Our warranty is now 12 years and transferrable. It covers all the electrical and is lifetime for manufacturing defects. True, the SilentMaster may cost more, but it comes with tremendous customer service, is made in the USA, has all metal construction, and the best filtration while maintaining great suction. For cost on please call 800-997-2278.
We usually find that there is another issue when someone states that about their central vacuum. For instance, on two motors systems, one motor may be out. Or they are developing a clog. Try using the troubleshooting chart. Go through all the steps so you do a complete test of everything.
There is a metal plate or label on the right lower side of the unit with that information. You may have to use a mirror or take the unit off the wall if you don't have sufficient access to that side of the unit.
There will be no major problems replacing any central vacuum with a Silent Master. You will hang the SilentvMaster on its own bracket, use the existing wire and use the pipe (and you may have to add to or take away pipe for it to fit).
The Silent Master is sold alone so that you can decide what attachments are best for your home. Having the right attachments makes the difference when owning a central vacuum.
Starting off with the Stealth Kit is a great way to go and less expensive than replacing a functioning vacuum. When the Beam dies consider the Silent Master for its filtration, quietness, power, and quality.
Congratulations on the new home and owning a SilentMaster. You bought the correct bags, the #721H-5 (now replaced by 720HF-5). Here are some resources for you: Silent Master Manual, accessories, replacement parts and upgrades, replacement lid gasket. If you need anything else please let us know. The system is really easy to take care of - just replace the bag!
Upgrading the main power unit in the garage or basement: Use the same electrical wall socket for power and also plug the existing low voltage wire into the SilentMaster. Upgrading the hose and power nozzle: The Stealth Kit plugs directly into all Beam wall inlets. The kit comes with either a direct connect 110 pin hose or a pigtail corded 110 volt version (to plug into a nearby electrical wall outlet).
There are two exhaust ports and both need to be exhausted. We have seen some clever methods that combine both into a larger pipe. Also, try to keep the exhaust runs under 20 feet long.
Silent Master is a great choice, but our Air Master Models fit directly in place of any Beam model and are a great choice for all bottom emptying power units.
The consumer guide only did one article on central vacuums. We were consulted, as well as other manufacturers, but we feel the tests were not done well. Being a niche product not well understood by the public it is easy to see why there is confusion. We have written a rebuttal that will help you evaluate the best system for your needs. Also, remember that our unit is designed and assembled in the USA, is all steal, powder-coated completely, quiet and powerful. Here is the rebuttal in Microsoft Word https://builtinvacuum.com/pr/Consumer-Report-MD.doc
All models in SilentMaster take a disposable bag, either an open or closed one. You can find both bags choices, along with upgrade options, on our Paper Filters and Bag Filters page.
Most likely the home would need two traditional wall inlets with a 30-foot long hose, or a single 50-foot Hide-A-Hose. Of course, you could do one of each as well. Install the best cleaning options for your home and preference. We highly recommend a traditional vacuum inlet to cover carpeted rooms with an electric powered vacuum head. Hide-A-Hose only allows for non-electric vacuum heads which do not clean carpet as thoroughly.
We have not found a non-operating low temperature. The vacuum works perfectly fine in extreme cold and heat.
Take a look at the specifications for each power unit model. Sometimes the 110 volt model is more powerful and sometimes the 240 volt model is stronger. It all depends on what the motor manufacturer can produce, but one is not always stronger than the other. If you are getting power put into the wall valves that will always be 110 volt to power the carpet beater head.
Go ahead and have them pipe for the Nutone vacuum system and install the wall vacuum inlets. All our hoses will fit. If you have a choice, ask for the 110 volt electrified outlets, but you don't have to use them. For the Silent Master, simply have them stub the pipe into the area for the central vacuum location. They will also stub-out the low voltage contact wire. When your home is finished you can easily hang a Silent Master vacuum and hook it up. You will need a couple elbows and some pipe which will be compatible assuming they use the standard 2 OD central vacuum pipe (not SCH40 PVC). If they use SCH40 we have an adapter that allows it to go to central vacuum pipe and elbows that connect to the central vacuum unit. If your home is under 6,000 square feet you will need a 20 amp regular electrical outlet within 5 feet of the vacuum unit. If over that size home, ask for a 30 amp circuit with a NEMA 5-30 socket. Let us know if you have any questions.
The S720r2 can be hardwired to three wires into a 240 volt system or plugged into a three prong 240 volt receptacle which has a vertical and horizontal and a ground.
Central vacuums are the best way to clean a home. There are different ways to filter them and they are detailed in our Filtration Analysis Article. We have a preference, but we have more of a preference for every home to clean with a central vacuum no matter the brand!
The SilentMaster S560r is what you are looking for. Patented, very quiet vacuum with a huge amount of suction and air movement. See the stats and compare them to any vacuum in its amps class.
The Silent Master has a switch on the back right bottom side. Plug any of the garage kits into the valve at the top front of the can and then toggle the vacuum unit on. Hope that helps and here are the Garage Kits that you can use with your system.
You need both measurements for an effective vacuum. Waterlift is something you and I can produce very well. Take a plastic bottle and suck the air out of it. The sides crush in. In fact, a person can produce more waterlift, more sealed suction, then any residential vacuum. But the difference is in the air movement or CFM. You need to move huge amounts of air to be a good vacuum. However, waterlift is very important because air movement will die out if it doesn't have force behind it. The air will stop moving without waterlift. In any vacuum, the air has to move through turns, go through reduced orifices, and ultimately lift debris and pull it in. None of that is possible without the strength behind the air flow. Without waterlift CFM slows down and the vacuum is not effective. Central vacuum motors can produce high measurements of both, which makes them so effective.
We recommend the SilentMaster Model S560r. SilentMaster will handle your home and workshop the best. It as great suction power and durability. The sawdust will all get trapped in the disposable bag, which after it is replaced, will remove all the debris from those months of usage. For the attachment kit and the rugs you probably only need a Low Voltage Hose, extension wands, standard tools, and a 12-inch floor tool with wheels for the rug, then the Manta if you have wood floors.
The motor was bolted down too tight and the floating metal bottom moved up agains the fan assembly. It is an easy fix though. Remove the motor and tap along the seam on the side with a screw driver and hammer. The raw metal bottom section will move down and get clear of the fan. Put the motor back in and don't over tighten. You can check it by spinning the fan from the hole on the underside of the section you just move down.
The intake is at the top, one on both sides. Use both or cap the other with the included cap. The hinged valve at the top center is a utility port for connecting a hose to vacuum your basement, or car and garage. Turn the power unit on via the switch on the bottom right side. The two port at the bottom side are exhaust ports. You don't need to vent the machine but if you do please use both. Hope that helps!
We love both models. The S560r has very strong water lift (suction power), but the S500r (formerly Silent Master S2) has incredibly high air flow (air movement) which some installers prefer over suction power. If you are installing Hide-A-Hose you'll need to use the S560r because you need to suction power to pull the hose back into the system.
The Silent Master Model S560r would be an excellent replacement. It is strong, quiet, and excellent quality. Replacing your unit is not difficult and we or an independent dealer will help you out with that.
The Silent Master Model S44 is now the S560r and it is a great choice for your home. It can handle all the vertical and horizontal runs easily in this size home.
We have written the 7 Reason Why a Central Vacuum article for this dialogue. Please take a moment to scan it over. The main reasons are there is zero dirt recirculation, stronger suction, and it is extremely quiet compared to portables.
The vents are for air intake into the motors' cooling fans. Air needs to flow through the tops of the motors (which face down toward the ground on Silent Master units) in order to keep the armature cool. The exhaust from the air from the home is coming out the two ports. Those ports should be vented separately, not combined into one 2 pipe. Thanks for asking.
The S500r costs more because it has two motors. It is true that those two motors have been in operation for many years and the new S560r motor for a year or so, but all seems well. We where really cautious adopting the new motor for the same reasons you list, but after review and testing in house we are confident the motor well on its way to being a favorite.
The S560r would be the best model hands down. The power is simply perfect for your home and connecting it to an existing circuit in your home. You will love the large open bag or converting it to a large closed bag. All the debris compacts on itself so you can load it up and usually wait months to empty it. If you are vacuuming any hair from a rug or carpet you really need an electric power brush kit and hose such as the Stealth. It fits into any existing system.
Thankfully this filtration design allows for misuse without any damage to the motors! You probably have 60 pounds of dirt in that filter. Isn't it amazing that it still has good suction? Even so, the bag must be changed and then routinely changed before it gets too heavy. With that much dirt you have two options. Start scooping it out or take the unit off the wall and tip it over outside. See the instructions here for how to replace the bag. If you have any questions please let us know we are still here in California producing central vacuums.
The SilentMaster S900r will be fine for your home and the size. It will not be too much power. We don't have a preference for the voltage of the unit. The 120 volt unit needs a 30 amp circuit and 10 gauge wire on a NEMA 5-30 receptacle socket. The 240 volt unit needs 12 gauge wire on a 20 amp circuit to a regular 240 volt socket. Please run two exhaust runs if you need to exhaust the unit. The exhaust has a vacuum odor, but no dust to speak of. If you have any questions please let us know.
Installing the all steel, powder-coated, SilentMaster outside it doable. Of all the central vacs it will probably last the longest. While it is not recommended, some installations have no other choice and so the SilentMaster is a great fit. Build some kind of roof for it or walls will keep it cleaner and protected. Do not fully enclose it unless you can open a door to let it breathe while in use.
Thank you for the excellent question Doug. The S560r and S900r are both perfect for this set up with their high water lift. The S900r (formerly Silent Master S5) will have more power with its air flow and that is always a good thing when cleaning. The S900r requires more installation set up with the wiring, breaker, and receptacle requirements. The voltage differences do not have a positive or negative, your call on that based on your preference.
We are so glad you are looking into this. We hope your properly working central vacuum becomes your best vacuum ever. Most likely you should replace both motors for over $200 and start fresh. The working motor will have little life left on it if the vacuum was ran for a decade. There are two minibreakers on the right side bottom, but they may not be popped out. Note that both motors will spin rapidly when one is dead because of the draft. Go through the motor replacement steps so you can get to the motors for more testing if you want. Also note that a bad motor may suddenly run for 1 to 10 minutes then die.
We recommend our newer model S560r for your home. And yes, the Beam Q fits into our direct connect inlets and works perfectly with our system. We wish you can feel and see the quality difference in the vacuum head. The Italian Stealth brush is really second to none. Thank you for asking.
We have developed Free Flow Central Vacuum Maintenance Sheets to clear out the internal pipes and deodorize the main unit. They are very popular and work very well.
We recommend our SilentMaster S560r and Stealth Kit. The power of the unit will be excellent for pushing through everything including wood chips and the Stealth Kit is best for hair. There are dealers in your area that can help you with the purchase. Please use our dealer locator. Thank you.
As of 2015, both Stealth head widths work extremely well with hair. The hair rarely gets stuck in the brushes or around the bearing casing. This makes the best selling Stealth Kit even more durable and long lasting. Your home has little carpet, but because of the dog's hair on the oriental rugs we highly recommend Stealth because it will pick up the hair and be gentle on the rugs as you dial in one of 12 height positions.
Thank you for considering MD Vacuum. You can find the general installation manual here but they cover the installation of the parts already in your home. Your specific questions about connecting the power unit can be answered easily here. The unit's intake and exhaust fit into regular central vacuum elbows and couplings. The unit comes with the 17 bracket and you can mount it as high, and really as low, as you want it. You'll need room above it to access the filter bag. Feel free to call or email with more questions.
We offer a 12-year warranty on the motors and a lifetime warranty on the all steel powder coat canister. The warranty is transferrable. The S500r (formerly Silent Master S2) model uses two motors that total 16 amps to maintain high performance throughout the home. Yes, more amps means more electricity, but also more cleaning. You can find low amp, low power units that will save electricity that will not come close to the performance of a Silent Master. All these motors are by-pass motors. This just refers to the way the air is directed out of the motor. The air doesn't blow through the armature and brushes keeping it cleaner and lasting longer. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact your local dealer to identify the right system for you. We have a range of models available to fit your power concerns.
You shouldn't have any problems replacing your old S3 with a new S560r. The all the connections for power and the pipe are the same.
The S900r (formerly Silent Master S5) would actually be the best choice with more than three HAH. The S560r and F650t have two stage motors that are spinning very fast in order to achieve the stats. The S460r (formerly Silent Master S4) is more traditional motor but lacks the stats for three HAH. The S900r has two of the S460r motors. The water lift is the same as the S460r but the CFM is tremendously higher. The combination of high water lift and high CFM allow the S900r to operate on 4 - 9 HAH. You will want the power to pull the HAH which means you'll have to make up for the increased CFM. For some of the other questions you have, the utility valve is a valve on the vacuum tank where you can plug in a basic hose. The micro filtration is a closed bag with higher filtering ability than the open top hyperflow bag. You have to use the open top hyperflow bag if you plan on using the utility valve because you'd have debris coming in from two ports, not one. The SilentMaster motors are bypass cooled. The F650t FloMaster is not bypass but flow thru cooled. Therefore it has a pressure relief valve on the unit to let air in if the hose end if completely sealed off. Let us know if you have more questions.
Our Silent Master Model S900r (formerly Silent Master S5) vacuum will handle the entire church by itself. Let us know the location of the vacuum tank and the furthest inlet valve from it just to verify. The number of valves is not relevant, only the furthest valve is the concern - how many feet of pipe between the tank and valve as if it were the only valve. Regarding blockages be sure NOT to use short tight 90 degree turns in the piping system. Use longer sweeps so that nothing gets stuck. The other trick is to USE short tight 90 degree turns ONLY at the back of each wall inlet valve. That way if anything is going to get stuck it will be right here at the wall and simple to retrieve.
The Hide-A-Hose is an excellent idea and makes cleaning super easy. You can have traditional and HAH valves in the same system, just be sure the traditional valves tie into the main line( going back to the canister) AFTER the spot where the HAH hose is fully retracted. Running pipe in the attic is protocol and not an issue. You may want to see what the popular 50ft can do for you as the 60ft is really long and the least used by those that install HAH. The vacuum unit you want to use is the SilentMaster S560r. It has enough power to bring the 50 or 60ft hose back in without lag. The first couple of times is slower as the hose gets used to its positioning. Try to use the least amount of HAH turns in the HAH pipe run and keep the turns as spread apart from each other as you can. For homes with more than three HAH valves we recommend the SilentMaster S900r (formerly Silent Master S5).
