United States. Previously, more-expensive metal tubing was used exclusively, and it may still be used for part or all of an installation, if required by building fire code regulations.

In the 1990s, central vacuum systems gained popularity among real estate agents and home remodelers for the value they added to homes at resale. Allergists also played an important role in the growing popularity of central vacuum systems in the 1990s.

With central vacuum systems that exhaust completely out of the home, no dust or allergens can be recirculated through the interior air, as is the case with a traditional vacuum.


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