You see vacuum cleaners advertised everywhere. Every manufacturer claims that there's is the best. One claims that their filters don't clog, one say theirs is the lightest, another one is commercial quality and look that one can pick up a bowling ball. So how do you make your choice? Do you just buy the most expensive one that you can find? Read on and I will tell some things to consider when choosing a vacuum. First, lets look at the vacuums motor. The vacuum motor is of course a very important part of the vacuum. It is also the most confusing part. Many manufacturers will state the amp draw of the motor. This doesn't necessarily measure the power of the vacuum but instead the amount of electrical amps that it uses. If you can find information on the air watts or horsepower of the motor, you will get a much better idea of the power of the motor. If you can find that information, choose the one with the highest air wattage or horsepower. Next look at the vacuum brush. This is the spinning cylindrical brush that will actually make contact with the carpet. A good brush will have a row of bristles and a raised metal bump. This metal bump is called a beater bar. The beater bar lifts and separates the carpet fibers so that your vacuum is more efficient. It is a very important part of your vacuum. Also make sure that the brush has some kind of height adjustment so that you can tune it to your carpet type. It can eithe be an automatic or manual adjustment. The vacuum's filtration system is also important. Make sure that it has a HEPA filter. The HEPA filter filters very fine particles out of the vacuums exhaust so that you will not be re-contaminating your air and carpet. Also look at the dust collection system. Does it use bags or a removable cup? Choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. Bags can be inconvenient but cups can be a little messy. Lastly, determine how easy the vacuum is to use. The vacuum is no good if you never use it. Make sure it has the attachments you need and that they are easy to change. Also look at how heavy the vacuum cleaner is. You do not want one that is too light and delicate but you probably do not want to drag an eighty pound behemoth around either. As you can see, there are many things to consider when choosing a vacuum cleaner. Remember that more expensive is not always better. If you do your homework, you can probably find a $200 vacuum that performs as well as that fancy $1000 one. |