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Evolution of Filtex and AirVac Central Vacuum Power Units, 1970s through 2000s
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2022
- Filtex and AirVac have historically been very common brands of built-in vacuum power units in the Chicagoland area. In this video, I use a selection of traded-in units to illustrate the evolution of the brands and designs from the 1970s (parent company: Natter Manufacturing) into the 1980s (Fairchild Industries, later Music & Sound), 1990s (M&S Systems, subsidiary of Nortek), and 2000s (M&S, division of Linear). While Linear has totally exited the vacuum business as of several years ago, we still regularly service and perform upgrades to these systems.
If you have one of these systems in your home (and live in Chicagoland or northwest Indiana), we would be happy to help you with anything you may need!
Contact us:
Central Vacuum, LLC
414 W. 5th Ave.
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 355-8666
www.CENTVAC.com
justcentralvacs@gmail.com
Thank you. You've cleared up over two decades of confusion for me! When my parents were building their new house over 20 years ago they let some friend of theirs who worked for an alarm company sell them the M&S central vac and intercoms. I was hoping for Vacuflo at the time but oh well. But I remember the M&S brochure was still making reference to Filtex for the Blue Series and it definitely confused me as a kid. Alas they went with that same metal Red Series in your video and the thing refuses to die. It's my job to empty to it whenever I visit a few times a year and that filter is one nasty mess to clean off.
Glad I could be of service! Those units had good motors in them and I'm not surprised it still works. By now I am sure you know about the little secondary filter screen, right? You're right. The bagless units of any brand are messy to empty.
@@Centvac Oh yeah I just use that shop vac to suck out any dirt that might have gotten up to the filter screen. And then it's a pain trying to get the main filter seated properly again. Would M&S have been considered a builder or contractor grade system like Nutone and Hayden? It would be interesting to see what systems were most commonly installed in different areas of the US.
Thank you, informative. My ? Is when I changed the filter(16#) bag it did not restart. So I was interested in procedure, maybe I missed something. Plan #B is call local vacuum service. Still very glad you “Utube” this info.
I remember seeing a Filtex twin external motor unit in my local vac shop in Ontario, Canada, an interesting machine. I still think wire reinforced hoses are superior in some applications. I know you said that you can rub paint off of walls with the wire hoses but the same happens with crush resistant hoses too. The other problem with crush resistant hoses is they get pretty ugly over time because of the soft plastic that easily scuffs.
That is true, crushproof hoses can also leave behind scuffs and marks too. But that's why sock covers exist, especially since they can help cover the ugliness of crushproof hoses which I'll admit they are as they grow older. Despite that, I still can't personally use a wire reinforced hose. One other problem with them is the unpleasantness of stepping on them when you're not wearing any shoes, they definitely don't feel as comfortable to step on as the crushproof hoses.
@@panasonicvac4036 I try not to step on my hoses, but I guess I do like the crush resistant hoses for that reason. The hose does work incredibly well at a longer length and I have found a way to adapt a central vac inlet to my Rainbow E2. Strangely, a 2" OD vac tube fits with a bit of friction into the hose inlet on these Rainbows. On that I put a coupler and then a vac inlet. I know it sounds strange, but it helps with cleaning large areas. I would suggest though to anyone that if you were to do that, use the 1 gallon (4qt) basin if you have it.
I've seen somebody connected their central vac hose to a Filter Queen before and I thought it was pretty neat. It's on TH-cam if you're ever interested in checking it out.
@@panasonicvac4036 If I can find it, as a company specializing in search engine technology, Alphabet has gone down hill. Some videos pop up multiple times in searches, it must be that algorithm problem many tubers are complaining about.
I really like having a central vac. My house was plumbed in the 70's with a Nutone motor... I eventually changed the motor when the bearings in the original started failing. The central vac to me eliminates the things I hate about vacuum cleaners... the NOISE & SMELLS............. It's much easier to vacuum high and low.
AS always Owen! GREAT JOB!
Thanks for the video!
Great information. Do you have a website for available parts?
I was wondering where to get a replacement motor for the tc600l
I have a Filtex Tsp 300L. I remodeled the home and went away with th e central vac. I kept the unit and wondering if I could use this in my separated garage workshop and add a cyclone and use it for my wood working.
Thanks
You definitely could! It'll work best on it's own 20 amp circuit and ideally you would locate it remotely to minimize noise. That unit was made for peak performance with 1.5" hose, so it will be great for dust collecting from smaller tools as well as general cleanup of benches, floors, vehicle interiors etc. Not as suitable for connection to tools (like a table saw) that need a 4" hose hookup, though you could experiment. Shame to no longer have use of the system in your remodeled home, though... 😢
How about kenmore central vacuums do you have any of those ?
Great video! Our house was built in 1991 and a 2-motor Filtex NTS300 unit was installed. I believe it was purchased from Centech Systems in Peotone, Illinois. Our unit looks very similar to the gray FX500 unit in your video, except ours is blue. It has served us very well, but in recent years the suction has steadily diminished. Last week I took the covers off the motors, and they both are working. I just don't know how to troubleshoot. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Bob, you may want to verify that both motors are actually powering up (it's possible for only one motor to be running and drawing air through the non-running one, causing it to rotate) by turning the unit on for a few minutes and feeling the motor housings to see if both are warm. Otherwise there is a "flocked screen" secondary filter covering the intake tube under the cloth bag, which may have gotten blocked by fine dust. Finally, if you can plug the hose into the machine and get much better suction directly than from any of the house inlets, you may have a blockage forming which you can try to dislodge with a shop vac applied to one of the house wall inlets. If you are still having trouble please reach out! Thanks for watching!
@@Centvac I confirmed that both motors are powering up. I applied a shop vac to every one of the house inlets, then attached the shop vac to the outlet by the machine, then again at each house inlet. I did pick up some hair and about 3/4 cup of debris. And I cleaned the the "flocked screen" secondary filter using a shop vac. Is that sufficient or should it be cleaned with water?
Do you see many Douglas powerheadd in your area? I seldom see them anymore
Same, it's unusual to come across one still in use. They were never as popular as the Eureka/Beam/Sweep N Groom powerheads.
Vintage Filtex central vacuums rule. The plastic bodied air vacs pretty much killed the air vac name of central vacuums.