No New PVC! Central Vac Industry Joins Wireless Efforts

In an effort to capitalize on the trends in wireless home networking, Beam, Broan, Dirt Devil, Linear, MD Manufacturing, Nutone and a handful of other central vacuum system manufacturers have announced that they will join the Wireless Home initiative.

One of the last holdouts in the wireless movements has been the central vac industry, which until now has clung to its outmoded method of funneling dust, dirt and other vacuumed waste through plastic PVC piping buried behind the walls.

"Unfortunately, most homeowners don't have the luxury of PVC pipe in existing homes," says a spokesperson for Central Vacs Etc.

"Thus, homeowners are forced to go through the expense and mess of retrofitting the piping if they are to enjoy the benefits of central vacuum systems.”

Thus, the group of central vac manufacturers have worked with the Wireless Home group to define a wireless specification for the transmission of particulates from the vacuuming device to the power unit that collects the dirt.

The resulting specification, Central Vac Wireless Distribution (CVWD), defines the dust compression algorithms and RF transmission frequency for central vac.

Sy Klonic, chairman of the Wireless Home working group, says, "We are pleased that the central vacuum industry has joined us in the crusade for wireless networks in the home. This is just another example of how we can eliminate everything but insulation from behind the walls."

The kitchen and bath industries are watching the CVWD effort for its implications for plumbing applications. "We have watched enviously as computer companies move forward with wireless networking initiatives," says a spokesperson for Peter Piping.

"Time and again, toilet and sink manufacturers have implored us to investigate no-new-pipes technologies that would allow water to circulate through the home without the need for costly plumbing hardware.

Both the plumbing and central vac communities also are investigating how dust, liquid and other matter could be transported over the home’s existing phonelines, powerlines and coax cable.