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Hand Held Vacuum Design & Benefits
While the full sized upright,
power team and
canister vacuum cleaners do the bulk of the cleaning in the home,
there are often voids which can be filled by the lightweight, hand held
vacuum cleaner. These include the need to quickly and easily pickup those
unexpected little spills as well as the need to efficiently clean
upholstered furniture, drapes and carpeted stair steps. The latter use
greatly reduces the risk of injury from struggling to use a full sized
vacuum cleaner in the limited space on the stairs.
Hand held vacuum cleaners come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
This category can be subdivided two ways: 1) corded vs. battery operated
and 2) straight suction vs. suction with a revolving
brush roll. Each type has its special place
in helping you with your house cleaning chores.
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Battery Operation Aspects |
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The battery operated vacuum cleaner offers the convenience of being
easily removed from its holder/charger unit and carried quickly to the
location of the spill for quick and easy clean up. The batteries usually
are the rechargeable nickel cadmium (NiCads) type which are trickle charged
by the holder/charger unit whenever the vacuum cleaner is not in use.
While older NiCads functioned better if discharged significantly before
being recharged, development of newer ones has greatly reduced this
"memory" effect so they can be recharged after each use with minimal
effect on their usefulness. Vacuum cleaner motors require a large amount
of electrical power to develop effective, strong suction so battery
operation is limited to short periods of use and limited in the amount
of mechanical power the motors can produce. Examples of rechargeable
battery operated hand held vacuum cleaners include the Dirt Devil cordless hand vac by the Royal
Appliance Mfg. Co. and the Dust Buster cordless series by
Black & Decker.
Corded hand held vacuum cleaners can be much more effective in the
removal of dirt due to the better suction produced by their more powerful
motors as well as the addition of a revolving brush roll in many units.
More extensive cleaning can also be done since run time is not limited by
their power source. Hand held vacuum cleaner motors typically draw about 2 to 3
amps of current compared to about 10 to 12
amps drawn by most full sized uprights and canisters. The effectiveness of
corded hand held vacuums is enhanced by the use of small nozzles and short
air passages to increase the air flow
velocity. The air flow velocity, along with the amount of carpet
agitation, determines how well a vacuum
cleaner will pick up the dirt.
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Examples of Popular Hand Held Vacs |
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To deep clean carpeted areas effectively a motor driven revolving brush
roll must be included in the hand held vacuum cleaner design. The agitation
produced by it greatly enhances the effectiveness of removing the deep,
hard to reach dirt as well as grooms and fluffs the carpet fibers for a
fresher appearance. Corded hand held vacuum cleaners with motor driven
revolving brush rolls will often deep clean carpeted stairs much better
and easier than a full sized vacuum cleaner. Examples of corded hand held
vacuums cleaners with motorized revolving brushes include the
Dirt Devil hand vac by the Royal Appliance Mfg. Co., the
Twist-N-Vac by The Hoover Company, and TheBoss
BrushUp hand held vac by The Eureka Company.
Some full sized power teams and central vacuums like those from the
Panasonic Company
and Sears include, or have available, a special small attachment
with a motorized revolving brush for deep cleaning your upholstered
furniture and carpeted stairs. These work like miniaturized
power nozzles teamed with the powerful suction
of the full sized canister for effective cleaning.
A hand held vacuum cleaner will enable you to perform some types of
cleaning tasks quicker, easier and more effectively than when using most
full sized vacuum cleaners, especially when using a corded hand held
vacuum with a motor driven revolving brush. These tend to perform like a
miniaturized upright vacuum cleaner when cleaning carpeted stairs while
reducing the risk of injury from accidental falls. Cordless hand held
vacuum cleaners are convenient for cleaning those unexpected little spills
very quickly and easily but are not intended for extended use. The next
time you're cleaning your stairs, furniture, drapes or car interior, stop
a moment to consider whether a hand held vacuum cleaner would clean them
better and easier than your full sized vacuum cleaner.
PageType: Educational
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