super silent vacuum cleaners

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servisslimline

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i was thinking to myself the other day, why havent vacuum cleaners been made super silent yet. as we all know washing machines have been for nearly 30 years if you include machines with induction motors from the 80s and 70s. then i thought fans use a type of induction motor and theyre silent, yet vacuums use brush motors just like a washing machine yet there hasnt been a super silent vacuum cleaner yet has there? id like to know why. thanks
phil
 
Silent Vacuum cleaners

High end brands like Miele are pretty quiet, as are Numatic (on low power at least)

 

Years ago Electrolux vacuums were always very quiet.

 

Problem is, people have been duped into thinking high wattage motors mean more power, so now we have 2000w vacuums where 800w or less would be more than enough!

 

That and people want either a Dyson or as close to a dyson as possible, which means they're quite happy to be deafened by a screaming banshee everytime they clean up.

 

Washing machines were not particularly fitted with induction motors with the intent of making them quieter, it's just the type of motor some manufacturers chose to use. Ofcourse these days the use of a brushless motor is made out to be some sort of high end luxury, when it was available on very low end machines years ago!

 

Matt
 
I have a Miele S5211 and I have to say that it's the quietest vacuum I have ever owned. It has a special setting which is designed for optimum performance and minimum noise which is the one I almost always use and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet and superbly efficient vacuum.
 
Possibly another reason vaccums haven't become "super silent" is because they have to create suction (with a fan), and it would take a very large fan to create enough suction/airflow quietly. Most vacuums use a small fan turned a very high rpms to create suction, and even if they could design a quiet fan/motor, there would still be airflow noise. Some vacuums are quieter than others, but I'm afraid they are pretty much doomed to be a noisy appliance.
 
I think Dustin is right, the airflow alone makes a lot of noise but some vacs are quieter than others - Filter Queens are pretty good. My Balinese cat is sensitive to loud noises and she does not like the Kirby!
 
I love

my Miele Capricorn! (top of the S5 series.) Best, most quiet vacuum I've had. Rosa del Gata does not like it, but she likes it more than my Hoover Tempo upright (a gift from a kind friend, when I was between vacuums.)

I agree with the "power = noise" thing, and I despise Jimmy Dyson and all his works. To me, he ruined mainstream vacuums. Plus, I have fairly severe pollen, dust and similar allergies, so a bagless vacuum is a no-go for me.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
My Rexaire Rainbow was particularly quiet. I'm guess that because it may have a brushless induction motor. Brush type motors are commonly used because it is a very effective, less expensive (but noisy) way to get a lot of RPMs.
 
I've always found either Miele or Nilfisk tend to produce the best combination of relatively quiet and good results.

I'm not a fan of cyclone machines as they're always pretty noisy.
 
Could it be weight ?
Not an expert there but I believe an equally strong induction motor compared to a brush type motor would be much heavier and more expensive.
Dragging a vaccum cleaner up and downstairs has never been much fun for the average houskeeper.
 
The post office here has a canister dont know who makes it. But this thing is so silent you can not even hear it unless you stand next to it. About as loud as a desk fan on low.
 
My vacuum cleaner collection includes several Meile machines-all are quiet even at their highest power levels.Same with Sebo canisters-equally quiet-My newest addition a Nilfisk GS80 from the Kirby guy is quiet.My NSS M1-a direct air "canister" is quieter than you think a large diameter fan run at a lower speed.Uprights with larger fans can run slower-thus less noise than ones like Oreck with tiny fans that run at very high speed-the one the janitor uses here at work almost sounds like a dentist drill!
 
Noise...

I agree with Dustin (reply#5) Re: small high-speed fans and noise from air movement.

I love my low-noise, induction motor washer. One day I will give it a 'mod' to increase spin speed.....

All best

Dave T
 
although I like washing machines more, but 1 silent cleaner that I know about from the parent site Vacuumland is the Hoover Alpina range from 1994, and in it's brochure it was advertised with the slogan The Power Of Silence, I should of grew up with 1 really as we had a yellow Electrolux that used 2 scare the hell out of me, I think they still look modern now, not bad 4 nearly 20 years lol :)
 
The Alpina was far from silent - have you ever used one? Anyone who owns one knows the brochure was just marketing rubbish.

It was quiet compared to the crap Dyson were then (and now) churning out but not much else.
 
aquarius1984, no I haven't used 1 but I'm just saying how nice they still look, @ least they launched it before Candy took over lol.

Aquacycle, it was an upright model in yellow and my parents must of had it 4 a long time before I was born, most likely 2 be from the 70's era, although I was frightened of it I do remember it being pretty loud as when I was younger I was quite sensitive 2 loud or unusual noises, even 1 from an ice cream maker believe it or not. but it was soon replaced with a black Electrolux which was way less scary in late 96 and then that was suceeded by the present day Miele Cat & Dog. :)
 
It is a while since I used one but I think of the Hoover Junior and Senior as fairly quiet machines, probably due to the low wattage motors.
 
Canister Guy

I enjoy the absolute adaptability and convenience of a canister adding and changing any attachment or tool as you clean a room. No stopping, no delay, just thorough convenience. For 40 years I used an Electrolux with a Tan G being the machine of choice. I experienced my first Miele in 2008 and I was impressed. It wasn't as intuitive as the G but over time I crossed over for even quieter operation and larger bag capacity to the Miele. I have a White Pearl which is my favorite and a Solaris which is much lighter but still powerful. I have yet to find or use a quieter cleaning system
 
I've had a Miele S500 series canister for 12 years. Never any problems. I take it in for maintenance once every two years (I guess they lube and clean it, I don't know). Over the years I built up quite a collection of attachments:

1. Long crevice tool. Cleans lint traps and under the frige
2. Long dusting brush. TOps of cabinets/bookcases, ceiling fans etc
3. Long furniture brush: covers twice as much area per sweep vs. standard upholstery brush
4. Micro cleaning set: lots of neat miniature attachments
5. Turbo brush: cleans stairs, car seats, dogs (a now-deceased Rhodesian Ridgeback loved being groomed with the Turbo brush).

The S500 was a gift from a well to do relative. The only cleaning function that is mediocre is cleaning carpets. I have the original 217 power head. They now make an improved 227 or 228 power head with height adjustment, a more vigorous brush action, and a wider sweep. It now comes standard on their higher end models, but to buy just the power head to upgrade my canister would run $225-250.

I felt the money was better spent on a new Miele S7 upright, the most basic of which (no headlight, no HEPA filter---though you can add one, but same motor and feature set) sold for $429---there was a special at our dealers and the price dropped to $299. I figured this was a better value than buying new upgraded power head since for $150 you get a whole new machine, which likely is better at cleaning carpet than even the upgraded power head. The other two advantages are:

1. serves as a back up if the canister is in the shop for repair or maintenance.
2. suction hose accepts all of the attachments I already own

The higher end S7 models have a headlight, come with a HEPA filter, and have some/all of the attachments. For $35 I bought my own HEPA filter, I don't vacuum in the dark so don't need a headlight, and I already own all the attachments, so for me the basic S7 (the blue one) was fine. Someone buying a Miele for the first time might want a higher model to get some of the attachments. My only criticism of the machine is that it's heavy, I have a one story home but I wouldn't want to lug it up the stairs if I had stairs. It also does an excellent job on hard floors: you turn off the brush with a switch on the handle, and it automatically height adjusts. Does not scatter dirt around, it gets hard floors clean. Of course, you can't get it into the tight vertical spaces that a wand can reach, but there is always the option of using the attached hose and a hard floor attachment or the turbo brush (hose/wand is not electric, hence cannot attach power head).
 
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