This is one of the most common questions asked in our store. With over 50% of all vacuums sold in America being bagless, one would assume that so many people can't be wrong. Can they?

The recent trend in consumers buying bagless vacuums is an example of some of the finest marketing you will ever witness. I say that with a great deal of respect. American consumers have been seduced (yes seduced) into accepting and embracing a vacuuming system that is inherently dirty.

You have been convinced that you will never have to buy vacuum bags again. This is absolutely true if you buy a bagless vacuum. The marketing of these machines has played on your frustration of finding that you have a full vacuum bag and don't have a replacement and now have to go out for the unpleasant task of finding replacements. And, who knows if you will remember which ones you need in order to get the right ones. Bagless vacuums have been touted as "maintenance free." I will state emphatically now that there is no such thing as a "lifetime filter." You were told that it "won't lose suction." This is technically true, but as a practical matter, a complete falsehood. Did you ever read the owner's guide to show you how to unclog your vacuum? If it's clogged, doesn't it lose suction? As I said, the manufacturers played on the unpleasant parts of vacuuming to create a desire on your part to avoid these things in the future.

While telling you that you will never have to buy bags again, you are not told that a filtering device (a bag is a filter) is still needed to keep dust from re-circulating into your home. One or more filters is required to catch the fine dust particles in a bagless vacuum, and if these are not regularly cleaned and periodically replaced, your vacuum will soon be spewing a lot of dirty air into your home. Bagless vacuum filters clog quickly and are seldom maintained as required by homeowners. And worst of all, the cost of replacing the filters in a bagless vacuum will EXCEED the cost of replacement vacuum bags in almost all cases.

Bagless vacuums have many rubber seals and joints in them. At each one of these joints is an opportunity for air to leak out, and rather than capture dust and debris, it has the potential to leak back into your home. .

Another thing avoided in the marketing of bagless vacuums is the requirement to have to empty the dust bucket of all that fine particle dust and dirt. I have emptied the bucket on these vacuums, and it is hard to describe the "dust cloud" that billows out from the trash can when doing this outside. And, I hope no one has ever done this inside your home. The need to run the vacuum immediately afterward would be appropriate.

Most manufacturers have capitalized on the initial success of the "seduction" and offered their product at very low prices. It's because they are not costly to make and are also made poorly. Most bagless vacuums are priced below $200 and many are below $100. Yet the best selling manufacturer of bagless vacuums has utilized bright colors, unique design, and brilliant marketing to get you to give them at least $400 and as much as $700 for a product that is no better than the lower priced models.

One of the worst claims made by bagless manufacturers is that these vacuums are appropriate for allergy sufferers because of their HEPA filter. As I stated earlier, these vacuums leak at the seals and joints and can spew millions of fine dust particles into an otherwise clean house and trigger reactions to sensitive people.

In our opinion, bagged vacuums are preferred and are much better and cleaner for your home. Bagged systems are much easier to dispose of. Just close the bag latch or fold it over and throw it out. Generally the replacement bags cost less than replacement filters for bagless vacuums. The vacuums are of much higher quality and will last longer and clean better over the life of the machine. Many conspirators would have you believe that the argument for bagged vacuums is because we want to be able to sell bags for years to come. If one looks at the statistical data on the number of bagless vacuums sold in the U.S., it would suggest that people are buying a new vacuum cleaner (remember more than 50% of all vacuums are bagless) every two years. Where are all those bagless vacuums going? I'm afraid it's to the landfill. When you have bought 2 or 3 of these and are tired of buying a new vacuum every coupe of years…come and see us and we will demonstrate a quality vacuum that you will operate for many, many years.

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Myth #1: Amps Mean Performance
Amps are a measure of electrical current, not vacuuming performance. Measuring a vacuum cleaner’s performance based on amps is like buying a car based on how much gas it guzzles. The design of the entire machine, how it handles and controls airflow, and how it incorporates filtration determines its quality, not the electrical energy it consumes.

Myth #2: Everyone Needs HEPA
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance) is a technical definition that refers to a filter that will remove not less than 99.97% of 0.3 micron diameter particles or larger from the air that passes through it. We want to have the fewest particles released or driven into the air-regardless of whether that vacuum is HEPA or not. Some microfiltered systems accomplish this just as well as some systems called HEPA. Find out what the "particles out" are, and you’ll have the all-important information you need.

Keep in mind that even high-end HEPA-filtered vacuums may still be driving dust airborne by the impact of a beater brush against the carpet. With uprights or canisters equipped with power heads, the critical information to have is how much airflow and lift are occurring at the beater brush/floor interface to help determine whether or not particles are being pulled into the vacuum or driven airborne.

The extra-wide orifice on some upright vacuums and power nozzles result in greatly diminished suction at the tool head and poor soil capture. More on this later under "The Venturi Principle".

Myth #3: Picking Up a "Bowling Ball" Shows Cleaning Power, NOT!
The bowling ball trick is just that-a trick. This sales technique is based on the power of a suction cup. Have you ever stuck a suction cup on a mirror and tried to remove it by pulling directly away from the mirror? It’s hard to do. Why? Once a seal is created on a smooth surface, the seal is difficult to break. Does a vacuum tool’s ability to form a seal around a bowling ball and pick it up like a suction cup have anything to do with how well the vacuum can remove soil from a surface? Not even close!

Myth #4: All Vacuum Belts are the Same
Not all vacuum belts are created equal. Most vacuum belts will stretch, slip and wear out quickly, whereas a high-quality belt is geared or sprocketed like an automobile timing belt, and can literally last for years. In addition, geared/ sprocketed belts do not slip, ensuring better and more consistent soil pickup and removal. Sprocketed belts help ensure better overall performance, and they enable you to spend more time cleaning and less time changing belts.

Myth #5: Cyclonic Systems Do Not Use Filters & Require Less Maintenance
Virtually all cyclonic or bagless vacuuming systems use a final filter to catch the dust that cyclonic filtration cannot remove from the airflow. This is often a HEPA media filter. This final filter will require regular cleaning or replacement to ensure optimal performance. If you fail to perform the needed filter maintenance, the vacuum will not perform as intended. Worse still, if the filters are not properly maintained, the filter will clog and cause the resulting pressure build-up to force dirty, unfiltered air around the many seals of a bagless vacuum. The cost of replacing the final filter may equal or exceed the cost of using conventional bag filter media. The quality of cyclonic systems varies widely. Do your homework and request the all-important particles in, particles out information in the form of test data from the manufacturer to determine overall performance.

Some vacuum cleaners are actually designed to produce cyclonic airflow even with conventional microfilters. Ribbed panels in the filter containment area create a rotating column of air inside the filter bag, so soil is deposited evenly on the sidewalls of the filter where it has the greatest surface area, ensuring sustained airflow longer.

The 6 Most Common Mistakes When Buying a Vacuum

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Buying a vacuum at a store that does not repair or service vacuums.
Can you get your new vacuum serviced where you purchased it? When you purchase a vacuum that fits your needs and problems arise, most of the time it is an easy fix. However, if you have to send it to Atlanta, it's a major problem. When you buy a vacuum, you should ask the sales people, "How long will it take to get my vacuum serviced? Is 24 hour service available? How long will it take to get my vacuum back? Can I get a loaner vacuum if I need one?" A good vacuum should be designed to last many years with proper maintenance. Your vacuum purchase should be the beginning of a long relationship with your retailer, not the end of one. Buying a vacuum without trying it out first.

Would you buy a car without a test drive? When buying a vacuum, test it on your type of carpet right in the store. Too many times we go to a big store thinking they have good selection and prices. Have you ever found anyone at one of these stores that has any knowledge about vacuum cleaners? Most of the time a store that specializes in vacuums will have a better selection and staff that can actually help you! Bring the person who is doing the vacuuming with you when choosing your new vacuum. Selection of a canister or an upright has a lot to do with circumstances and personal preference.

Buying a vacuum that doesn't pick-up pet and human hair.
Pet and human hair is one of the most common reasons why vacuums fail. Hair can get into bearings causing it to overheat and melt plastic parts of your vacuum. If you don't get the right vacuum, you could be replacing it year after year. There are many vacuums to choose from that are designed to help with this problem. Some vacuums even have a metal brush roll which works great for people with long hair.

Buying a Bagless vacuum.
Do you really want to breathe the dirt you just cleaned up? Like HEPA filtration, many people don't understand bagless vacuums. Thirty years ago, we had bagless vacuums. They were so messy that they invented the paper bag so you could efficiently throw out your dirt. Most people don't know that in order to work efficiently, you must replace the filters every three months to a year, and they cost as much as $150.00. High filtration vacuum bags cost about $2 to $4 each and you replace them every 1 to 2 months. That could save you $120 a year! Any good vacuum store will be able to get you any vacuum bag for a fraction of the price of a bagless vacuum's HEPA filters. Bagless vacuums are dirty, heavy and expensive!

Buying a "disposable" vacuum:
How long do you want your new machine to last? Ask your store about the repair record of the vacuum you are considering. If they don't know, that should register as a red flag. If you haven't purchased a vacuum in ten years, you probably want your new vacuum to last 10 years or more. Unfortunately, the top manufacturers aren't making the same vacuums they made 10 years ago. Look at the warranty. If it is one year, you might not expect it to last ten. To ensure long life, vacuum manufacturers recommend that you service your vacuum once a year.

Buying a vacuum that doesn't fit your needs.
Buying the highest amperage won't give you better cleaning. There are only 3 things that assist in cleaning: suction, air flow and brush roll action (not amps or watts). Make sure you are buying the right vacuum for your home. Different types of carpet and hard floors are cleaned differently. Some vacuums can scratch your hard floors or damage your carpets. Just because your friend has a certain vacuum, or a vacuum looks nice and shiny, doesn't mean it is the right one for you. Most bells and whistles don't clean—they break. Make sure that the vacuum you are looking at will perform as you expect it to before you take it home.

Some common mistakes:

Too Heavy: If you have to carry a vacuum upstairs, weight may become a consideration. It can also become precarious to balance a vacuum while cleaning the carpet on the stairs. There are vacuums specifically designed to be used on stairs. Sometimes it makes sense to have one vacuum upstairs and one downstairs. There are full size vacuums on the market that weigh as little as 8 pounds. Keep in mind that it should be a major concern not a minor one. Generally, lighter weight vacuums make compromises for being lightweight. We offer some terrific lightweight vacuums but ask your vacuum professional if these tradeoffs affect your situation Too Dusty: This is the area where most people make a major mistake in purchasing a vacuum. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a standard that hospitals use for air quality. Don't be fooled thinking that just because a vacuum has a HEPA filter in it that the vacuum has been tested for HEPA filtration. Very few of them are. Just because the packaging says HEPA, does not ensure that HEPA standards have been met. But beyond dust, did you ever wonder how many dust mites are in your house? A high filtration vacuum will help lower the dust mites and other contaminates that your family breathes every day.

Have Area Rugs: You need professional advice if you have area rugs. Getting the highest suction isn't necessarily the best choice. The type of rug will determine how aggressive your brush roll has to be. Too high suction or brush roll action can ruin your rugs. Too low will not clean. Either way, the wrong vacuum will shorten the life of your carpet. If you have fringe, ask us how to correctly vacuum it.

Above Floor Cleaning (Attachments): Do you want to be able to pick up that little dust bunny while you are vacuuming? Purchasing a machine that has tools that easily detach will make your cleaning job easier. Keep in mind that tools onboard will add weight to your vacuum. To properly clean a home you should start from the top down. First, turn on your air purifier. Next, do all of your above floor cleaning and dusting with your attachments. Finally, do the floors. Do you want your new vacuum to do your dusting?

Too Noisy: Do you want your vacuum to be as noisy as a jack hammer or a rock concert? If you have a pet or person in the house that is highly sensitive to noise, make sure you try out your new vacuum before you buy it so that you can hear how loud it is. Some vacuums are extremely quiet. Your next vacuum doesn't have to be loud to be powerful. Small children are sensitive to noise and crawl on the ground. It must be clean! They also have a tendency to leave small objects around. Some vacuums are designed to handle those problems without damaging your vacuum.

Vacuums have a dirty job to do! They are also the most replaced appliance in your home. Again, because vacuums are used so often to pick up dirt, all manufacturers recommend service once a year. Before you buy, ask your store what you have to do if you need service or if there is a problem with your new vacuum. If they say you have to take it somewhere else to be repaired or serviced, you might want to buy it from the original source in the first place.

Myth #6: All Vacuum Cleaners Have Similar Design Features and are Equally Easy to Use
Ergonomic design, weight and other factors affecting ease of use vary widely among vacuum cleaners. Handle weight is a critical factor with uprights, as is ease of rolling and maneuverability.

Canister vacuums vary widely in shape and design, affecting usability. One model balances the weight primarily over the large rear wheels to facilitate nimble handling and ease of pulling. Some canisters trip over power cords, while others roll over such obstacles easily. Design and weight distribution make the difference.

Backpack vacuums now weigh in at less than 10 pounds, with precision suspension systems that distribute the weight across the hips and not the shoulders for ideal balance and maneuverability.

A) Airflow
Airflow is the amount or volume of air moving through the vacuum, usually measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The amount of air moving through a vacuum affects the amount of soil that can be carried along by the airflow and contained in the vacuum’s filtration.

B) Lift
Lift, also known as static lift or water lift, is the ability of the vacuum’s airflow to lift dirt. It is typically measured in "inches of lift" determined by how many inches the vacuum cleaner’s airflow can pull water up a tube in a lab test.

The higher the two numbers (airflow and lift) are, the better, since this combination largely determines the vacuum’s ability to pull particles in.

C) Filtration
Filtration captures the soils and is mainly responsible for reducing particles out. Filtration must be designed and proportioned to work with the vacuum’s airflow and lift so that the particles are stopped but not the airflow.

D) Design
In some cases, good vacuuming potential and/or filtration are defeated by poor design. Examples of poor design include a tool orifice that lowers air velocity by being too wide (many beater brushes require an excessively wide tool orifice that reduces suction significantly) and body tolerances that allow dust to leak from non-filter areas.

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