Vacuum Cleaner Specifications Explained

By Author: jitendra tiwari
Total Articles: 80
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One of the most difficult tasks when buying an electronic appliance is the understanding of the specifications. It is a pretty awkward moment when the salesman mentions a bunch of terms and figures and you are just standing there pretending to know what he is talking about. In the case of vacuum cleaners there are a lot less relevant specifications compared to other appliances, say a Smartphone or a laptop. Before going to the store for vacuum cleaner shopping, there are a few things that you should know about what exactly it is and how it works.

Many people think that the “power” or “suction” determines the cleaning ability of the vacuum cleaner. Although these properties are important factors, they are not the only ones that affect the ability. Some of the other specs include watts, volts, amps, water lift, horsepower, air watts, and airflow. Before making sense of these terms, it is important to understand the basic principles of the actual working of a vacuum cleaner. Each and every vacuum cleaner work by the passing of air from the cleaning part or tool, through the main body of the cleaner and the bag/filter ...
... system and out through the exhaust port.

The flow of the air is managed by the vacuum motor, which is also sometimes called the suction motor. This motor is the heart of the whole system because it is what actually creates the vacuum in the vacuum cleaner. Explained below are the different terminologies which you should know if you want to make comparisons between different brands and models.

Water lift is the measurement of how high, in inches, the motor of the vacuum cleaner will be able to lift a one-inch column of water. Generally speaking, the higher this figure is, the better the machine will be.

Horsepower is a term that is used for marketing purposes and has little to do with the actual performance of the vacuum cleaner. This rating refers to the maximum load that can be subjected to the motor before it burned out. Often called “peak horsepower”, this rating is not used on the newer models.

Airflow if arguably the most important factor in determining the performance of a vacuum cleaner. This rating refers to the force of the airflow along a surface which collects the dirt and transfers it to the container. Airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute. The more the airflow, the more efficient will the vacuum cleaner be.

One of the more trusted companies of vacuum cleaners is Panasonic. The machines made by them are usually worth the money and quite reliable. The best part is that in the unlikely event that something goes wrong, then spare parts of different models are easily available.

Author Bio:

Jitendra Tiwari, in this series of home appliances related articles throws some light on the most basic of home appliances such as vacuum cleaner, electronic appliance and washing machine.