A GLOSSARY OF VACUUM TERMS

ABS Plastics
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastics are used extensively in the molding of vacuum cleaner cases and trim parts. It is an economical plastic which is lightweight but strong and resists stains and chemicals.

Activated Charcoal
Charcoal from which most of the impurities have been removed. It is made by treating of ordinary charcoal with steam and air heated to above 600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is the best absorbent since its many empty spaces give it a large internal surface to hold particles.

Agitation
The process of moving in a rapid and violent manner. Carpet is usually agitated by the brushes and sometimes a beater bar on the revolving brush roll in a vacuum cleaner.

Air Flow
The movement of air from one location to another. In a vacuum cleaner, it generally refers to the movement of air through the vacuum cleaner or central vacuum system and is measured in cubic feet per minute (C.F.M.) It is one of the most important aspects of vacuum cleaner performance. Airflow in a vacuum cleaner in inversely proportional to the total resistance within the system and directly proportional to the suction created by the suction motor.

Air Pressure
The pressure of atmospheric or compressed air. At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 1,013.2 millibars or 14.69 pounds per square inch. A vacuum cleaner’s suction motor reduces the air pressure in order to create airflow.

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Air Watts
A specification developed in an effort to rate the output power of the vacuum cleaner instead of its input power. It is based on suction with airflow as measured at the vacuum cleaner inlet.

Allergen Filtration Bags
A special name Hoover gives to their high filtration dusbags. They are also known as Micro Filtration dustbags. According to Hoover, this dustbag “Traps 99% of particles down to 5 microns! Filters a wide range of airborne particles including many pollens, spores, other allergens and dust mites. Ideal for many with dust related or allergic discomforts. Electrostatically charged inner liner enhances the capture of extremely fine particles.”

Amperage (Amps)
The strength of an electric current flowing through a wire or other electrical conductor expressed in amperes (amps). One ampere of current will flow through a conductor having one ohm of resistance when a potential of one volt is applied to it. Vacuum cleaners are often rated by the amount of amperage drawn from the electrical outlet which flows through them. The maximum permitted for UL approval is 12 Amps.

Armature
An armature is made of a laminated steel core which is wound with copper enamel-insulated wire. The windings are attached to a copper commutator near one end of the armature. It can be considered the heart of a motor since it is the armature’s rotation, motivated by electrically created magnetic fields within the motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

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Bakelite
Bakelite is an important thermosetting resin made from phenol and formaldehyde which can be infection molded to make parts which are resistant to heat, chemicals and moisture.

Ball Bearing
A low friction type of bearing in which round steel balls rotate between an spinning inner race (small steel ring with a rounded groove on its outer surface) and a stationary outer race (larger steel ring with a rounded groove on its inner surface). The sides often have shield or seal rings to retain the grease and keep the bearing as clean as possible.

Beater Bar
A long rigid bar or raised area on a revolving brush roll which pushes the carpet away form the roll, creating a rapid beating action. Stiff bristles on a brush roll can have a similar effect.

Beating Action
The rapid hitting action caused by a beater bar or stiff bristles on a brush roll. The effect of this is helping work the dirt and grit toward the top of the carpet.

Brush Roll
The brush roll is the part of a vacuum cleaner which contains rows of bristles and sometimes beater bars to agitate the carpet in order to significantly aid in the removal of dirt of from it. While often being in the shape of a cylinder, some are contoured being more like and auger in appearance. It is mounted in the nozzle by its ends and contains bearings which allow it to be rotated at a high speed by the brush motor or turbine. Most vacuum cleaners use the same motor to create the suction and rotate the brush roll.

Brushing Action
The act of brushing a carpet’s fibers, often by revolving brush roll. This is a significant part of the agitation process performed by an upright or power nozzle, effectively removing dirt from the carpets.

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Bypass Cooling
A type of motor cooling design which incorporates a separate airflow through the motor to cool it. The main airflow, which picks up the dirt travels through the suction fan or fans but bypasses the motor itself. This prevents residual dirt or moisture in the main airflow from coming in contact with the armature, field, carbon brushes, etc. Bypass cooling is always incorporate din wet/dry vacuum cleaners as well as the traditional “dirty air” uprights. A motor is either a bypass cooled type or a flow through cooled type.

C.F. M.
Represents Cubic Feet per Minute. The specification typically used to indicate the amount of airflow which will pass through a clean vacuum cleaner power unit when running by itself. When rating the main power unit of a central vacuum system, it is normally measured at the 2” opening where the 2” piping will be attached.

Canister Type
The type of vacuum cleaner that houses the suction motor and filtering system in a somewhat square or rectangular container. Typically incorporating a “clean-air” system, they are known for producing strong suction for use with the attachments. When a power nozzle is part of the system it is often referred to as a “power team.” A canister type vacuum cleaner usually contains wheels which allow it to be pulled after the user by its hose.

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Central Vacuum System
A stationary type of canister vacuum cleaner which is usually mounted in the basement of garage. Being stationary, the units usually have larger and more powerful motors than those that can be use in the portable vacuum cleaners. Hose inlets are mounted in the walls and 2” PVC pipe is installed to carry the dirt-laden air to the central power unit. A special 30’ long hose allows the user to conveniently reach into every part of the house to effectively clean it. Performance in central systems is greatly enhances by the use of a power nozzle containing a motor driven revolving brush roll to deep clean carpets. These systems are often highly recommended by allergists since the main airflow is typically exhausted outside the house, preventing the recirculation of fine dust and allergens within the house.

Clean-Air Design
A vacuum cleaner design in which the airflow which picks up the dirt is cleaned by the filtering system before it passes through the fan or fans of the suction motor. This design eliminates fan breakage problems which can be caused when objects are picked up by a dirty-air system. Also, it typically produces significantly more suction, especially when a hose and attachments are used.

Cleaning Effectiveness
There are two different ways of viewing cleaning effectiveness. The most common use has to do with the ability of a vacuum cleaner to pick up dirt from the surface being cleaned. The other has to do with the ability of the filtering system to clean the air so a minimum amount of dirt and allergens is recirculated back into the home.

Commutator
A commutator is the part of an armature which has individual bars of copper which are positioned in the shape of a drum. The motor brushes are held against the commutator in order to carry the electrical current to the armature windings which are connected to it.

Current
Electrically speaking the flow of electrical charges through a wire or conductor. Usually rated as amperage (amps).

Cyclonic
Relative to filtration systems, cyclonic systems separate the dust particles from the airflow by spinning the air within a separation chamber. The spinning causes centrifugal force to act upon the dust particles, moving them outward while the air exits from the inner part of the chamber. Some cleaners use multiple chambers and most cleaners add filters to increase the total system filtration efficiency.

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Direct Air System
A vacuum cleaner design in which the air flow which picked up the dirt passes directly through the fan of the suction motor and into the bag. While usually not producing as much suction for use with attachments, this design often will produce more airflow when working with large openings and short airflow distances. This is another name for a system using the Dirty-Air traditional upright design.

Edge Brushing
On many newer power nozzles and uprights, the brush roll is designed so that its bristles reach fairly close to the edge of the nozzle to enable brushing very close to the carpet’s edges. Dual edge brushing (both sides) can be obtained by running the belt either in the center of the roll or a few inches from one end instead of at eh very end of the roll.

Efficiency Rating
There are two completely different ways to rate the efficiency of a vacuum cleaner. The most important way of stating the efficiency has to do with rating how well a vacuum cleaner filters the air to remove dust and allergens. The HEPA and ULPA specifications use this type of rating. The other way of viewing the efficiency rating has to do with stating the cleaning effectiveness relative to the amount of power being used to produce it.

Electric Hoses
A special type of vacuum cleaner hose which has internal wires which carry the electrical current which runs the power nozzle’s motor. Often these same wires are used to reinforce the hose but not always as in the case of crush resistant hoses.

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Electrostatic Filter
A type of filter media consisting of very fine synthetic fibers on which a static electric charge builds as air passes through them. This charge attracts even the smallest of dust and allergen particles, aiding the filter in retaining them.

Fan
The fan or impeller is the disk shaped structure with fins that creates the actual suction in a vacuum cleaner.

Field
Relative to a vacuum cleaner motor, the field consists of a laminated iron frame on which one or two coils of copper wire are wound. It is shaped so that it wraps around the core of the armature on two opposite sides. The flow of electrical current through the coils creates a magnetic field which interacts with the magnetic fields created by the coils on the armature to cause the armature to rotate.

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Filteraire Bags
A special name Eureka gives to their high filtration dusbags. According to Eureka, these “Bags are capable of filtering out over 99% of pollens, 98% of selected bacteria and 95 % of all yeast and fungi that would normally be put back into your home’s air after vacuuming with standard dustbags. Filteraire bags trap 5 times more of these particles than standard dustbags”

Filtration Efficiency
The percentage of particles retained by the filter as air passing through it. The size of the particles is typically specified since the filtering efficiency increases as particle size increases.

Filtration System
The system through which air passes to have particles removed from it. It typically consists of a series of filters made from various filter media. Various components which can be used in filtering systems include paper bags, nylon electrostatic filters, glass fiber paper filters, cloth or foam filters, cyclonic chambers and even water.

Flow-Thru Cooled
The suction motor design where the airflow which picked up the dirt travels through both the suction fans and the actual motor itself to cool it. This type of motor can only be used in vacuum cleaners which incorporate the “clean air” design so that very little residual dust is present in the main airflow.

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Genuine
When used relative to supplies or parts, this term indicates that the item was manufactured or marketed by the same company that manufactured the product in which it is used. This manufacturer is often called the Original Equipment Manufacturer. See Genuine vs. Generic for the importance of using dustbags marketed by the OEM.

Graduated Filtration
A filtering system wherein each filter in the series of filters is designed to remove particles which are smaller then the previous filter. This enhances airflow and extends the filter media’s effective life span.

HEPA
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a filtering efficiency specification for filters developed by the Atomic Energy Commission during World War II to effectively remove radioactive dust from plant exhausts without redistribution. A HEPA filter must be capable of capturing 99.97% of all particles as small as 0.3 (micrometers, formerly microns) in size from the air which flows through it. The phrase “as small as” means that if all particles were that small, it would still have that efficiency. This should not be confused with the phrase “down to” which may mean a mixture of particle sizes for the stated efficiency. Certified HEPA filters, like those used by Miele and Lindhous, are tested and marked with a certification number which gives the user the assurance that the HEPA specification efficiency is actually being achieved by the filter. The HEPA acronym is used primarily in the USA whereas Europeans often refer to the same filter as an S-Class filter. This indicates that the filter meets stringent standards like the British Standard 5415 and German norm: DIN 2418B Ti-E EU 13 for filtration performance.

HEPA Type
A type of filter or paper bag which uses similar construction or fibers to that used in a true HEPA filter. Some are thick filter pads which actually meet the stringent HEPA filtration specification. While being a significant improvement over regular filters, the vacuum that uses it may not have a completely sealed filtration system so there is no guarantee that the stringent HEPA specification will be met by it. Manufacturers who use Certified HEPA filters tend to consider any non-certified HEPA filter to be a “HEPA Type” filter.

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HEPA Type Bags
A special name Royal gives to their high filtration dustbags. According to Royal, their HEPA Type dustbag is “Lined with Electrostatically charged fibers. Fine dust and pollen particles are trapped to keep the air returning to your room 99.9% ‘Fresh’. Ideal for Allergy Suffers. HEPA is an acronym for High Efficiency Particle Arrestance and describes a special type of extended surface, deep bedded, randomly positioned fibrous material media.” HEPA Type dustbags and filters often do not meet the stringent HEPA specification.

Inertia
The tendency of matter to remain stationary if not moving or to keep moving in the same direction if not stationary. Inertia is what causes the air in a fan to move outward as it spins since it tries to move in a straight line.

IntensiveClean Bags
A special name Miele gives to their high filtration dustbags. Miele states “First and foremost, the unique new material which composes IntensiveClean dustbags has made significant progress in the quality of filtration: Thanks to its intricate web of three-ply random-spun polymer fibers, far more tiny particles and allergens are retained than with conventional paper bags. This alone accounts for a reduction in dust emissions from the dustbag of up to 50%, based on levels which were already extremely low.

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Lexan
Lexan is GE’s registered trademark for a particular polycarbonate resin. For more information, see our article on External Structure Materials & Durability or General Electric’s articles on GE Plastics and Designing with LEXAN Resin.

Load
Relative to a vacuum cleaner, the object (mass) or device to which the power of the electric motor or turbine is delivered. The forces applied by the power of the brush motor or turbine enable the brush roll to revolve, its brushes and beater bars moving the carpet fibers. The forces applied by the power of the suction motor enable the fans to spin, moving the air that is entering them.

Magnetic Field
The area near a current-carrying conductor or a magnetic object in which the forces due to the magnetic object or current can be detected. The strength of magnetic fields is increased by wrapping the conductor (typically an enamel-insulated wire) around a soft iron object. This is done in the construction of the armatures and fields used in vacuum motors.

MicroFiltration Bags
A special name Hoover gives to their high filtration dustbags. They are also known as Allergen Filtration dustbags. According to Hoover, this dustbag “Traps 99% of particles down to 5 microns! Filters a wide range of airborne particles including many pollens, spores, other allergens and dust mites. Ideal for many with dust related or allergic discomforts. Electrostatically charged liner enhances the capture of extremely fine particles.”

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Micrometer
A unit of measure equal to 1/1,000,000 meter. To put this into perspective, the diameter of a human hair is typically 80 to 100 micrometers. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly known as the National Bureau of Standards) as stated in their Metric Style Guide this term should be used instead of the obsolete term micron,

Micron Bags
A special name Panasonic gives to their high filtration dustbags. According to Panasonic, their bags have a “Total Efficiency of 99.9% at five microns. Can even trap some particles as small as 0.1 microns.”

Micron Filter
This type of filter gets its name from its ability to trap micron (micrometer) size particles at a very high efficiency rate. Its filter media consists of very fine synthetic fibers on which a static electric charge builds as air passes through them. This charge attracts even the smallest of dust and allergen particles, aiding the filter in retaining them.

Millibar (mbar)
A unit of measurement typically used in the USA to report atmospheric pressure. A newer term for millibars used by the US scientists and the rest of the world is hectopascals (hPa). You may see the suction of a European vacuum cleaner related in millibars. To convert from millibars to inches of mercury, multiply it by 0.02953. Since mercury has a specific gravity of 13.546, you then need to multiply the inches of mercury by 13.546 to get inches of water lift. Alternately, you can simply multiply millibars by .04 to get inches of water lift.

Motor Brushes
In a vacuum cleaner motor, the motor brushes are carbon rods which are held against the commutator in order to carry the electrical current to the windings on the armature. They are often called “carbon brushes” as well.

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Nylon
Nylon is one of the toughest, strongest and most elastic substances. The discovery of nylon in 1935 by Wallace H. Carothers, while working at the E.I du Pont de Nemours & Company (now Dupont), is considered one of the most important chemical discoveries in history.

OEM
When used relative to supplies or parts, this acronym means “Original Equipment Manufacturer? And indicates that the item was manufactured or marketed by the same company that manufactured the product in which it is used. When this is true, the product is often said to be “Genuine”. See Genuine vs. Generic Dustbags for the importance of using dustbags marketed by the OEM.

Paper Bag
The paper bag in a vacuum cleaner consists of a special paper enclosure into which the dirt and air are directed as part of the filtering system. The paper used is specially processed to permit the air to pass through it while retaining as much of the dust and dirt as possible.

Peak Horse Power
An exaggerated rating of the output of a vacuum cleaner suction motor measuring the horsepower using the formula which is based on torque per second. Se also Peak Horse Power in our article on the Power of the Suction Motor.

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Polycarbonate
An extremely tough and strong synthetic plastic with the ability to maintain its shape and size even under great stresses over a wide range of temperatures. It is an ideal engineering plastic since it can be injection molded, blow molded, or extruded.

Polymerization
The process by which small molecules called monomers are linked to form giant long-chain molecules called polymers.

Power
Relative to vacuum cleaners, the physical or mechanical force or energy that is applied to the load. Typically, the electrical power is transferred from the household electrical outlet to the electric motor where it is converted to mechanical power. The mechanical power is then transferred to the load of the brush roll or fan. When a turbine is used to drive a brush roll, it actually removes the power it applies from the airflow, reducing the velocity of the air flowing through the system.

Power Nozzle
A special attachment for deep cleaning carpets. It incorporates a revolving brush roll similar to that used to in the upright type of vacuum cleaner and an electric motor to drive it. When using a power nozzle, the electric motor actually adds power to the cleaning system. A power nozzle should not be confused with a turbine nozzle. When a turbine is used instead of an electric motor, the power to drive the brush roll is actually removed from the airflow, reducing the velocity of the air flow through the system.

Power Team Type
The type of vacuum cleaner that teams a canister type vacuum cleaner with a motorized power nozzle. The powerful brushing action of the power nozzle, combined with the strong suction of the clean-air suction motor, enables a power team to perform very well deep cleaning carpets as well as cleaning all other types of surfaces.

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Resistance
Relative to the airflow in a vacuum cleaner or electrical current flow in a wire, the opposition offered to the passage of air or electric through it. Resistance to air flow is present in a number of ways in a vacuum cleaner system. When cleaning carpets, their flow is opposed by the carpet fibers. Air turbulence within a hose is slightly opposes the airflow. Filtering media opposes the airflow since the air must flow around its fibers. Additional opposition builds as filter media becomes partially blocked by dirt particles. This is most noticeable as a paper bag fills with dirt. Opposition to air flow is even present within the suction motor and passes through them. Airflow in a vacuum cleaner is inversely proportional to the total resistance within the system and directly proportional to the suction created by the suction motor.

S-Class Filter
A designation used by Europeans to indicate that a filter meets stringent standards like the British Standard 5415 and German norm: DIN 2418B Ti-E EU 13 for filtration performance. It is essentially the same as the HEPA specification which states that a filter must be capable of capturing 99% of all particles as small as .03 (micrometers – formerly microns) in size from the air which flows through it. The phrase “as small as” means that if all particles were that small, it would still have that efficiency. This should not be confused with the phrase “down to” which may mean a mixture of particle sizes for the stated efficiency.

Sealed Suction
The suction measured when there is no airflow through the suction motor. This is done by completely blocking the inlet of the motor or vacuum cleaner with the gauge. It is a measure of the potential developed when the motor is running at its maximum speed. Resistance to air flow within a system does not affect his measurement.

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Sleeve Bearing
A type of bearing typically consisting of a piece of bronze with a hole into which a steel shaft is inserted. Some are porous and have oil saturated felt surrounding them to provide lubrication. The steel shaft can rotate freely within the hole with very little resistance. This type of bearing can operate quieter than a ball bearing but may not be as durable, especially at higher speeds experienced by suction motors. Sleeve bearings in brush rolls can be as durable as ball bearings due to the dirty environment in which they operate. Sleeve bearings are used extensively as brush roll bearings and moderately as one of the bearings in suction and brush roll motors. They should never be lubricated with standard motor oil or household oil unless the manufacturer’s instructions specify to do so. This action usually will cause a dirt buildup within the bearing, causing premature failure.

Suction
Used broadly, the ability of a vacuum cleaner to efficiently pick up dirt. When used in a more narrow way, it is the actual pull or pressure difference created by the spinning fans I the suction motor. The term suction is often used interchangeably with the term vacuum Air flow in the vacuum cleaner is inversely proportional to the total resistance within the system and directly proportional to the suction created by the suction motor.

Torque
A force that produces or tends to produce rotation on an axis. In an electric motor this is the force from the interaction of the magnetic fields produced by the flow of current through the armature and field coils.

Traditional Upright
A vacuum cleaner design in which the airflow which picked up the dirt passes through the fan of the suction motor before it is cleaned by the filtering system. This designation is used since most uprights used this design since their inception. While usually not producing as much suction for use with attachments, this design often will produce more airflow when working with large opens and short airflow distances. Therefore, this design in an upright usually performs well when cleaning carpets. This type of system is also referred to as a Dirty-Air Design.

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Turbine Nozzle
A special attachment for deep cleaning carpets. It incorporates a revolving brush roll similar to that used in the upright type of vacuum cleaner and air driven turbine to drive it. A turbine nozzle should not be confused with a motorized power nozzle. When a turbine is used instead of an electric motor, the power to drive the brush roll is actually removed from the airflow, reducing the velocity of the airflow through the system. When using a power nozzle, the electric motor actually adds power to the cleaning system.

Twin Ply Microfiltration Bag
A special name Sharp gives to their high filtration dustbags. According to Sharp, “The highly efficient Twin Ply microfiltration dustbag traps over 99% of dust and dirt down to 5 microns. Twin Ply’s electrostatically charged fibers capture fine dust particle for enhanced air filtration and cleaner air in your home.

ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) is a filtering efficiency specification for filters used in environments like pharmaceutical labs wherein the highest degree of clean air must be maintained. An ULPA filter must retain all particles as small as 0.12 (micrometers – formerly microns) in size at an efficiency rat of 99.999%. The phrase “as small as” means that if all particles were that small, it would still have that efficiency. This should not be confused with the phrase “down to” which may mean a mixture of particle sizes for the stated efficiency.

The Nilfisk Portable Dust Collector is an example of a commercial vacuum cleaner which can be equipped with a Certified ULPA filter. Due to its airtight seals, it actually meets the ULPA specification for net filtration. Certified ULPA filters, like those used by NIlfisk, are tested and marked with a certification number which give the user the assurance that the ULPA specification is actually being achieved by the filter.

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Upright Type
A type of vacuum cleaner which is self-contained and has a handle extending vertically form its main case. Typically it contains a revolving brush roll for deep cleaning carpets. Many uprights also have on-board attachments for cleaning furniture and hard-to-reach corners although the suction with them usually isn’t as strong as with the canister types. Being self-contained, uprights are pushed around in front of their users, eliminating the need to pull something behind them.

Vacuum
A total vacuum is the absence of everything, even air. Vacuum cleaners actually create a partial vacuum, or more accurately, an area of reduced air pressure as air moves outward within the fan. Airflow is created as air with normal air pressure moves toward the area with the reduced air pressure.

Velocity of the Air Flow
The speed of the air at any specific location in the vacuum cleaner system. It is the force exerted by the moving air which actually picks up the dirt and moves it into the bag or dirt container.

Vinyl
Polyvinyl chloride, typically called vinyl or PVC, is a very versatile thermoplastic material. It is strong, easily colored and resists abrasion. It can be produced in a very soft form or a rigid form where it has one of the highest combinations of stiffness and impact strength.

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Voltage (Volts)
Electric potential or potential difference, expressed in volts. It is the push and pull of the potential difference between two points which causes electrical current to flow through a wire or device which is connected across them. The voltage in a typical household electrical outlet ranges from 103 to 120 volts.

Water Lift
Relative to vacuum cleaners, water lift is a measurement of the strength of the vacuum produced by the suction motor. Suction gauges used on vacuum cleaners are calibrated in “Inches of Water Lift”. This is equivalent to taking a vertical tube, placing the bottom in a container of water, attaching the vacuum cleaner hose at the top and measuring how high above the water surface the water in the tube rises. By the way, one cubic inch of water weighs 0.036 pounds so the negative pressure in pounds per square inch can be found by multiplying the water lift by 0.036. If you see suction rated in millibars (mbar), multiply that number by 0.4 to convert it to inches of water lift.

Watt (Electrical)
A watt is a unit of measurement of electrical power equal to the rate of work performed by current of one-ampere produce by a potential of one volt. Also, one horsepower (actual, not peak horsepower) equals 746 watts. To find the power of vacuum cleaner motor in watts, simply multiply the amperage rating by the normal household voltage rating of 103 to 120 volts.

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