Home appliance inspection, troubleshooting & repair guide:

This article series gives links to collections of repair guides, manuals and information for common home appliances.

Here we also describe simple steps that you can take to get a central vacuum system working again, or to decide that it's time to buy a new vacuum cleaner or that you would be smart to call an appliance repair person.

These quick inspection points and tips are accompanied by links to detailed inspection, diagnosis, and repair for most appliances found in homes, from room air conditioners to washing machines and water heaters.

Central Vacuum System Inspection & Repair

- As noted in Carson Dunlop's Home Reference Guide:

A central or whole house vacuum system consists of a canister located in the garage or the basement.

A series of lightweight plastic pipes run from the canister to outlets located around the house. The outlet flap is lifted and the vacuum hose is inserted into the outlet.

A metal band or similar device on the end of the hose completes a circuit between two contacts in the outlet. This switches the system on. A number of accessories. 

The main canister usually has an on/off switch and may have a suction outlet as well. The exhaust may discharge directly from the canister or it may be piped through an exterior wall.

Generally, units that do not have a filter must discharge to the exterior. Units equipped with a filter may discharge to the exterior or interior.

The canister can be opened or removed to empty the unit. Some filters are self-cleaning while others require cleaning by the homeowner.

Watch out: Central vacuum units without filters may allow dust to build up on the motor causing it to overheat and burn out sooner than a unit with a filter. Units with an external motor and no filter may allow dust to build up on the fan blades, causing uneven bearing wear.

The motor is the most common repair item and may require repair or replacement every five to ten years, depending on how often the unit is used and cleaned.

• If the central vacuum unit does not operate at all,
  
  the fuse or breaker at the main panel may have blown or tripped, a built-in breaker or thermal overload may have tripped, the wiring or switches may be defective, or the motor may be faulty.
• If only one or two outlets of the central vacuum cleaner system do not operate,
  
  there may be a problem with the control wiring or switch for the area affected.
• If the central vacuum cleaner suction is weak,
  
  the canister may be full, the filter may be dirty, the exhaust may be obstructed, or the pipes may be partially obstructed. Disconnected pipes are a less common problem.mp or one of the control switches may be inoperative.
  

Get a Printed Copy of the Carson Dunlop Associates' Home Reference Book

To purchase a more extensive printed collection of information about home inspection and maintenance see

• The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
  
  Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
  
• The Home Reference eBook, an electronic version for PCs, the iPad, iPhone, & Android smart phones.
  
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

...

Continue reading at CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• APPLIANCE DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
• APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS
• APPLIANCE NOISE DIAGNOSIS
• BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS
• CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY
• CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS
• PET ALLERGENS / PET DANDER
• VACUUM CLEANER REPAIR

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to APPLIANCE REPAIR

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