Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide
When you are buying a vacuum cleaner it is important to know what you
are dealing with. This vacuum cleaner buying guide will help take the confusion out of choosing the right vacuum cleaner for your home and once you
know what to buy it's easier to compare Vacuum Cleaner prices
Should I buy a cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner?
It's often a matter of taste but each type has its own advantages. Cylinder models are more compact and are easier to use on upholstery, on stairs
around furniture, though they can occasionally be harder to control. As they rely heavily on suction power these models will always work well on hard
flooring.
Upright cleaners give you better control – after all, you steer them. They're particularly suitable for large areas of carpet as the brush combs
the pile. As the dirt has less distance to travel up the cleaner, wattage isn't as important as with cylinder.
How does each type of vacuum cleaner work?
A cylinder cleaner features a motor which turns a fan which results in dust and dirt being sucked in through the cleaning head, up the hose and into
the dust bag. Cylinder vacuum cleaners rely entirely on suction to draw the dust in, so they tend to be more powerful (that is, of a higher wattage)
than upright vacuum cleaners.
With an upright cleaner, the motor is situated directly in the cleaner head. This motor drives a fan which sucks up air and dust into the dust bag
via a tube. The dirt is retained in the bag and filtered air passes over the motor before it is pushed out of the cleaner. In addition to the suction
power, upright vacuum cleaners also have belt-driven, revolving brushes and occasionally a "beater/sweeper" that helps to loosen and sweep
up ingrained dirt from the carpet.
Do I need a dust bag?
Bagged vacuum cleaners are generally cheaper than bagless vacuum cleaners however you do have the additional, on-going expense of purchasing new bags.
Once the bag has filled up then it's simply a matter of replacing it with a new one. Some vacuum cleaners also have self-sealing bags, making for easier
disposal with less mess and a great help for allergy sufferers.
With bagless vacuum cleaners inserting a new bag is really simple, and though the technology makes the initial outlay expensive, in the long run
these models will generally work out to be cheaper. However, they can prove an irritant to allergy sufferers so if you're still in a dilemma remember
that there are "dual technology" models with both options!
What about the filters?
These days all vacuum cleaners come with some tyoe of filtration but some models have more sophisticated filters than others including ones particularly
suitable for those with either allergies or pets (or both!). A very common phrase used is "Stage filters" and these usually vary somewhere
between 3 and 7 stages. A fairly typical 4-stage filter would be made up of a double-skinned bag (=2 stages) then a filter between the dust bag and
motor chambers (=1 stage) and a final filter (=1 stage) to make a total of 4 stages. A key phrase to look out for is "Lifetime" filters as
this means that there should never be a need to change the filter during the lifetime of the machine (roughly 7-10 years). For pet owners then select
a vacuum cleaner with a charcoal filter as these include a special layer of charcoal which should remove any nasty smells.
In addition to all this, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter will retain even the smallest of allergy-causing particles. If this level of
filtering is important for allergies etc then keep an eye out for any vacuum cleaners that have been given the British Allergy Foundation's seal of
approval.
Which vacuum cleaner suits my floor type?
It is important to consider the principle type of flooring in your home because this may well be crucial indicator of the type of cleaner you should
buy. For wooden, tiled or vinyl a cylinder vacuum cleaner is best but for carpeted floors it becomes a little more complex. With loop pile carpet then
either type will work but you have to turn of any turbo roller attachment as it could damage the pile but alternatively with cut pile carpet both an
upright or a cylinder vacuum cleaner with a turbo brush attachment will be fine.
What wattage?
The higher the wattage rating given to a vacuum cleaner then the more powerful it will be, but this rating is more relevant to cylinder machines as
they use a longer tube which means the dust has further to travel. That's not the whole story though as the airflow and the design of the machine help
improve the suction power as well. On upright cleaners it's the brush type that makes a difference. Also, many modern vacuum cleaners have variable power settings which is
extremely useful on upholstery, curtains or rugs.
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