subject: Is Your Vacuum Cleaner Slowly Killing You? [print this page] What three features are vital for the best type of vacuum cleaner? How it loosens the dirt, the way it lifts the dirt and how little of this dirt it sends back into the air.
The agitation is the first stage and means how well the equipment dislodges the dry soil (dust etc). Uprights have brushes underneath that open the pile and loosen the dirt. As far as I am concerned the most efficient are those where the brush has it's own power source. These really lift the pile (which is what most people want, a great visual result).This enables more energy to be used removing dirt (which after all, is what we want, isn't it?). You can often see the difference when you compare a machine with a separate motor to one without. If it's got two drives it produces a better result.
Next you have to see how it whisks the dust and dirt away. After all it's no good removing the dust if you just leave it where it is. That's far more unhealthy. You need to get it away in the most efficient manner. What do you need?Just how effective is it and what factors influence it's performance?The two most widespread filtration systems are bags or cyclones.
As a bag or filter has to stop dust physically, it will also start to get blocked.Whenever they are about a quarter full, their power of suction will drop dramatically.
Another type is the cyclone. If there are enough filters built in these will be excellent.Cyclone systems circumvent this "clogging" situation through the use of centrifugal force. Remember when you were a child and you played on a merry go round? When you went faster and faster you needed to hold on for all you were worth to stop being thrown of the outer edge. It's the same for the dirt. It gets thrown out of the airflow and falls into a container.Because there is no real restriction on the airflow, the machine can operate close to it's full potential for long periods of time. This is in contrast to the physical barrier approach (bags) that severely cut down the airflow. That restriction can lead to at best, a thermal overload switch cutting in, or worse a fire starting.
In twenty years being employed as a carpet cleaner Birmingham, I have found the next bit to be the most critical, filtration.
The third thing to look for is how well the machine captures the extracted dirt.Many machines throw a good percentage of the dust back out into the atmosphere.Many machines, particularly those with powered brushes or beater bars, pick up the very small dust particles. If it then circulates them round the room that you are working in, it can be very dangerous for you.
It is critical that you stop this dislodged dust from escaping back into the air in the room.A simple yet incredibly effective approach is to use water in the filtration process.This method works by directing the dirt filled airflow down on to the surface of the water where it is captured and cannot be sent back up into the air.The tub vacuums use this system.
The tub vacuum holds a small amount of ordinary tap water (a couple of litres). The dirt that has been sucked from the carpet is directed at the water so that the dust and dirt falls out and hits the surface. Once there, it is captured and held until it is ready to be thrown away. The air going through the machine is effectively cleaned and passed back out into the room.
How do we choose the best method? Can we combine all the best characteristics?
In an ideal world I would go for an upright with a separate motor to power the brush. This would have a water filtration system to capture the dust.Having a water filtration system on an upright is fraught with danger because the water has to be kept level. If you do not, the water will enter the vacuum motor and destroy it in seconds. The very action of moving the handle backwards and forwards means that the water rocks back and forth. This effectively rules out a water filtered upright. Or does it?
You could compromise and go for a water filtration vacuum with a separately powered electrical brush head.
Whatever you decide, please take the filtration aspect seriously. It could, in the long run, be a life saver.
