We have a Nutone central vac system and works very well. On occasion I do disconnect the piping from the collection cannister to make sure there is no clog. But that's all.

Can't help with the Hide-a-Hose system. We have to carry the big hose around.

Enjoy the journey.
eal51 in western CT

I had a VacuFlo system in my last house and it was a "non-negotiable" item in the house we're now building. I absolutely swear by VF. One friend has had it in every house she's had for 30 years, and in fact, moved out of one house because it couldn't be retrofitted in that one. Her allergies were unbearable.

I'd planned/hoped to get the Hide-A-Hose feature in this house (on the recommendation of another friend, who loves hers) but neither of the two VF dealers in my area have done them before and are therefore not very positive about them. Plus, it really upped the cost way beyond what we had budgeted. So I'll have the regular hose, but that's okay. I'm getting a separate hose and attachment set for each floor so I won't have to lug equipment up and down stairs.

I highly recommend VacuFlo.

do a search on hide-a-hose. vacuflow has this system as well. haven't gotten ours yet, but looking. GL.

Thanks for the info on Vacu-Flo. I keep hearing good things about the product and I know it is compatible with Hide-A-Hose.

I'm just learning as much as I can before I make a decision. Where does the sock install on the Hide-A-Hose and what's it's purpose? If it is a filter, is it washable?
Thanks again for all your help

Send me a private email (click on "My Page") and I'll forward you the emails that I received from a couple of garden webbers a few months ago when I asked them the same question. My system has not been installed yet (house still under construction) so I cannot give first hand advice, but the two people I corresponded with really liked their Hide-A-Hose systems. One used the system with a Vacu-Maid central vac system and the other used it with a Vacuflo. The person who had the Vacuflo system had first tried installing Hide-A-Hose with a Beam system and was not happy, but the Vacuflo is working great.

One more thing..if you contact Hide-A-Hose they can put you in contact with an authorized installer in your area. I have the name of a good one in the Asheville, NC area if that's any help.

How did you decide on the brand to get?

My criteria so far (and I'm a newbie at central vacuums) are:
- effectiveness at removing dust
- reliability & good warranty
- minimizing dust clouds when emptying the canister
- quiet operation
- convenient use -- we've got a split-level house, so the Hide-A-Vac is even more appealing
- and of course, reasonable price

So far I've only talked to a VacuMaid sales rep. They say that it's best because you can put a plastic bag into the canister, plus it has cyclonic filtration. Since I've got major dust & mold allergies, I don't want to deal with billows of dust from emptying a bagless canister. On the other hand, it's designed to be vented outside, which thinkvacuums.com recommends against.

Also the VacuMaid dealer recommended against the Hide-a-Hose; that this increases air turbulence and thus reduces suction. Don't know if it's BS or true; since the hose is the same whether it retracts or not, I don't see why it should reduce the effectiveness. Can anyone explain or refute that?

Thanks!

Wow I had a Nutone central vac and I didn't like it AT ALL! I ended up using my plug in instead. I don't think there are any centrals out there that do the job of a good vacuum. A friend of mine was always cursing hers as well. I would much rather spend the big bucks on two or three good Mieles (very quiet with fantastic suction) for each floor level than mess with all the hoses, plus I don't think any of them clean nearly as well as a good (canister) vacuum. They are very expensive to repair if anything goes wrong, too. Plus I like having all my tools on board. Good luck!

I have the twin-engine Vacumaid. You cannot compare the lightweight motors in a hand-held vac to the larger central vacuum motors. Vacuum's performance (suction) is determined by the power and efficiency of the motor(s). The big Vacumaid uses two Lamb Premier 240v 7.2" motors.

My neighbor has the Beam. It gets jammed up with debris. Especially with X-mas tree needles. I know she has also had problems with the motor.

BUY the Vacuflo, it's a wonderful vac. I had mine retrofitted to the house back in 1996. When my Mom moved we had the Vacuflo guys put one in her home. Once you have one, you will never go back to another vac. I don't know if it is just the guy who owns the vac shop, but the actual vac motor is warranted for as long as I live at the original installation. And I use mine about every day.

Vacuflo does have the in wall hose. Sorry, but this wasn't around when I had mine installed. However, I do love the pan vac doors. (Where you sweep the debris up by the shute.) Also, have a portal put at the front of your garage. That way you can vac out the car/rv/etc. with it sitting in the driveway.

A Hide-a-hose is best used with a true cyclonic system like a Vacuflo, Imperium, or Vacu-maid. Beams, Nutones, and other filtered systems don't have enough suction to operate a Hide-a-Hose effectively. The Hide-a-Hose system will decrease your suction, so make sure you bump up the size of your main unit. Always keep in mind that if you have a lot of carpet you need to get a good electric powerhead like the Pro Elite. Unfortunately if you get a Hide-a-Hose you can't have an electric powerhead only a turbobrush. If you have mostly hard floors you will love the Hide-a-Hose.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hide-a-Hose Video

Another vote for Vacu-Flo! Get a unit that is more powerful than you need, and you will really love it! It has an exhaust that sends fine dust particles out side, so emptying the canister is not dusty. The unit I have is very easy to empty as well.
Ditto using the website to find a dealer/installer. You will likely get better pricing that using your GC and his electrician, and the work quality will be better because CV is all they do!
My electrician wanted over 5K to install a system with 10 inlets. By shopping around, I was able to get a vacu-flo rated for a 12.000sf house with 11 inlets for about $3K. I can tell you it has been worth every penny! My kids are big allergy sufferers and we've had a dramatic decrease in their symptoms.
I love just snapping in a hose and going!
I did not do the hide a hose feature, but my vacu-flo dealer offered it. As cost was a factor, my priorities were a powerful unit and well spaced inlets. I have two hose sets and keep one on each floor, so it's really no big deal to just get the hose out of the closet.
Good luck. With the right system, central vac is a dream.

We've been using our Vacu-Flo hide-a-hose since May, and are very happy with it. We were told that a large motor was required since the hose had to be 'inhaled'; the unit we have is advertised for a 12,000 s.f. building, and our house is 2,500. Plenty of power, plenty of suction.

The 'Turbocat' rug/carpet head it came with does a super job on those surfaces.

OK, when you empty it the canister is not too dusty HOWEVER you must reach up inside the unit & knock plenty (plenty!) of dust off the engine guard. It can be easily done with a duster-on-a-stick, but be prepared.
Also, unless I sprinkle baking soda (or a carpet powder) on the carpets/rugs before I vacuum then, the hose smells very unpleasantly of dog when I pull it out from the wall. ( Â yes, we do have a dog!)

I hope you'll be as happy with your choice as I am with mine. Kate.

 forgot to mention that the hose won't get sucked into the wall; there's a collar on the end of the hose that's bigger than the opening. Not an issue.

I work in customer service for a central vac manufacturer.

I've had the hide-a-hose for the last 2 years. Before I had the regular system. Trust me. If you are installing a new system, especially with new construction ---GET the Hide-A-Hose. It's not that much more expensive (you don't have to install as many inlet valves) and you don't have to carry the hose to the inlet valves. Make SURE you get a dealer that has installed them before. I know some dealers don't recommend them. The only reason they don't is they don't like to install them and only want to continue to install the traditional way.