Uptight About
Uprights?
Solutions to
Common Vacuuming Problems
Upright vacuums,
like cars, vary in quality, features and performance. Like automobiles, some
uprights are reliable, others may be problematic, while some become a problem
as a result of neglect or improper use.
How do you make an
informed choice and, having done so, ensure your upright vacuum goes the
distance? While a “road test” with a loaner unit makes sense, you’ll want to
consider ‘under-the-hood’ facts and long-term issues such as soil removal and
filtration testing, motor configuration, construction and design factors,
durability, upkeep, manufacturer service and support policies, and overall cost
of ownership.
SOIL REMOVAL
TESTING
How well does it
clean? Since soil removal directly affects a carpets longevity, appearance and
related long-term expenses, and indirectly affects the health of building
occupants; it’s a vital part of overall “cost.”
The Carpet and Rug
Institute (CRI) tests vacuums for soil removal as part of its voluntary Green
Label Vacuum (GLV) program, and soon will apply NASA Space Shuttle technology
called XRF (S-Ray Fluorescence) to determine even more precisely how much soil
(and what type) reains in cleaned carpet, and thus how well a vacuum performs
under various conditions. For a list of Green Label vacuum, visit www.carpet-rug.org.
FILTRATION TESTING
How well does the
vacuum filter? Again CRI’s GLV standard is a helpful benchmark. CRI states:
“The vacuum must not release more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per
cubic meter or air. This protocol evaluates the total amount of dust particles released by the brush rolls, through the filtration bag and via any air
leaks from the system.”
Has the vacuum been
tested in a chamber to determine overall emissions from the entire machine? As
CRI indicates, regardless of whether the vacuum has HEPA, micro filter or other
media, filtration should be measured by overall dust capture from all possible
escape points (filters, body seams, vacuum tools, point of contact with
cleanable surface) rather than just at the filter.
Is more than one
type of filter bag available? Micro filter bags greatly surpass dust capture
versus single-ply generic filter bags. One study showed quality micro filters
can remove nearly 2400 per cent more dust than generic single-ply bags
(Reference One).
Of course, in
addition to providing health protection, better filtration reduces residual
dust accumulation and the time it takes to dust; a powerful benefit in an
industry whose primary investment (and expense) is labour.
ONE MOTOR OR TWO?
Two-motor uprights
generally clean better than single motor uprights because one dedicated motor
creates suction, while the other drives the rotating brush, increasing
productivity and decreasing labour costs.
According to the
ISSA’s “447 Cleaning Times” booklet, a dual-motor, 14-inch upright can clean
1000 sq. feet in 18.50 minutes compared to 21 minutes for a 14-inch
single-motor upright – that’s 3243 versus 2857 sq. feet per hour – or a
productivity difference of 386 sq. feet per hour. Likewise, a 14-inch
dual-motor upright cleans 1004 sq. feet per hour than a 12-inch single-motor
upright.
CONSTRUCTION AND
DESIGN FACTORS
Examine the base
plate that frames the beater brush. Is it little more than a flat metal or
plastic panel, or is it engineered to enhance airflow? Some models have a base
plate with integrated conduits to accelerate airflow for more effective
cleaning (see photo).
Are you aware of
your options in beater brushes? Finished hardwood beater brush dowels can
reduce the build up of static electricity versus plastic rollers, and are less
likely to damage carpet than rigid steel dowels.
Have you checked
the body integrity and seals? Is the vacuum engineered using close tolerances
and good seals to prevent dust from escaping where it shouldn’t?
Also, for getting
under furniture and around carpet edges, the vacuum’s footprint, edge and
airflow design should enable it to get deep under furniture and close to walls
and corners.
Does the vacuums
power head feature automatic adjustment for various types of surfaces and
carpet heights? This feature saves time, optimises cleaning and prevents damage
to varying surfaces, while reducing strain on drive belts.
DURABILITY
Are body materials
reinforced? High quality vacuum cleaner bodies are often reinforced with “ribs”
or struts similar to the way car doors are reinforced to make them strong and
lightweight. One way to check: open the filter bag housing and look for
reinforcing ribbing (see photo).
Handle design and
construction are crucial to durability and ergonomics. Newer high-strength
synthetic materials enable moulded one-piece vacuum handles that are strong,
flexible and lightweight.
How about belts?
Are they the “rubber-band” type that stretch over time lowering brush
performance, and need frequent replacement? Or are the belts designed like
automotive timing belts, geared or sprocketed with woven fibres running their
length to ensure toughness and durability in the same way steel belts
strengthen radial tires? Also, and perhaps most importantly, a sprocketed belt
does not slip, ensuring consistent brush RPM – and cleaning.
UPKEEP
As with an
automobile, commitment to upkeep (e.g. filter changing, motor maintenance) is
critical to an upright vacuum.
Change vacuum
filters regularly (when bags are half full or before). Fresh bags clean better
and optimise labour, keep air moving freely to prevent motors from overheating,
and lighten/reduce the push-pull effort required by the operator.
Check beater
brushes and replace bristles periodically to ensure maximum sweeping / cleaning
effectiveness.
Other brushes need
regular attention too: especially motor brushes. Not “brushes” in the usual
sense, these small blocks of carbon lightly press or brush against the rotating
part of the vacuum’s electric motor transferring electricity. They eventually
wear out.
Why bother to
replace these? It can make the difference between 1400 or more hours of motor
life and 900 hours or less; extending the operating cycle of the vacuum motor
by 50 per cent or more.
One manufacturer
suggest motor brush changing after the first 800 hours, then again after an
additional 400 hours, and again after the next 200 hours. How to keep up?
Determine how many hours the vacuum is used daily, then create a schedule for
motor brush replacement: a task best handled by a qualified service department,
a local distributor or mechanically inclined user.
SERVICE AND
SUPPORT
Questions to ask:
How easy is the vacuum to repair? How accessible are the parts that wear out?
What type of warranty does the manufacturer provide? Six months? Three years?
Parts and labour? Lifetime warranty on what? What does the fine print say?
Call the
manufacturer’s customer service department to “test drive” the support
provided. Ask about turnaround time and cost for repairs or part replacements,
availability of high-wear parts and other service points.
COST OF OWNERSHIP
Cost of ownership
plainly involves more than a vacuum’s sticker price. Consider performance,
durability, downtime and other issues described above.
Keeping costs in
line also involves properly scheduling and workloading the cleaning. Plan your
route through the building to minimize the need to plug/unplug and
backtracking. Perform the cleaning when areas are least used and most
accessible.
Factor in the
information above and you’ll likely find your upright is a sound vehicle that
helps you arrive at an effective cleaning program as painlessly as possible.
(1)JW Vaughan, JA
Woodfolk, TA Platts-mills. Assessment of vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaner
bags recommended for allergic subjects. (itals)Journal of Allergy and Clinical
Immunology(enditals). November 1999. 104(5):914-16.
