Central vacuum repair, whatever name is on the unit
Start with what the system is doing. Weak suction, a unit that will not start, something stuck in the line, an inlet that does nothing: find yours below and you will see what gets checked. There is no service call fee for coming out to look.
What is your system doing?
Central vacuum faults tend to show up in one of a few ways. Find the one that sounds like yours, and beside it is what a technician goes through when we are at the house. Every brand, including systems somebody else installed.
- 01
Nothing happens when you open an inlet
The hose is plugged in, the cover is open, and the house stays silent.
What gets checked- The power unit itself, and whether it starts at all
- The low-voltage line between the inlet and the unit, which is what tells the unit to run
- The contacts inside the inlet, which are what close that circuit
- The switch and the wire in the hose handle, on a hose that starts the unit
- 02
The suction is weaker than it used to be
It still runs everywhere, but it does not pull the way it once did.
What gets checked- The bag, the filter and the seal around the canister
- A canister that is letting dust past or is not seating properly
- The exhaust line out of the unit, in case it is blocked
- The pipe joints, because air leaking in on one run costs suction on all of them
- The motor, including carbon brushes that have worn down
- 03
One inlet is dead, or something is stuck in the line
The rest of the house is fine. One spot is not, or the suction stopped while you were using it.
What gets checked- Where the blockage is sitting, and clearing it
- A single inlet with no suction at it
- A cracked or separated length of pipe
- A run that was cut or closed off during other work in the house
- 04
The unit is loud, hot, or shutting itself off
Something changed in the sound of it, or it stops before you have finished.
What gets checked- A unit that runs and then stops on its own, which is usually the thermal protection doing its job
- A high-pitched or rubbing noise, or vibration you can feel
- A burning smell
- Worn carbon brushes, and motor replacement where that is what it comes to
- The control board, the relay and the transformer
- A unit that runs and will not shut off, including wiring that keeps it running
- The wall mounting, if the unit has worked loose
- 05
The inlet on the wall
The part of the system you actually handle, and the one most likely to take a knock.
What gets checked- A cover that will not stay shut, or a broken spring
- An inlet that does not start the unit
- An inlet that has worked loose in the wall
- Replacing an inlet that is broken, or one that has been painted over
- A seal that is letting air past
- Kick-plate inlets at floor level in a kitchen
- 06
The hose, the power head and the tools
The parts you carry from room to room, and the parts that wear first.
What gets checked- A hose that has split or torn, or is leaking air
- A hose that no longer starts the unit, which is the switch or the wire in the handle
- A power head brush that will not turn, or a broken belt
- The power head motor
- The contacts on an electric wand
- Replacing worn tools and accessories
If what yours is doing is not on this list, it is still worth a call. These are the common ones, not the whole of it. (540) 351-6060
We come to the house first
A repair starts where the system is. A technician looks at the unit, the inlets and the line between them, and most of what goes wrong is dealt with there. When a unit needs more than that, it travels and comes back.
- There is no service call fee
- Coming out and looking at the system is not something we charge for.
- Most of it is finished in the house
- A technician works on the system where it is installed, and if it can be sorted out there, that is where it ends.
- The recommendation comes after we have looked
- Whether a system is best repaired or renewed is not a call to make from a web page. We look at what you have, and what we suggest follows from that.
The unit comes off the wall and goes back up where it was
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. It is the only part that goes anywhere: the tubing and the inlets stay in the walls where they are. Now and then somebody brings a unit in themselves, though it is usually us who carries it.
We work on the system you already have
New systems we sell and install are MD. Service is a different matter and always has been: we repair central vacuums of every brand, including the ones that are no longer made and the ones another company put in.
- Beam
- NuTone
- Vacuflo
- Electrolux
- Hoover
- Eureka
- Kenmore
- MD
- Broan
- Hayden
- Cyclovac
- VacuMaid
- DrainVac
- Filtex
- and every other central vacuum brand
These are systems we work on. We are the dealer for MD only.
- If your brand is no longer made
- 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.
- A system that came with the house
- A system that came with the house and has never been looked at gets gone through the same way, whoever installed it and whenever it went in.
Two things that are not repairs
Not every reason to talk to us is a fault. Parts and accessories are sold over the counter, and maintenance is a service of its own rather than something that only happens once something has broken.
- Parts and accessories
- The power head, the hose and the tools that clip onto them are the parts that wear. You are welcome to come into our Warrenton store. If you would rather ask first, call(540) 351-6060 and tell us what your system is.
- Maintenance, as its own visit
- 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.
The same area we install in
Service and repair cover exactly the area installation does: Northern Virginia, Maryland & Washington DC. Our store is in Warrenton, which is where a unit goes on the rare occasion it needs the bench.
Tell us what your system is doing
The brand if you know it, and what you are seeing: no suction, a noise, a blockage, an inlet that does nothing. We will follow up to arrange a visit, look at the system where it is, and give you straight answers. There is no service call fee. Prefer to come in? Our Warrenton store is open for parts and accessories too.
Prefer to talk? Call our Warrenton store at (540) 351-6060
No service call fee · No obligation · Local experts since 1995