Cleaning Sustainability Study Professional Testing Laboratory

Indoor Air Quality Test Results
Scientific Study Finds Beam Central Vacuum Superior to Portable Vacs

A Beam Central Vacuum System assures superior indoor air quality over portable vacuums and sustained like-new cleaning performance, according to an independent study that compared short- and long-term soil removal and emissions of leading upright vacuums and central vacuum systems.

The research

In a series of tests that compared short-and long-term soil removal and dust emission control, of five leading upright vacuums and the Beam Serenity® Plus Central Vacuum System, technicians at Professional Testing Laboratory, Dalton, Ga., found two top-performing upright vacuums’ soil removal fell 10 percent to nearly 14 percent from the beginning to the end of the test, while the Beam system maintained consistent soil removal.

The findings

“The Beam system delivered impressive, sustained cleaning capability from the beginning to the end of the study,” says Gary Asbury, president of PTL.

”The Beam Serenity Plus also maintained consistent emission control, releasing less than 6.6 micrograms per cubic meter of respirable particulates throughout the study, fewer than any of the uprights tested. Three uprights that maintained their soil removal capabilities experienced major decreases in filtration, triggering increases in particle emissions ranging from a near doubling to more than 4,300 micrograms per cubic meter.

Dust Emissions Test
Particulates emitted during vacuuming after repeated use.

Upright vacs experienced sharp increases in breathable emissions after 10 uses. With the Beam system, emissions remained low.

Each of the products studied was tested in brand-new condition and after repeated use. Technicians at PTL used each product to vacuum carpet containing approximately one liter of dirt and debris from previous vacuumings plus 50 grams of ISO Fine test dust that included particles as small as mold spores, dust mites, pollen and other contaminants that are associated with health problems.

The study included the use of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology enhanced by NASA to provide accurate analysis of soil-like elements removed from the test carpet. According to KeyMaster Technologies, a Kennewick, Wash. firm that developed the hand-held XRF scanner in collaboration with NASA, the tests marked the first use of XRF technology to analyze the cleaning performance of floor-care products.

The soil-removal tests were repeated until each portable vacuum’s dirt container was approximately half filled and emptied 10 times, as recommended by the manufacturers. Each product also operated in a state-of-the-art emissions chamber when it was brand new and after 10 loadings to measure respirable particulates emitted by each product during vacuuming.

Soil Removal Ability Test
Ability to clean carpet after 10 uses.

Soil removal capability of Dyson and Hoover portables decreased with repeated use, but was virtually unchanged with Beam.

Videotape taken at the conclusion of the test also showed that users of all of the products could be exposed to dust that would be stirred up by emptying the collection receptacle. A much larger collection receptacle for the Beam Central Vacuum System requires less frequent emptying and less frequent exposure to dust. Because the central vacuum system power unit typically is installed in a garage, emptying the collection receptacle is unlikely to reintroduce dirt into the living area.

Lars Hybel, Vice President International at Electrolux Central Vacuum Systems, says the PTL test results help explain why allergic rhinitis patients who participated in a recent University of California, Davis, clinical study experienced a significant reduction in each of their allergy symptoms when they used a Beam Central Vacuum System to clean their homes. The UC-Davis study participants recorded a 44 percent to 61 percent improvement in sleep, nasal, non-nasal, eye, and emotional symptoms, were more active and experienced fewer practical problems when they cleaned with Beam Central Vacuum Systems instead of portable vacuums.

“The consistent control of emissions from a central vacuum system means there are fewer airborne particles in the living area to trigger allergic reactions,” says Hybel. “Homeowners who use a Beam Central Vacuum System are going to be able to have a clean home that has fewer allergens and is a healthier place to live.