This is a question we field all the time in our shop here in South Florida. The answer, unfortunately, isn’t all that straightforward in many cases. A central vacuum is a permanent fixture in a home and one that should be well thought out prior to installing.
The process of installing one of these systems isn’t overly complicated, but it does require some technical knowledge, the right tools and a plan on how the system will eventually operate in your home. The best time to install a central vacuum system is typically during the homebuilding process, but for many of us, gaining access to the home at that time can be a challenge. Outside of that, most installations are performed inside existing homes where piping and outlet locations should be mapped out in advance. Just as in carpentry, when cutting holes in your walls, you’ll always want to ensure you measure twice and cut once.
Below we’ll go over a few pros and cons of do-it-yourself installation and our recommendations when it comes to installing a central vacuum in your home.
The Case for Installing It Yourself
You’re a handy person, perhaps you have some skills in woodworking, construction or another trade of some sort. This is always a good starting point for the right type of person to properly install one of these systems. As we stated above, it’s not an overly difficult task to undertake, but you’ll want to ensure you have the necessary tools and know-how to get the job done correctly.
Secondly, you’ll have to assess the interior design of the home from a structural standpoint. The pipe will need to be installed in the walls and ceilings of your home, so you’ll also need to have some sort of access to walls, attics and crawl spaces and have a general idea as to how the home is laid out.
If your home is relatively small or has a simple interior with some good access points, with the right tools, you should be able to get the job done without too much trouble. If, however, you have any concerns about cutting into walls and other areas of the home to see what’s inside, professional installation is probably the best route to take.
The Case for Professional Installation
We’ve been doing this a long time and have seen just about every challenge a home can throw at us. Besides that, we’ve installed thousands of central vacuums across South Florida and not only know how to properly install them, we can recommend the best system and configuration for your specific home and situation. In most cases, we can install a new system in as little as one day, with all of the work guaranteed. Meaning, if something goes wrong, we’ll be back to fix it. Sometimes that peace of mind is all you need when it comes to a new vacuum system for your home.
