At Avon Vacuums, we've installed and serviced central vacuum systems throughout Connecticut for decades. And we've noticed something consistent about the conversation: homeowners who don't have a central vacuum are skeptical, and homeowners who do have one are evangelists. The gap between those two groups is one of the largest we see in this entire industry.
If you've never lived with a central vacuum, the appeal is genuinely hard to picture. Another vacuum system sounds like more complexity, more cost, and more things that can break. But ask anyone who's switched, and you'll hear the same line:
"I'll never go back to a portable."
Here are the five most compelling reasons our Connecticut customers make the switch — and what each one looks like in real-world daily use.
1. Suction That Doesn't Compromise on Power
A central vacuum power unit lives in your basement, garage, or utility room. It doesn't have to be compact. It doesn't have to be light enough to carry. It doesn't have to fit on a retail shelf. The only design constraint is performance — and that's why central vacuum power units can use larger motors than a typical portable machine.
The VacuMaid CS66 Commercial Series uses a 6.6-inch two-stage tangential by-pass motor that VacuMaid describes as a long-life motor of approximately 3,000 hours. VacuMaid central vacuums are built by Lindsay Manufacturing in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The CS66 isn't built to a homeowner's expectation — it's built for the commercial jobs it's sold for, from hair salons and groomers to woodworking shops.
The motor design matters as much as the size. In a by-pass motor, the vacuumed air is kept separate from the motor's cooling air, which comes from its own fan, so the dirty working air does not pass over the motor windings. In a thru-flow motor, the vacuumed air itself flows over the windings to cool them (VacuMaid explains both designs). Not every central vacuum uses a by-pass motor: VacuMaid's own SR36, for example, uses a 5.7-inch two-stage thru-flow motor. Check the motor type on any unit you compare, including the VacuMaid power units we sell.
2. Exhaust That Can Leave the House — Not Just Filtration
This is the difference many households with allergies or pets want to understand first. And it's the feature people consistently underestimate before they've experienced it.
A portable vacuum, even one with a sealed HEPA system, exhausts its filtered air back into the room you're cleaning.
With a central vacuum, the exhaust path is fundamentally different. Air enters the inlet, travels through the tubing inside your walls, and drops its dirt into the bag or dirt canister at the power unit — in the basement, garage or utility room, not the room you're cleaning. When the system is vented outdoors, which VacuMaid notes is possible when the installation permits, the motor exhaust leaves through a port to the outside of your home. What the system picks up is carried away from your living space — not filtered-and-recirculated in the room you're standing in.
The VacuMaid SR36 and SR52 collect debris in replaceable bags — a disposable paper bag in the SR36 and a multi-layer HEPA-style bag in the SR52, per VacuMaid. Filtration and exhaust routing depend on the exact model, bag and installation. Confirm the correct consumables and whether your installed system vents outdoors; a vacuum is not a medical treatment or a promise to eliminate allergens.
3. No More Lugging a Vacuum Between Floors
This is the quality-of-life benefit homeowners consistently underestimate until they've experienced it for a few months. With a central vacuum, the only thing you carry is a lightweight hose and a wand. The motor and dirt collection stay in the basement permanently. Inlet valves on each floor mean you walk over to the wall, plug in the hose, clean the room, and unplug. No carrying a full-size vacuum up stairs. No untangling a power cord that's wrapped itself around banisters. No hauling a full canister down to a trash bag.
For multi-story homes, this single change is dramatic. We hear it from customers constantly: "I actually vacuum the upstairs now." That's not a minor lifestyle improvement. People who used to vacuum the second floor every other week start vacuuming it twice a week, because the friction is gone.
A typical 2,000 sq ft two-story home needs 3–4 inlet valves to cover every room comfortably. For homes 3,000 sq ft and larger, we typically design with 5–6 inlets. Hose lengths are usually 30 or 35 feet — we plan inlet placement so every room is reachable from at least one inlet without dragging the hose across furniture.
4. A Quieter Home During Cleaning
Because the power unit lives in the basement or garage, most of the noise stays there — VacuMaid notes that installing the motor away from the room being cleaned reduces operating noise in the living area. The hose itself produces a soft rushing sound, and the powerhead motor on the floor brush makes some noise — but compared to a portable vacuum running in the same room as you, the difference is night and day.
Practical examples we hear from customers: running the vacuum during a baby's nap without waking them. Vacuuming the bedrooms while a spouse takes a phone call in the next room. Cleaning the upstairs while someone is watching a show downstairs. None of those scenarios are realistic with a portable vacuum, even a quiet one. With a central system, the loud part of the machine is two floors away from where you're working.
5. A Permanent Feature of Your Connecticut Home
A central vacuum is a permanent home improvement, not an appliance: the tubing and inlets are built into the house, and a listing can call it out as an amenity. Real estate agents we work with in the Farmington Valley tell us a central vacuum can be one of the small features that helps a listing stand out, especially for buyers with allergies, pets, or larger homes.
The VacuMaid CS46 pairs a galvannealed steel power unit with the same approximately 3,000-hour 6.6-inch tangential by-pass motor as the CS66, in an inverted-bag design. VacuMaid says it is not unusual for a properly maintained system to remain in a home for more than twenty years. When we install a system, we install it as a permanent feature of the house.
Central vacuum or a premium upright?
If you're weighing a central system against a good portable, these are the differences that matter. The motor figures are each maker's own rating, not a measurement at the floor tool; real cleaning still depends on how the system is sized and piped, the hose length and the floorhead.
| Central: VacuMaid SR66 | Upright: SEBO X7/X8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor rating | 132 in. water lift, 139 CFM |
91.5 in. water lift, 100.2 CFM |
| Exhaust | Basement or garage; outdoors if vented |
Filtered, into the room |
| Quick pickups | Plug in the hose first | Out in seconds |
| Whole house | Only the hose moves | You carry the machine |
| Noise in the room | Low; motor elsewhere | Full motor noise |
| Motor life / cover | About 1,500 rated hours | 7-year motor warranty |
Sources: VacuMaid's SR66 page and SEBO's AUTOMATIC X7/X8 page and warranty. Central wins for whole-house cleaning, stairs and keeping dust and motor noise out of the living space; an upright wins for quick one-room pickups, single-floor homes and renters. If a portable suits you better, the SEBO AUTOMATIC X7 Premium sets its own brush height for carpet, and the SEBO FELIX Premium lifts off its powerhead to work as a hand-held vacuum on stairs. Many central-vac owners also keep a light cordless, such as the SEBO BALANCE A1, for quick spills.
Is a central vacuum right for your home?
Run through these before you decide:
- More than one floor? The biggest reason to go central: you carry a hose and wand, not a machine.
- Allergies or asthma at home? Ask about venting the power unit outdoors, the installation VacuMaid recommends for all central vacuums.
- Pets? Hair and dander go to the power unit instead of a bin you empty indoors. For heavy shedding, ask about the commercial-grade CS66 or CS46.
- Building or renovating? Run the tubing while the walls are open. It's simpler than a retrofit, and the power unit can come later.
- A finished home? Many finished homes can be retrofitted through closets, basement ceilings and wall cavities.
- Selling within a year or two? The installation may not pay back before you move.
- No basement, garage or utility room? The power unit needs a permanent spot near an outside wall for the exhaust. We look before we quote.
- Prefer an upright or a stick? Then buy the machine you'll enjoy using; see the comparison above.
Which power unit for your home size
- VacuMaid SR36: a disposable-bag unit VacuMaid rates for homes up to 3,000 total square feet.
- VacuMaid SR66: a 6.6-inch two-stage tangential by-pass motor that VacuMaid rates for homes up to 10,000 square feet. Our usual pick for about 4,000 to 5,000 square feet, with headroom.
- VacuMaid SR52: the larger 7.2-inch Premier tangential by-pass motor, with the same 10,000-square-foot rating.
- Heavy use: the CS66 and the inverted-bag CS46, both with VacuMaid's approximately 3,000-hour 6.6-inch by-pass motor. They aren't in our online store; ask us when we size your system.
Hide-A-Hose
A Hide-A-Hose system stores the hose inside the wall at each inlet. When you finish, the power unit's suction pulls it back in, so there's no coiled hose taking up a closet. Hide-A-Hose says it can also be added to existing homes, and VacuMaid lists the SR52 and SR66 as compatible. It isn't the cheapest option, so it makes most sense in a new build or a large renovation.
What About Installation? It's Less Disruptive Than You'd Think
The most common question we get from homeowners who are warming up to the idea is "but how disruptive is the install?" The honest answer: less disruptive than you'd expect, especially for a finished home. Most retrofits take a single day for a 2,000-square-foot home. Tubing is routed through closets, along basement ceilings, and through interior walls — typically without opening up large drywall sections; VacuMaid notes that many existing homes can be retrofitted using wall cavities, closets, basements, crawlspaces and attics. We patch and paint anything we cut. The power unit mounts to a basement or garage wall and, where the installation permits, vents through a small exterior port.
For new construction or active renovations, a central vacuum rough-in (the tubing and inlet boxes installed before the walls are closed) is far simpler than a retrofit — the tubing goes in while the walls are open, and the power unit can be added later. If you're talking to a builder right now, ask them about central vacuum rough-in before drywall goes up. We can supply specs and components directly to your builder, and inspect the rough-in before it's enclosed.
Maintenance: What You Actually Have to Do
Central vacuum maintenance is genuinely minimal. There are three recurring tasks, and that's it.
Empty or replace the bag. Bagged systems like the SR36 and SR52 use disposable bags. VacuMaid's instructions are to change the bag when there are 3 to 6 inches of dirt in it or whenever airflow at the cleaning tool drops, and to check it weekly at first until you know how quickly your home fills it. A peel-and-press sealing flap covers the bag opening before you lift the bag out, which helps keep dust from escaping during a change. VacuMaid replacement bags are matched by model, so check your unit's label before ordering.
Check the filter or screen. On VacuMaid bag units that have a protector plate under the bag (VacuMaid fits one on applicable HEPA-bag units), leave the plate in place — VacuMaid says it is needed for proper suction — and clean the small screen beneath it only if a bag breaks. Inverted-bag units such as the CS46 use a permanent filter that VacuMaid says to clean about three to four times a year or every time the dirt canister is emptied.
Annual check-up. We offer central vac service appointments to inspect motor brushes, exhaust port integrity, and inlet valve seals. For homes that run their system heavily, this is worth doing once a year. For typical residential use, every two or three years is fine. Between visits, if suction drops at one inlet or at all of them, our one-inlet vs. every-inlet diagnosis guide walks through the safe checks first.
Still Weighing It? When a Central Vacuum Isn't the Right Fit
Not every home is right for a central vacuum, and we'll tell you that honestly. The checklist above walks through the real-world fit factors. Single-floor ranches, small condos, and households with no allergy or pet considerations sometimes don't see the full benefit of a central system, and a high-end portable like a Miele canister is a better tool for them.
For multi-story homes, allergy households, pet households, and homes over 2,000 square feet, the central vacuum case is overwhelming.
Why People Choose Avon Vacuums for Central Vacuum Installation
- Family-owned since 1972 — over fifty years of vacuum sales and service in central Connecticut.
- VacuMaid sales, service & installation — help with manufacturer warranty questions, factory parts, three generations of central vac expertise.
- In-home consultations anywhere in Connecticut; we confirm the visit for your address first.
- Full installation, retrofit, and service — we handle the entire job from spec through ongoing maintenance.
- Honest sizing — we don't oversell. Power units are matched to your home's square footage, layout, and use case.
Ready to see if a central vacuum makes sense for your home? Call us at (860) 678-0011 or stop by our showroom at 12 West Main Street, Avon, CT. We'll walk you through the options, confirm whether an in-home consultation is available for your address, and give you an honest quote with no pressure. Family-owned and locally trusted — Avon Vacuums.
Sources: VacuMaid CS66 product page; VacuMaid CS46 product page; VacuMaid disposable bag systems (SR36, SR52, CS66); VacuMaid central vacuum motors (by-pass vs. thru-flow); VacuMaid benefits: construction, exhaust, noise and installation; VacuMaid paper bag maintenance; VacuMaid inverted bag maintenance (checked October 2026)
