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Two-Motor Power Team Design & Benefits
A Two-Motor Power Team is a 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. A
central vacuum system with a motorized power nozzle is a unique type
of power team in that the main canister part is mounted on a basement
or garage wall. For examples of excellent power teams, see our list of
Ristenbatt Vacuum's Preferred Models.
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Suction Produced by the Two-Motor Power Team |
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The suction motor design in a standard
canister and power team creates significantly more actual
suction (pressure difference) than the
traditional upright motor design. This is important for effective cleaning
with a hose and attachments due to the higher
resistance to air flow present in the hose. The velocity of the
air flow plus the amount of the carpet
agitation by the power nozzle determines
how well a power team will pick up the dirt. For more about suction
motor and fan designs, see our articles on Suction
Motor Design & Operation and Fan or Impeller
Types & Performance.
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Performance with Attachments |
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Uprights and power teams specialize in cleaning carpets, but a power
team will typically have significantly more suction for cleaning with its
attachments. On-board attachments on uprights are handy to clean a corner
or your upholstered furniture but are somewhat limited in what they can do
efficiently. A power team usually has a longer hose, additional
attachments for cleaning floors and more suction when using the
attachments. They are easily pulled around by their hose, something
uprights usually won't do without tipping over. Many power teams carry
their attachments conveniently with them for fast switching from one
to another. Power teams easily compete with uprights when it comes to
effectively cleaning carpeted floors and are generally more versatile
with the attachments.
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Air Flow and Filtration Aspects |
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The air enters the nozzle near the floor and travels through the
wands and hose toward the paper filter bag, carrying the dirt
with it. The bag retains most of the dirt and dust while allowing the
air to pass through its filter media. The air then travels through a
filter pad to be cleaned further before entering the high speed suction
fan or fans. Since the air is quite clean, it is allowed to
flow through the motor to cool it. After
leaving the motor the air is often filtered by additional exhaust filters
to remove even more fine particles and carbon from the
motor brushes before it leaves the
vacuum cleaner. Since the "clean-air" suction motor design creates more
suction (pressure difference) than a traditional upright design, more
filtering can be done without significantly effecting the air flow.
"Clean-air" uprights, standard canisters and power teams can easily have
filtration efficiencies which meet the HEPA
specification when equipped with appropriate filters. When equipped with
a high efficiency exhaust filter like HEPA, the vacuum should be completely
sealed from input to exhaust to ensure that all air passes through all
filters to be cleaned by them.
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Examples of Effective Canisters and Power Teams |
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More powerful canister suction motors tend to contain two fan
stages pulling in series. Most canister types manufactured in the U.S.A.
have only one fan while most earlier canisters made in Europe and imported into
the U.S.A. have two-fan motors. However, some newer motor designs, like
the Miele
Vortex Motor used in canisters and power teams like the
Miele S5 and Miele S4 Galaxy
series models produce high suction and air flow amounts with only one
fan. The SEBO C3.1 and compact
SEBO K3 power teams also have 1-fan
motors that develop similar suction to the Miele vacuums.
Two-fan canisters made in the U.S.A. include the Filter Queen
Majestic by Health-Mor, Inc., the Aerus
Tank by the Aerus (formerly Electrolux), the
TriStar, and the
Rainbow by Rexair, Inc. A two-fan motor
typically will create about one-third more
suction than a one-fan motor having the same
peak horse power or amperage rating.
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Power Nozzle Design Factors and Performance |
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A power nozzle is 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 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 air flow, reducing the velocity
of the air flow through the system. Another important aspect in a power
nozzle is the belt. Most use a flat stretch type rubber belt to transfer the
power from the motor to the revolving brush roll. Since these will gradually
stretch and slip more as time goes by, they should be replaced at least once
a year to maintain good performance. Some power nozzles, like the
Lindhaus,
SEBO,
Sanitaire,
Electrolux
and Aerus
use cog type belts.
This superior design eliminates belt slippage for better carpet
agitation and extends the belt life to about
five to seven years.
A two-motor power team vacuum cleaner is very versatile, providing
superior suction for use with the attachments. Since it includes a
motorized power nozzle it will clean all surfaces, including carpeted
floors, effectively. Power nozzles which use a non-slip cog type belt
maintain fairly consistent cleaning performance over the full life of the
belt. Power teams provide an excellent alternative to using an upright
with on-board attachments. Also, extremely high filtration efficiencies
can be obtained with HEPA filtration systems.
PageType: Educational
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