Miscellaneous Vacuum Cleaner Considerations
Brush height adjustment is important. - The brushes are and important element in effective soil removal. To low and they wear out prematurely and restrict airflow which reduces the cleaners effectiveness.
Air flow through and around the brushes is required to allow adequate soil removal. Brushes that are to high do not loosen soil from the carpet fibers.
Top Fill Bag
Another useful feature is a top fill bag. In a bottom fill bag part of the power generated by the motor must be dedicated to lifting the soil already in the bag to deposit more soil into the bag. As the bag becomes more than half full the soil removal efficiency is greatly reduced. Studies have shown that when a bag becomes 25% full, the vacuum has lost as much as 80% of its lift. Therefore; a top fill bag eliminates the excess load placed on the motor maintaining the airflow effectiveness with more soil deposits in the vacuum cleaner.
Other Considerations
Length of the power cord – The longer the cord the less time needed to relocate power sources during the cleaning process. Cords can be as long as 30 ft.
With of the power Head – Width of the power head my increase or decrease the amount of time necessary to complete the maintenance. Vacuum manufactures have power heads ranging from 12” to 18”. Wider widths MAY reduce the efficiency of the airflow, be sure to keep this in mind when getting wider power heads.
Type or brush design – there are two types of brush designs chevron and spiral. A chevron brush moves soil to the center of the power head. The spiral moves the soil to the side of the power head. The key is not so much the style you choose much where the intake is located. The brush should carry the soil to the intake of the vacuum cleaner to insure that the motors and the brushes are working together to insure maximum efficiency.
Vacuum Cleaners Weight – Not a lot to be said here. Some vacuums are really heavy and some are really light. Find a machine that will meet your needs and you will use. You can have all the best features available but they do you no good in the storage room, because your vacuum is too heavy for you to handle.