Product Definitions

Inches of water lift. (Usually given at 0″ air opening).

This explains the secret of the bowling ball trick. Direct all of a vacuum’s power onto one surface area and you can do amazing things. You have seen the commercials, right?

A vacuum’s ability to lift is a valid measurement. In fact, it is called a vacuum, or waterlift. See how strong a vacuum can be created by slowly swallowing the air out of a plastic drink bottle. That is actually about all it takes to lift a bowling ball! But it takes more to vacuum a carpet.

If material is stuck in a vacuum pipe, suction is what jars objects lose. The suction capacity of a vacuum is not the key to effective vacuuming.

The real key is how much air the vacuum is able to draw in (see CFM). Waterlift becomes more important when the air opening size is smaller – for example in air-driven brushes.

Cubic Feet (of air) per Minute. (Usually give at 2″ air opening).

Wonder why that pebble won’t vacuum up but stays rattling on the end of your vacuum wand? Basically, without sufficient air moving around it, it’s going nowhere.

Even a feather won’t budge without any air moving past it. Therefore, CFM (airflow) is so important for deep carpet cleaning. Some vacuums may be able to lift bowling balls, but the cleanest homes have central vacuums with tons of CFM.

CFM becomes more important as the air opening size gets larger.

CFM = 13.35 d2 (square root) VAC in H2O”
Need: d – Diameter of the orifice plate
Vac – Inches of water lift

The vacuum must be corrected before being put into the equation. To correct, temperature and barometric pressure must be accounted for.

See CFM.

The air around us constantly exerts a pressure of about 400 inches of water. That means that every exposed surface has the equivalent of 400 inches of water pushing on the surface.

A vacuum cleaner doesn’t actually create a vacuum, but it does lower air pressure inside the vacuum unit. Since the outside air is at normal pressure it rushes inward in a controlled airflow which creates the cleaning effect.

“Cleanability Rating”.
CFM x VACUUM (water lift)
8.5

Note: Both the CFM and the water lift must be measured at the
same air opening size.

Current draw of the motor. Amperage current draw of electricity required to operate the vacuum motor. A motor that uses more electrical current does not always mean the current is being used more efficiently.

The centre part of the motor which rotates making the transfer of electricity across the motor, enabling the motor shaft to spin.

A quality armature is mounted on ball bearings, and protected from incoming vacuum air that has been heated and dirtied.

A separate stream of air that cools the motor, different from the air that draws in dirt from the home. Air being vacuumed does not actually flow through the electrical components of the motor.

Normally these motors have a separate fan to provide cooling air to the motor.

Cyclonic action describes the natural action found in a tornado. In a vacuum with cyclonic filtration, the air carrying the dust and debris moves through a tornado action. The air swirls downward in a cone-shaped pattern.

At the bottom of the cone, it starts swirling upward again, inside the downward cone. Thus this is sometimes called a “reverse” tornado action or “dual cyclonic action”. The vast majority of the debris separates from the air stream as air reaches the bottom of the swirl, and is deposited in the dirt container.

The fan is the combination of blades that spin around to create the airflow to produce the vacuuming action.

Fans are flat impellors and are combined in a set of two or three fans on each motor, depending on the model.

A motor with two fans is called “two-stage”, if it has three fans it’s “three-stage”. Each fan – set of blades – increases the sealed vacuum, or maximum air pressure drawn through the system.

Additional sets of fans will change the air flow dynamics, adding fans will increase waterlift and decrease CFM. Air driven power brushes work better with a motor with more fan stages, whereas electric brushes operate better with less fan stages.

HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particle Arrestor, used to reduce the number of contaminants in indoor air.

A HEPA filter will arrest or stop 99.97% of all particles .3 microns or larger. HEPA filters – used in “clean rooms” – are essential in medicine and in the manufacture of computer components.

However, they have limitations in vacuums. They tend to leak in vacuums because they were never intended to be used as small, portable filters. They are expensive and must be discarded because they cannot be cleaned. They clog quickly and strangle airflow.

And even when working perfectly, up to half the respirable particles in indoor air are small enough to go right through a HEPA filter.

Very, very few vacuums are truly “HEPA” certified but many only use filter material which is “HEPA” level. Kiwivac offers bags for their systems that meet this filter material specification.

Peak Horsepower (PHP):
Maximum instantaneous horsepower capabilities of a motor (most
Frequently used but very deceptive).

Input HP:
Maximum watts divided by 746.

Operating HP:
Watts at operating point divided by 746.

This is recognised by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) as the best way to measure the actual cleaning power of a vacuum system.

Most manufacturers provide statistics for the maximum air watts that may not be the actual amount produced under the conditions most often used. Make sure you know the opening size of the attachment most often used and then find the vacuum’s air watts at that exact opening size.

Measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Higher RPM motors may not last as long.

“Measure of Fan Efficiency”

• AIR WATTS
• INPUT WATTS

Simulation of restrictions (impedance) in a cleaner system.

Restriction typical of operating conditions.

A collection device for dust and debris used by some vacuum cleaner manufacturers. Paper bags are definitely the cleaner home owner’s choice.

Kiwivac Dust bags are to be used at all times in power units using bags and are only available from your Kiwivac Dealer.

Other bags do not have the same filtration levels and can let dust and dirt through the bag into the collection compartment and into the motor, reducing the suction and ability of the motor to work at it best.

These are designed to loosen stubborn dirt in carpets, and make it available for removal by the air flow.

A common plastic polymer that provides excellent appearance and longevity with good flame retardance at an attainable price. All of Kiwivac central vacuum fittings are made from heavy duty PVC.

Hose, wands, filters, carpet, water, foam, voltage fluctuation (anything which impedes airflow).

Often used in high quality motors to prevent dust and debris from entering the motor bearing area. All Kiwivac motors have sealed bearings.

A device to measure maximum vacuum or water lift by sealing off the vacuum intake port. It measures in “Inches of Waterlift”.

This is not for picking up water but a means of comparing lifting abilities of a solid column of water.

A collection device for dust and debris used by exclusively by Kiwivac. The Slide Plate is definitely the cleaner home owner’s choice for a bag-less system.

An electronic means of slowly starting vacuum motors to reduce initial inrush voltage spikes. It starts the motor at a lower voltage, slowly ramping up to operating voltage.

No tests by Ametek or any other agency have ever produced any quantifiable measurement of this extending any motor’s life. It does, however, allow the manufacturer to utilise a smaller capacity of relay which is less expensive.

24 volts, 60Hz, corrected to standard conditions of 29.92 barometric pressure and 20°C (68°F)

In some less-expensive motors, the air drawn from the home flows right through the motor to cool it. Unfortunately this air is laden with the dust from the home which dirties and contaminates the motor.

This air is also warmed by friction as it moves through hoses and piping and is substantially warmer so it is less able to cool the motor. Thru-flow motors will overheat if they are run for long periods of time without adequate air flowing through the system.

A measure of the electrical potential employed by a vacuum motor. Typically, motors require common household current; 240 volts. Voltage is to electricity as pressure is to water, a measure of potential or driving force.

Electrical power consumption of the motor.

See Vacuum (first definition).