Vacuum FAQ’s How often do I need to empty the vacuum debris canister? Typically, the canister needs to be emptied every 3 months. Of course, how often you vacuum and the number of people living in the home will affect the frequency required. We suggest checking your debris canister once a month for the first six months until you establish a schedule for your home. My vacuum does not seem to have as much suction as it used to, why? Several things can contribute to low suction: 1. A vacuum inlet is open, (besides the one your vacuum hose is plugged in to). 2. The vacuum debris canister is over ? full. 3. The hose is obstructed with debris. 4. The Turbo Cat beater head is obstructed with debris. 5. The in wall piping is obstructed with debris. 6. In wall piping is disconnected or broken. 7. The filter inside the motor is obstructed. How do I determine what is the cause of my vacuum systems low suction? 1. Check all vacuum inlets to ensure none are open; make sure to include any sweep inlets installed in your home. 2. Check the vacuum motor debris canister, empty if necessary. 3. Physically inspect the vacuum hose for flexibility and pliability. Any hard spots can indicate an obstruction. One indication of a clogged hose is an unusual difficulty unplugging the hose from the wall inlet because suction is holding it tightly. 4. Physically inspect the Turbo Cat beater head. Clean any hair wrapped around the beater brush. Inspect the clear cover on the bottom to ensure debris is not trapped inside. Remove and clean if necessary. Check to see if the beater bar spins freely, if it does not, inspect thoroughly to determine obstruction. 5. Check all inlets in home to determine if all of them are affected. If all are not affected, a blockage is indicated. If all are affected, check for suction at the vacuum inlet located at the motor. If suction is low at the motor, place your hand over the exhaust. Low exhaust volume may indicate your piping is obstructed. 6. High exhaust volume at the vacuum motor, coupled with low inlet suction is symptomatic of a broken or disconnected pipe. Has anyone been in your attic lately? They might have inadvertently damaged your vacuum piping. 7. Low suction and low exhaust volume may be due to an obstructed filter. To inspect the filter, remove the debris canister and look up inside the motor enclosure. Remove any debris found around the filter/motor inlet. I think my vacuum pipe is clogged or broken, what now? Call our Customer Service Department to schedule a service call at 1-800-331-1625. Our operating hours are 7:00am to 4:00pm, PST. If my hose is plugged, how do I clear it? Physically inspect the vac hose for flexibility and pliability. Any hard spots can indicate an obstruction. Inserting a stiff wire through the end of the hose until it reaches the obstruction can break up debris. Shake the loosened debris out of the hose. Repeat until obstruction is cleared. Sometimes my hose switch won’t turn the motor off. Is my hose bad? No, the hose isn’t bad. Inspect the end of the hose that slips into the vacuum inlet. You will see a plastic tab on one side of the hose. This tab needs to be facing straight up or straight down to enable the switch to operate. My vacuum motor will not turn on, what do I check? Your vac motor does not turn on until the vacuum hose is inserted. Many vacuum hoses have a switch built into the handle. Ensure your hose is inserted fully and the switch is turned on. The motor still doesn’t turn on? Central vacuum motors require a constant source of electricity. Check the electrical outlet the vac motor is plugged in to. A simple way to do this is to plug a lamp in where the vacuum motor is normally plugged in to determine if the electrical outlet is working. If the lamp does not work, check your electrical breaker or call an electrician to service the outlet. If the electrical outlet works, plug the vacuum motor back in and check the reset button on the vacuum motor. The reset button is a push button located on the side of the vacuum motor. If further assistance is needed, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-1625. Our operating hours are 7:00am to 4:00pm, PST. What can I sweep up with a Central Vacuum System? A Central Vacuum System can sweep up more than you want it to. Customers have reported socks, toy cars, pop bottle lids, etc. being swept up by careless use. Care should be taken to prevent these occurrences as items such as these may become lodged in your vacuum piping inside a wall or ceiling. As a general rule of thumb, you should pick up by hand any debris you can see. Another factor to consider is moisture content. While moisture will not damage the vacuum piping (it is plastic), moist items tend to clump together, creating a high likelihood they will become lodged in the vacuum piping inside a wall or ceiling. An example of this is Christmas tree cleanup. Christmas tree needles have traces of tree sap on them, which cause them to clump together and obstruct airflow. Unfortunately, many obstructions cannot be removed without cutting the wall or ceiling open for access. C&R Systems recommends you do not use your central vacuum system for Christmas tree cleanup. Where is my User Manual for my Central Vacuum System? Central vacuum manufacturers do not include User Manuals with their equipment. The equipment is truly “plug and play”. We have tried to cover all questions with this Frequently Asked Questions guide. If you have further questions, or any assistance is needed, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-1625. Our operating hours are 7:00am to 4:00pm, PST.