Vacuum Cleaners

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Vacuum varieties are vast and include small vacuum cleaners and portable vacuum cleaners, which can be designed for industrial use, but they are mainly used in commercial contexts in less demanding applications. In industrial settings like woodworking, metalworking or other processes that create a constant flow of debris, vacuum equipment that operates on a higher level than commercial vacuums is needed. Continuous duty vacuums are built to operate 24 hours a day with limited interruption; in settings where dangerous debris is created regularly, explosion proof vacuums may be necessary to reduce the risk of fire or other danger. Sometimes HEPA vacuum cleaners are put to use on manufacturing floors to help filter workspace air while vacuuming. Auto vacuums, some of which can be wet dry vacuums, are high-capacity, specialized vacuums used in the cleaning of vehicles. In building maintenance applications and in some industrial settings, central vacuum systems allow for the collection of debris throughout a building by central vacuums that connect to built-in vacuuming duct work.

Every manufactured product available has to be made somewhere, and most of them come from companies that use a streamlined process to maximize output. These processes produce excess bits of stuff in huge quantities, and something has to clean up after them. Vacuum cleaners can be the perfect industrial cleaning tools; unlike sweepers, they don't kick up dust, which in some cases can be hazardous, and their use is minimally labor intensive. Vacuums can be configured to pick up almost anything; fine powders, abrasives, explosive media, litter, non-free flowing media, metalworking chips, toxic media, coolant, oil mist and welding fumes are all fair game, though a vacuum designed for picking up wood chips differs in design from one that vacuums fluid waste. Some of the waste materials produced by industrial processes can be reclaimed and reused after processing. Vacuums are an excellent means of collecting waste industrial materials for reuse. They don't damage the material, and specialized filters can be designed to minimize the number of unwanted materials like dust or dirt collected by accident. After being collected, the waste materials can be cleaned if necessary and then reprocessed for future use. An added benefit of using vacuums to clean workspaces is that they can be fitted with HEPA filters; in environments where a high-volume of waste shavings or dust are created, HEPA filter vacuums can remove the large particles as well as fine particulates that degrade workspace air quality.

A vacuum is an area from which air has been fully or partially removed. On the earth's surface, every object is subject to the force exerted by the weight of air. When air pressure in one area decreases, more highly pressurized air from nearby floods into the lower-pressure area until equilibrium is achieved; this is what causes wind. Vacuum cleaners use a fan or system of fans to artificially lower air pressure in the enclosures where they collect debris. The more highly pressurized air outside of the enclosure rushes in, bringing nearby dust, dirt, debris or fluid with it, depending on how strong the vacuum cleaner is. Every vacuum configuration is different. Small, portable vacuum cleaners can collect debris in fabric filter bags or removable plastic containers. Sometimes disposable filters are lined with larger, removable filters to provide extra air filtering. Almost every variety of vacuum cleaner is designed to connect with attachments that allow for vacuuming in different places. Vacuums for carpet cleaning usually feature an agitator for easier removal of dirt from carpet fibers, and auto vacuums use special attachments that help them clean tight spaces more easily. Continuous duty vacuums feature large collection enclosures that can be emptied quickly and easily so the machine can be put back to work without too much delay. 

Backpack vacuum cleaners, canister vacuums, rider or walk-behind vacuum cleaners, and vacuum cleaner trucks are just a few of the available portable vacuum cleaner configurations. The overwhelming majority of vacuum cleaners are at least semi-portable, and most of them are very portable. Even continuous duty vacuums, which can be quite large and are generally used only for the constant cleaning of warehouse or factory workspaces, are often equipped with wheels. Central vacuum systems are the least portable of all vacuum cleaner systems. In large-scale building maintenance contexts where constant cleaning is required, central vacuum systems are a good solution to the problem of maintaining efficiency. Through inlets in a built-in system of ductwork, maintenance employees can connect hoses and vacuum attachments to a single central vacuum located in a mechanical closet. Because the central vacuum is isolated, and its room is usually located in a basement, the noise generated by vacuuming is very limited compared to most portable vacuums. This feature is invaluable in contexts like colleges where vacuuming is needed even as classes are proceeding. Instead of using many vacuums with many filters, maintenance crews that use central vacuums have only one machine to empty and service.

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Vacuum Cleaner Types

• Auto vacuums are designed to clean the interior and upholstery of automobiles.
• Backpack vacuum cleaners are machines worn on the back of the user. Backpack vacuum cleaners provide mobility along with the higher cleaning capabilities for awkward areas such as stairways.
• Canister cleaners are not the standard walk behind units. They have wheels that allow the unit to be pulled behind the user as they walk with the separate suction attachment. These wheeled canisters house the suction motor and filtering system.
• Central vacuums are vacuums to which networks of ducts are connected for use in large scale cleaning operations.
  
• Central vacuum systems are networks of ducts connected to a central vacuum for use in large scale cleaning operations.
• Commercial vacuum cleaners are designed for use in commercial and industrial environments.
• Continuous duty vacuums are vacuums used for constant cleaning of industrial workspaces.
• Explosion proof vacuums are industrial vacuums used in the vacuuming of materials that pose a fire or explosion risk.
• HEPA vacuum cleaners use High Efficiency Particulate Air filters during the vacuuming process.
• Industrial vacuum cleaners are vacuum cleaners used exclusively in industrial contexts.
• Portable vacuum cleaners are portable cleaning machines that use vacuum suction for cleaning purposes that require both mobility and maneuverability.
• Rider sweepers are similar to walk behind sweepers. Rider sweepers are motorized and ridden by the user. They also have larger storage tanks and therefore have a larger cleaning capacity in terms of area.
• Small vacuum cleaners are vacuum cleaners that are used in light duty vacuuming applications and are usually very portable.
• Truck vacuums are any vacuum cleaning machine that is mounted on the back of a truck. Vacuum trucks are specifically designed to load and carry bulk materials; loading involves the use of vacuum suction to move material from an area into a storage compartment on the truck.
• Vacuum equipment is all of the machinery and accessories related to vacuum cleaners.
• Walk behind sweepers are machines that are used for cleaning large floor space area. They can be used for hard or carpeted floors; they are battery or gas operated and many of them have rechargeable batteries.
• Wet dry vacuums are specialized types of canister vacuums that can be used to clean up wet, or liquid, spills as well as removing dry debris.

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Vacuum Cleaner Terms

Air Watts - A specification that rates the output power of vacuum cleaners rather than their input power, as measured at the vacuum cleaner inlet with air flow suction. This is also referred to as "sucking power."
 
By-pass - A characteristic of vacuum motors that are air-cooled with a ventilator that is independent of the cleaning air. Usually found in either tangential exhaust systems or peripheral systems.  

Certified Energy Manager (CEM) - International professional designation available through training and testing by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon) - Family of chemicals used as refrigerants, being tightly regulated and phased out of production due to stratospheric ozone depletion potential. Examples: R-11, R-12, R-113, R-114, R-115.
 
Clean-Air Design - A design of a vacuum cleaner in which the filtering system cleans the dirt suction airflow before it goes through the fan or fans of the suction motor. This prevents damage to the fan that results from material carried by a dirty-air system and usually creates considerably more suction, particularly when a hose and attachments are used.
 
Cyclonic Filters - Cyclonic systems that separate the dust particles from the airflow by spinning the air with a separation chamber. The spinning causes centrifugal force to move the dust particles outward while the air exits from the inner part of the chamber; some cleaners utilize multiple chambers and most cleaners add filters to increase the total system filtration efficiency.    

Direct Air System - A design of a vacuum cleaner that has the air carrying the dirt passing through the fan of the suction motor into the bag. Typically, this does not create as much suction with attachments; it commonly creates more airflow when operating with big openings and short airflow distances.  
 
Dirty Air Design - A design of a vacuum cleaner in which the airflow, which picks up the dirt, passes through the fan of the suction motor before it is cleaned by the filtering system.
 
Electric Hoses - A special type of vacuum cleaner hose that has internal wires that carry electrical current to the power nozzle's motor. Typically, these hoses reinforce the hose, but not always like crush resistant hoses.
 
Electrostatic Filter - A kind of filter media consisting of very fine synthetic fibers on which a static electric charge builds as air passes through. The charge draws the smallest allergen and dust particles, helping the filter retain them.   
 
Fan - The fan or impeller that creates the suction necessary for the vacuum.
 
Filtration Efficiency - The percentage of particles retained by the primary filter as air passes through it. The efficiency increases as the size of the particles increase.
 
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) - A filtering efficiency specification whose purpose is to effectively remove radioactive dust from plant exhausts without redistribution. This filter must be able to capture 99.97% of all particles 0.3 mm (micrometers or microns) in size or larger from the air that goes through it.  
 
HEPA Type Filter - A type of filter or paper bag that uses similar construction or fibers to that used in a true HEPA filter. While being a significant improvement over regular filters, the vacuum that uses it may not have a completely sealed filtration system, so there is no guarantee that the stringent HEPA specification will be met by it.  
 
Micron Filter - A kind of filter that is able to capture micron size particles at an extremely high efficiency rate.
 
Peripheral Exhaust - The exhausting of cleaned air through many small openings on the vacuum motor perimeter.
 
Resistance - In relation to the airflow in a vacuum cleaner, the opposition to a passage of air. This occurs in a variety of ways in a vacuum cleaner system.
 
Spun Aluminum - This manufacturing process creates dust recovery tanks along with other vacuum equipment. It is the molding of a flat aluminum disc to make a deep container from one piece of metal without soldering so that all parts made this way are free from air leaks and ensure the highest vacuum strength.
 
Tangential Exhaust - The exhausting of cleaned air through a single exit on the side of the motor.
 
Thru-flow - A characteristic of particular vacuum motors in which the cleaning air flows through the casing to cool it.  
 
ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) - A filtering efficiency specification for filters utilized in environments that require the maximum degree of clean air, like pharmaceutical labs. Specifically, these filters must retain particles 0.12 mm or larger with the efficiency rating of 99.999%; the testing and marking of certified ULPA filters ensures that these filters are attaining the ULPA specification.
 
Velocity of the Air Flow - The speed of air at any given point in the vacuum cleaner system. It is the force of the air that collects the dirt and moves it into the bag or dirt receptacle.
 
Water Lift - In terms of vacuum cleaners, a measure of the power of the vacuum created by the suction motor. This is essentially a measurement of how high water is lifted by a vacuum hose attached to a tube placed in water.

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