There are two basic types of commercial vacuums – upright vacuums and canister-style vacuums. Canister-style vacuums would include back-pack vacuums.
Most users of commercial vacuums choose upright vacuums for use in cleaning carpeted areas in hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and other establishments. As with almost any other choice in life this has certain advantages and certain disadvantages.
We would like to note a few common characteristics of uprights and dry-canister (we will discuss wet/dry canister vacuums, specialty commercial vacuums and backpack vacuums towards the end of this page) vacuums, and then indicate our suggestions in each category.
Please “Click” here to connect to our most popular commercial canister-style vacuums – the Numatic. “Click” here to connect to our Lindhaus RX commercial upright vacuum or “Click” here to connect to our Royal all-metal commercial upright vacuum cleaner.
Upright Vacuums:
The major, immediate advantage to an upright vacuum is that it always has a revolving brush. This immediately speeds up and enhances the grooming action of the vacuum on a carpet. Another advantage is that the width of the nozzle assembly of an upright can be functionally increased up to 18″ to 20″ (or, in wide-area vacuums, even more) – this cannot effectually be done with a canister-style vacuum. Thus, an open, carpeted area can be cleaned faster with the wider width (some uprights will go up to 28″ in width for very large, open areas such as airport terminals).
The immediate disadvantage to a traditional upright is that it lacks the overall cleaning power/suction provided by a good canister-style vacuum; however, since most commercial institutions use a commercial-grade, tight, almost flat carpet the lack of deep cleaning power becomes less important. The newer, twin-motor upright vacuums typify a canister vacuum’s cleaning “ooomph” because such a vacuum cleans just like a canister – i.e., it employs a canister-style motor and cleans through a hose directly into a dirt compartment/bag system.
Another disadvantage to a traditional upright vacuum is that the vacuum usually has a relatively high profile and therefore will not readily fit under lower furniture, etc. Since most upright vacuums are being used more in open areas or for cleaning under beds and chairs in a hotel room or tables and chairs in a restaurant or banquet facility, this disadvantage is usually not that important. As well, most of the “hybrid”, twin-motor uprights that have become so popular today are styled with considerably lower profiles to enable use under lower furniture, etc.
Also, Also, every pound of weight incorporated into an upright vacuum is experienced by the user with every push and pull stroke. If a vacuum weighs 16 lbs., every push and pull is of a unit that weighs 16 lbs.
A last disadvantage to a traditional upright is that there are no cleaning accessories “on board” for dusting of table tops, corner cleaning, etc. Again, the new, “hybrid”, twin-motor upright vacuums have largely solved this problem by including tools on board (TOB) for these purposes.
Canister Vacuums:
A good canister vacuum used for dry vacuuming (versus a canister able to be used for wet vacuuming, as well as dry) has some major advantages compared to most upright vacuums.
First, it is usually more powerful in terms of overall suction and airflow because the motor is typically both larger and invariably has two fans versus the traditional upright design of a motor with one fan (most of the newer, hybrid, twin-motor upright vacuums have a main vacuum motor with two fans like a canister).
Second, it is infinitely more versatile because it can with almost no difficulty be used to vacuum under low objects and can instantly (with the appropriate accessory) be used to clean table tops & desks, corners & edges, upholstered furniture, etc.
However, a canister vacuum when used with a motorized revolving brush for commercial use has, in our opinion, a drawback in that the maintenance costs go way up. The reason for this is that such a unit must have an electrified hose (this is the normal configuration – some units use an electrical cable secured to the outside of a regular hose; however, this tends to be awkward), a separate motor in the brush head, a revolving brush with bearings and a belt.
These above-listed items are constant, high “wear and tear” items and repair and replacement on them will drive up maintenance costs.
On the other hand, a canister used “straight-suction” with a non-electrified hose and a traditional rug nozzle has almost no maintenance – probably the rug nozzle and possibly the hose will need eventual replacement – both relatively minimal costs. Of course, in distinction to pushing and pulling an upright vacuum, weighing only a pound or so the weight of the rug nozzle is negligible .
OUR SUGGESTIONS:
Canister-style dry vacuum:
Numatic PVR380
Nicely compact at 3 gallons. A perfect size for day-to-day use in cleaning most types of facilities. Dirt container constructed of Structofoam – a virtually indestructible injection-molded material. Main motor housing constructed of steel with a baked-on finish. Sturdy and durable. “Click” here to connect to our webpage on the Numatic vacuum cleaner.
This is a powerful vacuum that uses an industrial, Matsushita-designed and manufactured twin-fan motor. It has high airflow of 114 cfm and 110 inches of waterlift.
It is extremely quiet at 50 dBA due to the motor quality and the baffling inside the motor housing. It can unequivocably be used to vacuum in a busy office environment with no distraction to the office staff.
It uses a permanent, washable Permatex filter that filters 99% to .3 microns. That’s bacteria size! Good filtration is very important. Why breathe millions of microscopic pollutants normally spewingout from the average vacuum? The EPA is moving to mandate this type of filtration for vacuums used commercially to help improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
With the Numatic’s filter design the air is cleaned by the filter before it enters the motor – the motor is kept clean! A clean motor lasts longer and essentially requires no maintenance.
This vacuum can be used with or without a paper disposable bag. The paper bag is recommended as it makes it much cleaner to empty, it contains fine dust and allows the vacuum to work better, longer.
The hose is 10-foot long. Most hoses are 6-foot long – the 10- footer allows for vacuuming in difficult to reach places such as around desks and other furniture, under large tables, in between and underneath pews in churches, short stairwells, etc. The hose is crushproof so it resists breakage. The hose has full, 360-degree swivel at both ends. The user will never get snarled up in the hose.
The hose, wands & combo rug/floor tool are 1.5 inch in diameter. This is standard commercial size – residential equipment is normally 1.25 inch in diameter. This size allows the airflow produced by the vacuum to be maximized in use at the point of cleaning. This size also allows for picking up of larger material without blocking the hose, etc.
An incredible array of additional accessories are available for use in cleaning everything from boiler tubes to overhead steam pipes. It’s a great vacuum!! “Click” here to go to our webpage on Numatic vacuums.
Upright twin-motor vacuum:
Lindhaus RX380 Hepa
A twin-motor upright. Extremely smooth & quiet. Like the Numatic PVR380, a Lindhaus can be used around clerical staff, etc. with absolutely no distraction. The quiet operation is the result of painstaking motor design and construction, and of sound attenuating baffling in the motor areas. “Click” here to connect to our webpage on the Lindhaus RX commercial upright vacuum cleaner.
Full, stepless height adjustment from low to high settings. Many upright vacuums today have no height adjustment for different types of carpetsl This is euphemistically called “universal” height adjustment. As noted in another section of this website, since an upright vacuum relies so heavily on the brush action to properly clean a carpet, being able to effectively adjust the revolving brush height for particular differences in carpet can become important.
Extraordinary motor life. Lindhaus has specialized for over thirty years in providing commercial motors internationally for a variety of demanding usages. They very simply make one of the finest motors in the vacuum industry. A Lindhaus motor will probably outlast a regular vacuum motor by as much as 3 – 5 times! Our webpage on Lindhaus will provide some of the particulars on their motors, as well as on the rest of the vacuum.
Twin motor design means two motors. One main motor with two fans to provide solid waterlift and airflow. A second motor to power the revolving brush. Each motor does its own job, rather than a traditional upright vacuum where the one motor with one fan both provides the cleaning power and spins the revolving brush.
Cogged belt. Most vacuums use regular rubber belts which stretch and need regular replacement. A cogged belt neither stretches nor slips, and it always spins the brush at a fairly constant speed.
High speed revolving brush – 5000 rpm – it sweeps faster. The average upright vacuum is about 2000 to 3000 rpm. It gets progressively harder to spin a brush at higher speeds and yet still maintain good balance on the brush roller. A Lindhaus revolving brush head is so well engineered that oneself can lift the head off the carpet while it is running and experience absolutely no vibration. Try that with your vacuum! The higher rotational speed produces a markedly faster brushing and grooming ability The exceptional balance ensures that the brush, belt and motor will last as long as possible.
Centralized dirt intake. Many uprights today use a dirt intake located at the extreme end of the revolving brush mechanism. It is virtually impossible to effectively sweep the dirt all the way down to one end of the brush. A Lindhaus dirt intake is huge and located smack in the middle of the brush mechanism. This is the optimal spot for an intake as the dirt only has to be drawn from each half of the brush distance. The Lindhaus revolving brush uses a convergent (like a corkscrew) design to further enhance effective sweeping and removal of soil.
Bypass cleaning system. Traditional upright vacuums use a “dirty air” system whereby all the dirt is inhaled through a single motor fan sticking out into the dirt path. The fans can – and, do – get assaulted constantly by the dirt; and, frequently get broken. In a bypass system the dirt travels into the bagging compartment through dirt passageways – usually including a hose, as well – and never comes into contact with the motor The motor is protected!
Tools-on-Board (TOB) The convenience of TOB is that basic dusting, corners, upholstered surfaces, etc. can now be readily done with the upright vacuum instead of either hauling out a separate canister vacuum or trying to awkwardly attach a hose and tools to an upright on which they are not integrated.
A sealed dirt system & Hepa filtration. As already noted elsewhere on this website, it is important to contain the pollutants that the vacuum is removing. The Lindhaus RX Hepa Upright contains 99.97% of particulate down to .3 microns – bacteria size! This meets government standards for removal of lead dust, asbestos, radioactive material, etc.
A flat profile. The Lindhaus is designed to lie completely flat so as to readily get under low furniture, etc.
The Lindhaus Upright Vacuum is a superlative machine. We know of no finer twin-motor upright! “Click” here to go to our Lindhaus Upright Vacuum webpage.
Traditional Upright Vacuum:
Royal all-metal Upright Vacuum (such as model 1030Z)
A superlative, unbeatable traditional-style upright for all & any type of commercial usage. The oldest vacuum manufacturer in the world – since 1905! Our most popular commercial upright vacuum for over 40 years. All-metal Main castings constructed throughout of lightweight, durable aluminum. Balanced & lightweight. Easy-to-use. Tough and long-lasting. Lifetime guarantee on main castings! Metal handle for durablility. Traditional, metal toggle switch for durability. Metal cord hooks for durability. Large, heavy-gauge aluminum fan with highly-curved fan blades – virtually unbreakable! Fan design produces maximum airflow and minimizes breakage. “Click” here to connect to our webpage on the Royal all-metal commercial upright vacuum cleaner.
Large, sturdy outer bag. More durable than standard cotton-twill outer bags. Large, metal zipper for durability. Top fill, integrated dirt tube. Accepts either standard paper disposable bags, micron or up to hepa disposable paper bags.
Convergent, ball bearing revolving brush with a ball bearing design superior to standard sleeve bushings, and capable of higher brush speeds. These brush rollers have better balance and are longer lasting.
Excellent brushing & grooming action. Convergent (corkscrew configuration) design effectively sweeps particles from either end of brush into central intake. Many current uprights use an intake located at the extreme end of the brush channel. It is much more difficult to sweep all the dirt to one end rather than into the middle of a brush nozzle housing. The brush bristle strips use a “stiffener” behind the bristles to provide a kinetic sweeping action. A Royal revolving brush creates such an effective sweeping & grooming action that the brush assists the movement of the vacuum – the vacuum glides effortlessly across the carpet!
Hi-speed, heavy-duty ball bearing motor. The “powerplant” of the vacuum is durable & efficient.
The Royal Commercial all-metal Upright Vacuums are the largest- selling upright vacuum we have for commercial use. Our clients such as Liz Claiborne and the State of NJ have bought hundreds of these finely-crafted, durable vacuums year after year. We suggest that, if you are wondering about the suitability of this unit for your own use, you purchase one and test it for yourself. We can almost guarantee your 100% satisfaction!
“Click” here to go to our webpage on the Royal all-metal Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner.
Wet/Dry or larger, Specialty Commercial Canister-style Vacuums:
Numatic WV series Wet-dry
Use either way – wet or dry. Single motor 1,000 watt 100″ waterlift; 95 cfm. Twin-motor 2,000 watt – doubles the airflow for increased vacuuming ability and speed to result in 100″ waterlift and 180 cfm.
6 gal – 11 gal – 20 gal tank sizes. Commercial orifices – 1.5 inch All the information noted towards the top of this page about the Numatic vacuum, its quality and its features applies.
“Click” here to go to our webpage on the Numatic WV Commercial vacuums.
Numatic Nutec series
3 inch orifices for rapid pickup of larger material. Heavy-gauge galvanized steel drums. Cyclonic entry for increased, sustained efficiency. Rust-free design. Two and three motor units. Dry and wet/dry models. 27 gallon .5 micron filtration. An awesome, larger commercial vacuum. Embodies all the quality found in all our other Numatic vacuums.
“Click” here to go to our webpage on the Numatic Nutec vacuum.
Backpack vacuums:
Numatic RSV 200 Hip Hugger.
Uses the same performance motor as the NVQ380 (see above under “dry canister vacuums”) with 120 cfm and 90″ waterlift. Full swivel at both ends of hose for ease of use. No kinking 42-foot cord. .5 micron Permatex permanent bag. Paper disposable bags are optional and suggested. 2.5 gal capacity. Thermal protection overload cutoff protects motor and protects operator. Padded, orthopedically-designed back support minimizes operator fatigue. Keeps the weight on the hips rather than on the back & shoulders.
Typical excellence of design and performance as with all our Numatic vacuums.
“Click” here to go to our webpage on the Numatic RSV 200 Hip Hugger Backpack Vacuum.
We represent other backpack manufacturers, as well; however, our suggestion is the Numatic.
Please contact us with any questions you may have as to commercial vacuums – we carry a range of product beyond what we have listed here – toll free at 866-738-3726 or via e-mail.
