Eight Myths of Vacuuming

June 23, 2008

_http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/desrep/vacuuming.shtml_

(http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/desrep/vacuuming.shtml)

Are you an informed consumer? Consider these eight myths, and corresponding

truths, about vacuuming:

Myth #1: Amps Mean Performance

Amps is a measure of electrical current, not vacuuming performance.

Measuring a vacuum cleaner's performance based on amps is like buying a car

based on

how much gas it guzzles. The design of the entire machine and how it handles

and controls airflow and incorporates filtration determines its quality, not

the electrical energy it consumes.

Myth #2: Everyone Needs HEPA

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a technical definition that refers

to a filter that will remove not less than 99.97% of 0.3 micron diameter

particles or larger from the air that passes through it.

You need to have the fewest particles released or driven into the air -

regardless of whether that vacuum is HEPA or not. Some microfiltered systems

accomplish this just as well as some systems called HEPA. Find out what the

" particles out " are, and you'll have the all-important information you need.

Keep in mind that even high-end HEPA-filtered vacuums may still be driving

dust airborne by the impact of a beater brush against the carpet. With

uprights or canisters equipped with power heads, the critical information to

have is

how much airflow and lift are occurring at the beater brush / floor

interface to help determine whether or not particles are being pulled into the

vacuum

or driven airborne. The extra-wide orifice on some upright vacuums and power

nozzles results in greatly diminished suction at the tool head and poor soil

capture. More on this later under " The Venturi Principle " .

Myth #3: Picking Up a " Bowling Ball " Shows Cleaning Power

The bowling ball trick is just that - a trick. This sales technique is based

on the power of a suction cup. Have you ever stuck a suction cup on a mirror

and tried to remove it by pulling directly away from the mirror? It's hard

to do. Why? Once a seal is created on a smooth surface, the seal is difficult

to break. Does a vacuum tool's ability to form a seal around a bowling ball

and pick it up like a suction cup have anything to do with how well the vacuum

can remove soil from a surface? No!

Myth #4: All Vacuum Bags are the Same

Again, not true. Multi-ply microfilters greatly increase vacuum efficiency

over generic single-ply paper filters. For this reason, microfilters are now

increasingly used in commercial vacuuming applications. Microfilter bags have

greater media density and thus capture far more fine dust. One-ply generic

bags have relatively large pores that permit fine dust to escape, lowering

indoor air quality, increasing health risks and the need for dusting.

Also, filter bag size does matter. The greater the " area " of the filter

media, the longer airflow, suction and cleaning can be sustained. For this

reason, at least one major manufacturer of vacuum cleaners promotes its filters

by

measuring and publishing the total area - in square inches or centimeters -

of its filter bag media.

Myth #5: All Vacuum Belts are the Same

Not all vacuum belts are created equal. A cheap vacuum belt will stretch,

slip and wear out quickly, whereas a high-quality belt is geared or sprocketed

like an automobile timing belt, and can literally last for years. In

addition, geared/sprocketed belts do not slip, ensuring better and more

consistent

soil pickup and removal. Sprocketed belts help ensure better overall

performance, and enable you to spend more time cleaning and less time changing

belts.

Myth #6: Cyclonic Systems Do Not Use Filters & Require Less Maintenance

Virtually all cyclonic or bagless vacuuming systems use a final filter to

catch the dust that cyclonic filtration cannot remove from the airflow. This is

often a HEPA media filter. This final filter will require regular cleaning

or replacement to ensure optimal performance. If you fail to perform the

needed filter maintenance, the vacuum will not perform as intended. The cost of

replacing the final filter may equal or exceed the cost of using conventional

bag filter media. The quality of cyclonic systems varies widely. Do your

homework and request the all-important " particles in, particles out "

information

in the form of test data from the manufacturer to determine overall

performance.

Some vacuum cleaners are actually designed to produce cyclonic airflow even

with conventional microfilters. Ribbed panels in the filter containment area

create a rotating column of air inside the filter bag so soil is deposited

evenly on the sidewalls of the filter where it has the greatest surface area,

ensuring sustained airflow longer.

Myth #7: All Vacuum Cleaners Have Similar Design Features and are Equally

Easy to Use

Ergonomic design, weight and other factors affecting ease of use vary widely

among vacuum cleaners. Handle weight is a critical factor with uprights, as

is ease of rolling and maneuverability.

Canister vacuums vary widely in shape and design affecting usability. One

model balances the weight primarily over the large rear wheels to facilitate

nimble handling and ease of pulling. Some canisters trip over power cords,

while others roll over such obstacles easily. Design and weight distribution

makes the difference.

Backpack vacuums now weigh in at less than 10 pounds, with precision

suspension systems that distribute the weight across the hips and not the

shoulders

for ideal balance and maneuverability. One manufacturer produces a backpack

vacuum station that enables the operator to simply back into the " port " and

slip on the backpack without lifting it.

Myth #8: Suction Alone Makes a Vacuum Work Well

Actually, it's the entire vacuum system that makes it effective - or not.

There are four key benchmarks to use in evaluating a vacuuming system:

A) Airflow

Airflow is the amount or volume of air moving through the vacuum, usually

measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The amount of air moving through a

vacuum affects the amount of soil that can be carried along by the airflow and

contained in the vacuum's filtration.

B) Lift

Lift, also known as static lift or water lift, is the ability of the

vacuum's airflow to lift dirt. It is typically measured in " inches of lift "

determined by how many inches the vacuum cleaner's airflow can pull water up a

tube

in a lab test.

The higher the two numbers - airflow and lift - are, the better, since this

combination largely determines the vacuum's ability to pull " particles in " .

C) Filtration

Filtration captures the soils and is mainly responsible for reducing

" particles out " . Filtration must be designed and proportioned to work with the

vacuum's airflow and lift so that the particles are stopped but not the

airflow.

D) Design

In some cases, good vacuuming potential and/or filtration are defeated by

poor design. Examples of poor design include a tool orifice that lowers air

velocity by being too wide (many beater brushes require an excessively wide

tool

orifice that reduces suction significantly) and body tolerances that allow

dust to leak from non-filter areas.

The Venturi Principle

The Venturi Principle is an important bit of science to understand.

Basically, the Venturi Principle causes air velocity to increase as the

corridor it

passes through narrows. That explains the effectiveness of suction-only

backpacks that use a narrow tool opening or orifice enabling greater suction,

versus some upright machines that have a very wide tool orifice to accommodate

the

rotating brush, thus reducing air velocity and cleaning effectiveness.

The best uprights reach an effective compromise, enabling effective cleaning

of plush carpet by proportioning the orifice opening and beater brush to

allow the rotating brush to perform well while maintaining proper airflow and

lift to remove soil and prevent its being driven airborne.

About the Author

Allen P. Rathey is President of The Housekeeping Channel. The Housekeeping

Channel's goal is to be the Web's most comprehensive storehouse of

information and resources to help households everywhere achieve a cleaner, more

organized and healthier indoor environment. The site provides how-to tutorials,

plus

news and reviews regarding the latest innovations from the cleaning products

industry to improve the home environment. Resources include time-saving

systems, tools and motivation for _keeping a better house at the click of a

mouse_

(http://www.familycorner.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump.cgi?ID=9694) .

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