All Articles Tagged Central Vacuum

Robert Archer | 11/16 07:17 AM, 0 Comments

People generally associate healthy living with a balance of exercise, a nutritious diet, and low stress levels. One important area that often gets overlooked is the environmental impact of one's home. A recent study by the University of California Davis finds that indoor air pollution negatively impacts the quality of life for homeowners. The study also says central vacuum systems improves the quality of life for homeowners that suffer from allergies, watery eyes and certain sleep problems. According to the research, central vac system owners experience less nasal, eye and… View this story

Jason Knott | 10/31 08:40 AM, 2 Comments

Now that new home construction appears to be on the comeback, which home technologies will stand to benefit the most? Several product categories that are extremely dependent on new construction have certainly had a tough time migrating to the existing home market, namely central vacuum, structured wiring and multiroom audio. What are the prospects for these three as the market rebounds? Structured Wiring: During the housing boom, some integrators were installing tens of thousands of structured wiring enclosures. But even with the market on the rise, has new wireless technology… View this story

Robert Archer | 10/24 03:47 AM, 0 Comments

In the world of specialty, custom electronics solutions like home theater, gigabit home networks and advanced, money-saving control and automation systems receive the lion’s share of attention. Central vacuum systems however, often fly under the radar unless a homeowner specifically asks for a solution, and the shame of the situation is that central vac solutions are just as important even if their value isn’t always quantifiable. The Hartford, Wisc.-based manufacturer NuTone says that its selection of central vac solutions is capable of providing homeowners with an improved level of indoor… View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 10/22 09:45 AM, 0 Comments

Central vacuum systems will not be the first thing your clients think about when you start presenting them your portfolio of services. But if they're looking for a complete whole-home solution of A/V, automation and more, there are plenty of points of emphasis for CE pros to ensure that highly profitable central vac systems are part of that solution. Key areas to talk about with clients include improved indoor air quality, system affordability (and the misconception that central vac systems are overly expensive), the suction power of central vac compared… View this story

Jason Knott | 09/12 10:24 AM, 0 Comments

Central vacuum remains an oft-overlooked installation category, despite its extreme profitability. Perhaps it’s because the category isn’t “sexy,” but that might soon be changing. At CEDIA Expo 2012, Electrolux division Beam showed off its new line of four different Alliance central vacuums. The units look sleek with a blue LED light strip surrounding an electronic interface that offers “smart” feedback communication for the homeowner. Plus, central vacuum offers dealers recurring revenue - that should be sexy enough for integrators! “We now have features they can sell,” says Brian Campbell, product… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 04/23 08:35 AM, 0 Comments

A growing number of custom electronics integrators are combating declining margins by expanding their product lineups with high-margin alternatives. Central vacuum systems offer some of the highest dealer margins in the industry, up to 50 percent or more. And the good news is there are several compelling reasons dealers can upsell central vacuums. The A-Tech Easy Living Company, an integrator in Des Moines, Iowa, started out in the 1980s as a Beam central vacuum dealership and expanded over the years to offer a complete portfolio including security, home theater, structured… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 03/30 08:47 AM, 0 Comments

With the existing home market dominating the custom landscape, some CE pros have wondered if high-margin, high-customer-satisfaction categories like central vacuum installations are still viable. It’s a category, like structured wiring or distributed audio, that is more often associated with new construction - but as the folks at M.D. Manufacturing emphasize to us, there is definitely room in retrofits for central vac, especially if your core clientele live in single-story homes. M.D. Manufacturing’s Andrew Bransby runs through the Retrofit 101 of central vac. Related: Anatomy of a Central Vacuum System:… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 03/11 10:09 AM, 0 Comments

Electrolux Home Care Products, makers of Beam central vacuums, has restructured its sales force to create geographically closer independent dealer-directed sales and customer support teams and telesales teams for its dealer-protected product lines. Russ Minick, president of Electrolux Home Care Products, says the restructuring will drive more traffic and sales to dealers. Larry Hartley will lead the newly reorganized sales and customer support team as director of U.S. field sales. The enhanced dealer and retailer support effort also will include improved online ordering and Web-based product warranty systems as well… View this story

Robert Archer | 02/09 04:31 AM,

The central vacuum category is easily one of the most misunderstood product categories in the entire world of custom home electronics. H-P Products is trying to simplify the category as much as possible for installers through product introductions like its new Vroom Garage System. The Vroom Garage is a stand alone system that the Ohio-based company says provide homeowners with the power and convenience of a traditional central vacuum system installed in a garage. H-P says the system is comprised of two pieces: a power unit that hangs on the… View this story

Robert Archer | 01/17 06:59 AM,

Custom installers often overlook the profit potential of central vacuum systems and now with the release the new CV400 Compact Power Unit, NuTone is providing electronics professionals with a product that can service smaller homes to increase their sales and marketing reach beyond the category's traditionally larger home market. The CV400 Compact Power Unit is designed for homes up to 2,200 square feet and the company says the product offers homeowners the same level of performance of its larger products in a form factor that doesn't take up a lot… View this story