Welcome to our Air Duct Cleaning Blog!

What Type of Vacuum Collection System is Right for You?

Your vacuum collection systems is the heart of you HVAC systems cleaning operation so deciding on what type of systems to use is very important.  There are lots of different models available but the basic types of systems include:

• Electric portables systems
• Gas portables systems
• Gas truck/trailer mounts systems
• Big truck systems

Within each of these types you have many choices from a wide range of manufacturers.  So how do you decide on which type is best for you?  You need to examine a variety of variables and weigh their importance to you.  These variables can include:

• First cost
• Operating & maintenance cost
• Performance (suction)
• Portability
• Productivity
• Types of buildings you want to clean
• Image
• Quality
• Warranty
• Etc.

If you want to do residential and light commercial (one story) projects you can use any of the four types.  If you want to clean residential, apartment, condos and light commercial (multiple stories) projects you would look at electric portable vacuum collection systems because you can’t really use a gas unit on multi story buildings.  If you want to do commercial projects you would look at electrical portable systems because many of these building are multiple stories.  But you typically would not want to use your residential unit but a larger electric portable with more performance so you can be more productive.   Let’s look at each of the four types of vacuum collection systems and see there good characteristics (+) and the characteristics that limit their use (-).

Portable Electric Systems for Residential:
+ Good performance (suction)
- Zoning normally required
+ Excellent portability
+ Lowest first cost
+ Lowest operating cost
+ Lowest maintenance cost
+ Can do residential and one story light commercial
+ Can do apartments and condos

Portable Electric Systems for Commercial
+ Good performance (suction)
- Zoning normally required
+Good portability
+ Lowest first cost
+ Lowest operating cost
+ Lowest maintenance cost
+ Can do residential and one story light commercial
+ Can do apartments and condos
+ Can do all types of commercial

 

Portable Gas Systems:
+ Very good performance (suction)
+ Zoning not normally required
+ Adequate portability
- Medium first cost
- High operating cost (gas)
+ Low maintenance cost
+ Can do residential and one story light commercial
+ Can do certain 1-2 stories commercial
- Cannot do most multi story commercial
- Cannot do apartments and condos

Trailer/Truck Mounted Systems (gas):
+ Very good performance (suction)
+ No zoning required
+ Adequate portability
- High first cost
- High operating cost (gas)
- Medium maintenance cost
+ Can do residential and one story light commercial
+ Can do certain 1-2 stories commercial
- Cannot do most multi story commercial
- Cannot do apartments and condos

 

Truck Systems (gas):
+ Best performance (suction)
+ No zoning required 
+ Adequate portability
+ Best visual impact
- Highest first cost
- Highest operating cost (gas)
- Highest maintenance cost
+ Can do residential and one story light commercial
+ Can do certain 1-2 stories commercial
- Cannot do most multi story commercial
- Cannot do apartments and condos

By determining what types of building you want o work on and what variables are most important to you can determine what type of vacuum collection system best fits your needs.  Then you should contact the various manufacturers of that type to see what units they have to offer you.