I’ll begin this review by saying this is my third central vacuum installation, all were post-construction. I began by running a 20 amp. 12 gauge wire circuit to where the power unit would be installed in the basement of our single story home. The power unit draws 11.6 amps. , the powered nozzle draws 2.5 amps. , and I wanted to make sure the units had good electrical supply since they are supplied by the same circuit. If the installation were a rough in situation, the 120 VAC would be taken from an outlet near the wall inlet. I’m sure a standard 15 amp. supply would work OK, especially if you use the pigtail option for the hose. The installation I did uses direct connect inlets and hose, so there is a 120 VAC circuit at each inlet in addition to the low voltage circuit that controls the power unit from the hose handle. I used Hayden Supervalve wall inlets for this installation. The hose came with the necessary parts to convert it from pigtail to direct connect use which took about 5 minutes. The hose has a three way switch on the handle. This allows you to turn the power unit on/off and turn the power nozzle on/off. I mounted the CV12000 power unit on a wall in the basement centered under the floor plan. This allows the piping runs to be as short as possible to minimize the suction losses and I used both side ports on the power unit. I also did not use the close 90 degree elbows in the piping runs, only 45s & sweep 90s. This installation has four inlets on the main floor and the one on the power unit in the basement. This unit is the quietest central vacuum I’ve owned. It’s also the most powerful one. The noise level when running is 70 decibels @ 4’ distance and is not heard at all upstairs when running. The exhaust is piped outside through the supplied muffler and the exhaust noise is virtually silent. The power nozzle makes less noise than our old Dyson DC65 Animal, but picks up far better. This system cleans far better than any upright vacuum we have owned. The WesselWerk EBK360 power nozzle rolls easily, is easier to steer than the Dyson and is heavy enough to maintain good contact with the flooring. The power nozzle is also low enough to slide under beds and chairs. Something you can’t easily do with most upright vacuums. The bag less dust bin is very neat and easy to empty. I just put a small trash bag over it and dump the contents. I’ve had both bagged and bag less central vacuums and prefer the bag less system. The three stage filter system in the CV12000 works quite well. Over the years, not having to make sure to always have spare bags on hand is worthwhile, not to mention less expensive. The accessory set that comes with this package is very complete even containing a second, non powered wand for use with non powered accessories. I added a hose sock to keep the hose from marking wall corners and to allow it to slide more easily on hard surfaces floors, but if the system is laid out so the hose is not being stretched, you may not need one. The powered hose, telescoping wand, and power nozzle all connect with locking connectors to maintain good electrical contact. The connectors unlock with ease if needed. All in all, a great central vacuum system and we are looking forward to many years of use from it. One additional comment, the service I received from the GreatVacs support folks while gathering information on the CV12000 was just outstanding. Even odd questions were checked for the correct answer. No blowing smoke with these service folks.
