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Can I do a toe kick vac without a central vac system?

15 years ago

I would love a toe kick vac (vac pan) but I will not have a central vac system. Is it possible to still have a toe kick vac and what would it hook up to?

I did a few searches and could not find an answer.

Thank you,

Bec

Featured Answer

david_cary

15 years ago

You can do the mini-central vac system - which is a shop vac hooked up to a toe kick vac-pan. If you have a crawlspace under the kitchen - it is pretty easy and cheap to do. They talk about it in the kitchen forum. The vac-pan has a low voltage switch so you could use a relay but it is easier to install a wall switch near the pan and just leave the vac-pan open. The vac pans are pretty hard to open anyway if they are in a toe kick. Turning on the switch would be just like hitting the switch for the garbage disposal. You can buy a $50 shop vac for this purpose.

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Comments (10)

midwestmom
15 years ago
I learned about using a vac pan with a shop vac from the kitchens forum. We just put the shop vac in the basement. The toe kick is very easy to operate and I can even operate it barefoot. It's great and I use it daily. I bought the vac pan on Ebay. good luck to you!
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I have the VacPan. I haven't seen the VacuSweep. Mine is placed under the toe kick. I had asked for it to be placed behind the door where there is no toe kick so that I could easily locate it visually to operate. The installer pushed for placement under the toe kick. The idea being that I would learn where the lever was with time and that I wouldn't accidentally catch clothing on it etc. I still think that behind the door would have been the best placement because even though I know where the lever is it takes a moment to get it positioned properly and even then I need to bend down to look under the toe kick to make sure everything went into the pan. I will say that the VacPan has a secure/positive closure and I never hear air escaping. I've only been using the system for about 3 months. I'm still getting used to the central vac in general.
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david_cary
15 years ago
midwestmom - the vac pan is easy to operate barefoot - it is with shoes that it is a problem. And that is only if it is in the toekick. If you have it on a flat wall - it is much easier. The toekick hides it and it is hard to know where the switch is - but if your feet are bare then you can feel it.

Too bad - because the toekick hides it so well for aesthetics.
neesie
15 years ago
I'm certainly impressed. Doesn't everyone just hate dust pans? I'd love to see pictures of your vac pans, please!
midwestmom
15 years ago
david cary - my vacpan is in the toekick, in my kitchen. mine is just as easy with shoes on to operate as it is without. you just swipe your shoe across it and it kicks on. my toekick does not hide it at all, it's perfect there.

neesie, i'll see if i can fine some pictures of mine for you.

mscajunpie, if you post this topic in the kitchen's forum there will be lots of people that tell you they have it and I'm sure they have lots of pictures.
midwestmom
15 years ago
mscajunpie, starpooh from the kitchen's forum has a "Finished Kitchen's Blog" that is amazing. You can click on categories on the right, then click on special features and you can choose vacpan then search for pictures. good luck!

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: FKBlog speal features vacpan
arleneb
15 years ago
I sure loved mine in the last house! I'd planned to do it in kitchen and laundry room (where the dog will eat and sleep) but the VacuFlo installer convinced me to try the Vroom in those places. Hope it wasn't a mistake -- I thought the dust pan was extremely convenient. Yes, it's a little awkward in the toe kick but not a huge problem considering the trade-off.
bmmeaux
Original Author
15 years ago
hostagrams - I have not heard of a Vroom, what is it?
arleneb
15 years ago
Vroom is a mini-vac mounted inside a cabinet. It's connected to the central vac system and is made so that you can pull it out for quick pick-ups without getting out the whole long hose and attachments you'd use for regular cleaning.

Until I looked again at the video (link below) I didn't realize that there is a Vroom that can be mounted independent of a central vac system. You might want to check that out!

Arlene

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a Vroom!
parker1132
2 years ago
Does anyone have a link to the kitchen forum that discusses the shop vac in the basement? I would love to do this! Thank you so much!

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