Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Don Phillipson wrote:
Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?

Motors can last indefinitely.

Remove anything between the inlet and the motor: filters, bags, etc., and
see if the suction dramatically increases. If it does, start putting things
back together until the suction drops off.

Another possibility is a leak somewhere in the piping. Perhaps you can tap
off the various outlets, checking for a change in the suck. If I were going
to check suckage - and I have no idea about the best way to do it - I'd hook
up a shop vac to blow into the system and set off a smoke bomb in the shop
vac's innards.

On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:02:26 -0500, Don Phillipson wrote:
Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?
Until they burn out.
Check the brushes on the motor; you're probably on your first set.

If you don't use it, it'll last forever.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Put a vacuum gauge at inlet of canister. Note reading. Do same at each
inlet. Compare readings. If one is much lower there is your problem. I
have done this before. Also the reading is lower when you live at a high
altitude. When I moved from 5K feet to 10K altitude there was quit a
difference

WW wrote:
"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Put a vacuum gauge at inlet of canister. Note reading. Do same at
each inlet. Compare readings. If one is much lower there is your
problem. I have done this before. Also the reading is lower when
you live at a high altitude. When I moved from 5K feet to 10K
altitude there was quit a difference

But that was caused by the extra 5000 feet of hose.

"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
Can we I test suction power of a central vacuum system
(and is this how to test the system in general) when suction
seems to have reduced to feeble?

Motor is 16 years old. Filter bag (between dust
canister and motor assembly) is 22 or 24 years old,
perhaps clogged by decades of use (despite careful
brushing this morning.)

How long do these motors last anyway?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Depending on what type you have, some material may be either stuck in the
piping (look at elbows) or some material may have bypassed your filter bag
and got stuck on some metalwork or grill and is reducing the suction. My
Beam was installed in early 1980s making it almost 30 years old and it is
going strong. Vacs come in permanent bag types, such as mine, replaceable
bags, and cyclonic. Vacs using cyclonic action have a final screen that
stops lumps from hitting the impeller. Stuff that doesn't drop out with the
cyclonic separation builds up on this screen. Just take a shop vac and clean
way up inside and it will be as good as new.

Many newer models are cheaply made of plastic and also don't last as long as
the solid old models, the same as with tools.

Ouch! That's funny! Laughed out loud. Honest.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Bob F" wrote in message
...
problem. I have done this before. Also the reading is
lower when
you live at a high altitude. When I moved from 5K feet to
10K
altitude there was quit a difference

But that was caused by the extra 5000 feet of hose.