Central vacuum questions, answered
What the shop gets asked, in one place: what a central vacuum is, what putting one into a house that is already built involves, how a system gets planned into a house that is still going up, and what happens when a unit that has been in the wall for years stops behaving. Open the one you came with.
Open the question you came with
The list is grouped by what you are asking about. Where an answer belongs to a page of its own, it says so and links there, so you can start here and read further only where it matters to you.
01Basics
What is a central vacuum system?
A central vacuum cleans the whole house through tubing built into the walls. The motor and the canister that collects everything live out in the garage or the basement, so the part you carry from room to room is a lightweight hose. There is no heavy machine to drag up the stairs, and no dust blowing back into the room you are standing in.
Installation in existing homes →New-construction installation →
What are the parts of a system?
Four. The power unit holds the motor and the canister, and it stands out in the garage or the basement. The tubing runs inside the walls and links everything back to it. The wall inlets are what you plug into, each behind a small hinged cover. The hose, the power head and the tools that clip onto them are the part you actually hold.
What brand of system do you install?
Every new system we sell and install is MD. Service is a different matter and always has been: we work on central vacuums of every brand, including systems another company put in.
How many inlets will my home need?
There is no standard number, because there is no standard house. What sets it is the hose length you would rather handle and how your rooms are actually used, floor by floor. We ask about that first, listen to what you want out of the system, and then recommend where the inlets belong. That conversation is what the free estimate is for.
Installation in existing homes →New-construction installation →
How do I know if a central vacuum is right for my home?
It depends on the size of your home, how you clean, and your long-term plans. That's exactly what the free in-home estimate is for. No pressure, just straight answers.
Do you only do new installations?
No. New installs are a major part of what we do, but we also install systems in existing homes, and we repair and maintain systems that are already in place.
02Existing Homes
Can you install a central vacuum in an existing home?
Yes. We install central vacuum systems in many homes that are already built, not just new construction. We'll assess your layout during the free estimate and plan the install to fit.
Do you have to open up the walls to install a central vacuum in a finished home?
The tubing takes whatever route the house offers: the basement, the attic, or the cavity behind a finished wall. Working from attic access, the only opening made in a wall is the one the inlet itself needs, and no patching or paintwork follows. You keep living in the home while the work happens, and usually nothing is asked of you beforehand, not even moving furniture.
Can we stay in the house while the system goes in?
Yes. The work happens around you, and you keep living in the home while the system goes in. Most of the time we ask nothing of you in advance: no moving furniture, no getting the house ready.
03New Construction
We are building a house. How does a central vacuum get planned into it?
It starts on the floor plan. We go through it with you: where the power unit can stand, which walls the inlets belong on, and how the tubing gets from one to the other. The tubing goes into the house once the framing is up and while the walls are still open, and the unit and the inlet covers are finished after the walls are closed. Every project runs its own way, so the timing is agreed with you and with the build.
Do we need to arrange an electrician for it?
On a new-construction install, the electrical work the system needs is ours too, put in along the same route as the tubing.
Do the hose and the accessories come with a new system?
On a new-construction system, yes. The hose, the power head and the tools that clip onto them are included.
04Repair & Service
Do you repair central vacuums you didn't install?
Yes. We service and repair central vacuum systems of every brand, including systems put in by other companies. Weak suction, clogs, motor and inlet problems, worn hoses, and more.
My system is a brand that is not made any more. Can you still get parts?
Parts can generally still be found, and working out a way through is a good part of what this shop does. An older system is judged on what it is doing now, not on the date on the label.
Do you charge a service call fee?
No. Coming out and looking at the system is not something we charge for.
Does the repair happen at my house or at your store?
A technician works on the system where it is installed, and if it can be sorted out there, that is where it ends. When the answer is not on site, the power unit comes off the wall, travels to our Warrenton store, and goes back up in the same place. Now and then somebody brings a unit in themselves, though it is usually us who carries it.
Do you do maintenance, or only repairs?
Maintenance is a service of its own, not only something that happens once a fault has appeared. It covers filter service and cleaning, a bag change and the canister emptied, the seals checked, the suction tested at every inlet, and a look over the system as a whole.
Can I buy parts and accessories from you?
Yes. You are welcome to come into our Warrenton store. If you would rather ask first, call and tell us what your system is.
05Hide-A-Hose
What is Hide-A-Hose?
Hide-A-Hose is a retractable hose that stores inside your wall. You pull out what you need to clean, then it retracts back into the tubing, with nothing to coil up or store. We can add it to a new system or advise whether it suits your home.
Can Hide-A-Hose go on a system I already have?
It can be an upgrade for a system that is already in your wall, whoever installed it, as well as part of a new one. Whether your existing tubing suits it is one of the things the free estimate answers.
06Working With Us
Which areas do you cover?
We are based at our Warrenton store and cover Northern Virginia, Maryland & Washington DC. Service and repair cover exactly the area installation does. Not sure whether you are in range? Call us. If we cannot help, we will point you to someone who can.
What happens at the free estimate?
We walk the space with you, find where the unit can stand, follow the paths your walls already offer, and mark where the inlets belong so they land where you actually clean. You get straight answers about your own home, in plain terms, with no obligation at the end of it. Prefer the store? We do free in-store estimates too.
Will you show us how everything works?
Yes. After an install we walk you through operating and maintaining the system so you know what to expect.
If the question you have is not on the list, it is still worth a call.(540) 351-6060
Some answers only exist once somebody has looked
Houses are put together differently and so are the systems already in them, so the questions that start with "in my case" get answered in your home rather than on a web page. Tell us what you have and what you want to know, or call the store and ask.
Ask us about your home
Tell us what you have and what you would like to know: a new install, a system for a home that is already built, Hide-A-Hose, or a system that is not doing what it should. We will follow up with straight answers about your own home, and there is no obligation at the end of it.
Prefer to talk? Call our Warrenton store at (540) 351-6060
No obligation · Local experts since 1995