Dust extraction - with a difference?

[Mike313]

Hi Folks,
I've very recently moved to a small detached house with a potentially nice 1/3 acre garden that I hope will be my 'forever home'. It is exactly what I have been searching for in that it has two bedrooms, a large living room, a kitchen big enough to dine in and, of course, a bathroom. So not palatial but adequate for my needs. It ALSO has a BASEMENT (albeit with a low ceiling) with its own WC and hand-basin, making it my (almost) ideal workshop space. At perhaps 25sq.m., it is certainly the best and biggest space I have ever had as a workshop. Once again, not palatial but adequate for my needs.
My stuff has just been delivered and I am in the process of emptying boxes and deciding where stuff should go.
I positioned my Record Power DX1000 dust extractor in the basement where I thought it would work well and then realised it was exactly under a corner of the hall above and the landing above that.
Now at this point I should mention that I had been looking at buying a new vacuum cleaner and had wondered whether the expense of a centralised vacuum system was worth the money. They're not cheap but the idea of the vacuum cleaner not exhausting very fine particles of dust into the room being vacuumed appealed to me.
In a light-bulb moment, I wondered if I could connect the appropriate pipework to my DX1000 to use it as a centralised vacuum system?
In it's previous location, it worked to extract from individual machine and then, with the correct hose attached, served well as a vacuum cleaner to clean up my workshop.
I'm far from being knowledgeable in the subject of vacuum cleaning, but am I wrong in thinking I could save a fortune by just adding some pipework to my workshop dust collection system and make an improvised but workable central vacuum system?
I should add that I will also be running a Record Power AC400 Air Filter in the workshop. I normally run the DX1000 with one machine at a time and would do likewise with the domestic vacuum system, if I were to install one.
Before I buy the pipework and the special outlets, am I wrong to think this will work?
All advice welcomed

[Twisted Trees]

I know people with workshops in the basement, but I have no knowledge on vacuum cleaning. I have a wife who cleans up behind me  The DX1000 is not the most powerful vac in the world and ducting length may be a factor to consider .

[Mike313]

The DX1000 will be mounted just under the basement ceiling. What I had in mind is a vertical pipe from the top of the DX1000 straight up from basement through the ground floor hallway to first floor landing level with a vacuum port at about a foot above the hallway floor and the landing floor - a distance of about 15 feet. So not a great distance and a straight vertical run. I’m tempted to give it a go. I’m just wondering if someone has ever done it, or can see any snags in doing so . . . .

[Bill21]

As Pete says, the DX1000 isn’t the most powerful vac on the market.  If it were me I’d buy the pipe you intend to use and do a dummy run, checking the amount of suction at various points.
In addition, it may be worth checking out the manufacturers specifications for these centralised vac systems to see how much suction is needed. Good luck with the project and let us know how you get on if you proceed.

[jay]

      Dust collectors tend to be high volume low suction . Carpet cleaner vacs  tend to be low volume ,high  suction . I have found that dust collectors generally are very weak carpet vacs . As mentioned duct length ,pipe diameter and number of elbows radically reduce flow  in either system . Central vac 90's are wider radius than plumbing 90's . My dust collector is about 35m2 /min but would not work well on carpet but swallows paste wax tins in a gulp ( don't ask how I know )

[Richard_C]

All you are saving is the motor, you still need to own, and store, all the sucky bits that fit into the central pipework.  Need a long sucky bit to reach around and under beds and things.  Is it worth it?  You are also tied in to a system that is part of the house, so you will need to maintain and replace the basement motor even if  you are long past wanting a workshop down there.

After many iterations of house vacuum (over 50+ years) I ended up with the very basic dyson* battery operated stick, V7? perhaps.  Replaced the battery after 4 years, otherwise still going strong and it has 2 stage filtration with a washable final filter.  Now, you all say, it only runs for 20 minutes or so.  Not enough.  Yes but.  Once upon a time vacuuming was an event, you dragged the cleaner out of the cupboard, fought the electric lead into submission and did the whole house.  Now you just take it off the wall and do what's needed when needed in just a few minutes.   No more 'cleaning days'.

Off now to suck up a few dead flies in the conservatory, might take all of 3 minutes to get the machine, do the job and put it back.

* other makes are available, not sure I would buy dyson again after he took loads of business support from UKGovt then shuffled off to Singapore to avoid tax.  Plus his hand dryers are about 70dB and sound horrible in small spaces and en mass in public buildings.