Why is it that we (as humans) can clone a sheep, land on the moon, etc… but vaccuum cleaners are still so freakin loud? Is there something inherant to vaccuum cleaners that requires them to be loud?
–
From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion”
the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
Well, Opal, in paragraph 4362.24(A)(4)(iii) of the Federal Vacuum Cleaner Code it says that each vacuum cleaner sold in the United States must produce a sufficient noise output to irritate and annoy the average web page or graphic designer living on the Mid-Atlantic coast.
Actually, it’s a matter of cost. Though we can put a man on the moon (but not all of them) or clone a sheep, it’s a damn expensive process. For a mass-produced consumer product like a vacuum, the manufacturers have decided that the additional benefit of a quiet vacuum wouldn’t be enough to overcome the reduced sales they would get from selling it at the higher price necessary to recoup the greater cost.
I have an extremly quiet vacuum I use for collecting dust from woodworking tools. It’s great for that purpose but wouldn’t make a good home vacuum.
The compact motors used in home appliances is called a universal type. It has the advantage of being small and runs at a high speed but has the drawback of being extremely loud. The induction motor in my dust collector is very quiet but extremely bulky.
The other problem is airflow. My dust collector moves a lot of air but doesn’t have powerful suction. That’s one of the reasons it’s quiet. If the fan speed were raised to get high suction it wouldn’t be quiet anymore because of the air turbulence inside.
You can buy a central vacuum system with the fan in the basement and ducts to each room. This should be much quieter since most of the noise is from the fan. The only noise you should hear is from the air entering and traveling through he hose in the room to the duct in the wall. (I say “should” because I have no personal experience with central vacuum systems.)
Central vaccuuming ROCKS. My dad had it in the house he built… infortunately I rent right now so I can’t do that. My current vaccuum is so awful though… not only is it loud, but all the attachements are long lost, it doesn’t suck very powerfully, and it spews plumes of smoke when you push it forward. In other words, we’re in the market for a new one. ANyone want ot recommend their awesome vaccuum?
–
From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion”
the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
I’m making in advance the inevitable “You should buy this vacuum because it really sucks” joke.
Carry on.
Change Your Password, Please and don’t use HTML, as it has been disabled, but you can learn about superscripts here
I’ve had a central vacuum. A couple of notes for your consideration.
Be vewwwwwy careful not to clog up the lines inside the walls of your house. Don’t suck up piles of dog/cat hair. You think it’s hard to get a furball out of a stand alone machine, well let me tell you …
Don’t EVER vacuum up fireplace ashes, the results of this mistake are MUCH MUCH more serious with a central vac. Of course, never so it with any vacuum.
With a central vac you drag around a suction hose, which is corrugated, and can tear the shit out of your baseboard corners, end/coffee/dining table legs etc.
The main floor unit still makes some noise, but a LOT less than a stand alone unit. But it is not stealth. And they are powerful.
Bags and parts can be more expensive and/or harder to find in outlying areas (this was 6 yrs ago YMMV), so check for availability before you purchase.
A point in every direction is like no point at all
I’m only relating what I was told by a vacuum rep. They are loud because most consumers believe loud = suction. Trust me I want a quiet one that sucks well. (take that anyway you want) :o
Keep smiling it makes 'em wonder what you’ve been up to.
The last house we owned had a central vacuum and I didn’t much care for it. It was great out in the garage though.
My vacuum isn’t all that quiet Opal, but it is a Hoover, after I found out the other brand I tended to get, it rhymes with ‘safreaka’ had so many plastic parts it kept breaking all the time.
“Um, according to who? Nothing more than a high brow troll, though occasionally the bi polar personality swung in a constructive direction on innocuous topics.” Omniscient
Opal,
Check out some of the new offerings from DirtDevil.
We too are in the market for a new upright vac and, outside of plunking down the money for a Rainbow®, I’ve been impressed with the specs of a number of the DirtDevils. They have an upright model that is patterned after a Sharp “filterless” vac.
Having used the Sharp, and comparing the improvements on the DirtDevil, I think that’s the direction we’re going to go…to boot the thing is relatively quiet.
For the evangelical Rainbow® owners out there: Yes, it’s the best on the market, but sometimes “ya just gotta go slumming.” : :rolleyes::
–Kalél
TheHungerSite.com
“If our lives are indeed the sum-total of the choices we’ve made, then we cannot change who we are; but with every new choice we’re given, we can change who we’re going to be.”
I can’t speak for today’s DirtDevils, but the one I had (bought in the mid-90s) sucked hugely, and not in a good way. I’ve got a Hoover now and although it’s as loud as just about every other vacuum out there, it really does suck.
They are pretty simple things, they have a small motor on the bottom with a fan which pushes the air. Rotary motors all make noise.
I got a plastic gasoline lawn mower which is incredibly quiet. So Im assuming plastic casings provide much more quiet operation.
My DirtDevil from the early 90’s sucks too. It likes to throw belts. The brush roller is made out of wood and the ‘bearings’ are made out of felt. At least it throws a belt often enough so I can put a drop or two of oil on the felt when I have the roller out.
Thank you, Handy, for that amazingly informative post. I never knew that before!
DUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHH
Now the truth is that lots of motors are quiet. If a ceiling fan made the kind of noise that a vacuum cleaner did, no one would own one. Aside from the quieter motor, they could also be insulated a bit to cut down on more sound.
As for the Dirt Devil thing, I seem to recall another vacuum cleaner thread many moons ago where the general consensus was that they are very crappy.
–
From an actual catalog: “Disco balls create an enchanting, dazzling effect of light shafts, adding movement and glamour to any occasion”
the Abrams’ bris was certainly memorable
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com
We can create a quite vaccuum, but we don’t.
I agree with Billdo’s idea that there really isn’t a huge market of people willing to pay extra for insulation or a revamped motor design just for a quieter vaccuum.
Well people don’t use vaccuums as often as they do ceiling fans. Besides, I don’t think your ceiling fan is putting out the RPMs that an ideal vaccuum would. It seems intuitive that a motor that spins faster generally makes a louder noise.
I mean all of us here have purchased vaccuums. We knew that they make a loud noise when operated, but we bought them anyway. We expect vaccuums to be loud. So why would a company invest in a huge amount of R&D and perhaps more expensive materials to build a quieter but thus significantly more expensive vaccuum? I doubt there’s sufficent public outrage to create a quieter vaccuum.
Gypsy: Tom, I don’t get you.
Tom Servo: Nobody does. I’m the wind, baby.