EDITOR’S NOTE: This is second in a series of Home Improvement Articles on home maintenance presented by LaDon Buff. Buff is the owner of Waldorf Sew-N-Vac in Waldorf and has 30-years of experience in the floor care industry. He is also the Owner of Severna Sew & Vac in Severna Park. For more information about floor care you can go to www.sewvac.com or call (301) 870-8322.
Many consumers ask if bagless vacuum cleaners are better. Experts say no. Bagless vacuum cleaners have been around since the vacuum was invented. Bags were invented to trap the dirt and make it easily disposable and provide better filtration.
The lure of bagless is that the manufacturers lead the consumer to believe that they will never have to buy bags and do not explain that will have to buy filters instead. The annual cost of filters easily exceeds the cost of bags.
The filtration issue is also a lure that makes bagless attractive at first glance. However, research shows that on a bagless vacuum everywhere there is a seal there is a potential leak. With bag type vacuums the bag acts as a primary filter and furthering the argument for bags is that the technology has advanced to the point that the material used in filter bags is as good as most final filters needed in bagless vacuums.
Since the bag is the first line of defense against dust seepage it is less likely to leak out of seals and gaskets. The new higher efficiency bags also prolong the life of any secondary or H.E.P.A. filters because the filter is not exposed to the bulk of the dirt being picked up.
Since there is no primary filter in a bagless vacuum to contain the small particulate matter in the dust compartment dust escapes from the seals on the container and clogs the filter faster. When emptying the container a person is exposed to breathing the dust and in most cases has to clean off the filter. Compare this to the bag type vacuum where you just throw away the bag and install a new one. Many customers complain that buying bags is inconvenient and think they are solving a problem by not having to buy them. The trade-off is now the customer has to buy filters and the cost is higher and they are harder to find. Most department and discount stores sell bagless vacuums that come from China and the model selection is ever changing.
These stores provide little help with acquiring filters and parts after the sale. Floor care professionals agree that bag type vacuums require less maintenance, are less expensive to maintain and contain dust better than bagless vacuums. Remember, at one time all vacuum cleaners were bagless. The bag was invented to make emptying the vacuum easier and more sanitary and the consensus is that they still do.
In conclusion when a bag is full the user will empty it. When a bagless filter is full, most users will continue to bang the dirt off of the outside long after the filter media has reached its saturation point. This causes the motor to run hot and lose airflow which eventually leads to a clogged vacuum cleaner or motor failure. Remember a Bag is a filter and all vacuum cleaners have filters.
