Get free Home Improvement Articles

Summit Stair Lifts - Old Fashioned And Out Of Date?

by ROBIN OBRIEN

Summit stair lifts are among the cheapest on the market today. But, they’ve been accused of being old fashioned and obsolete and not giving the consumer the advantages offered by other brands. Are Summit stair lifts old hat? Should you go out and buy one? Many have discovered the real benefits of installing a home stair lift. Those with mobility problems are finding that these appliances allow them to get back their entire home and alleviate the worry of getting home help or moving to a single storey house.

Unfortunately, many of these who really need one have very small budgets and can’t afford the price of many leading brands. Summit stair lifts specialize in filling this niche. They make a machine that is cheap, safe and reliable. However, other manufacturers have accused them of making a very inferior product that is out of date. But, how true is this accusation?

When electric stair lifts first came on to the market they were all powered by mains AC power. Battery technology was not sufficiently advanced to operate stair lifts. However, times have changed and now nearly all models now sold use 24 volt DC rechargeable battery units. Summit lifts continue to be mains powered and this one main reason why others say their product is out of date.

There are a number of advantages in using batteries. Installation is easy, the unit can still be used when there is a power outage and, it is claimed, that DC batteries provide a much smoother ride than mains power.

While the above may be true, there are advantages to be had using a mains supply. The big advantage of mains powered units is that you can use them constantly - batteries need to be recharged after about 20 round trips up and down the stairs. So, if you will be using your chair lift a lot or if more than one person will be using it, the mains powered Summit stair lift doesn’t sound that out dated.

As for the claim that battery powered units give a smoother ride, the average user isn’t going to notice this when they’re traveling at around 20 feet per minute. Also, the technology used in motors is now better than it was. I doubt if many people could tell the difference in terms of ride comfort whether they were using a Summit or a Bruno stair lift (which is battery powered).

The drive mechanism of most modern lifts is by rack and pinion. However, the Summit continues to use a cable system. There are many arguments as to which system is better. Summit argue that rack and pinion need regular cleaning and maintenance, but many top rated stair lifts like Bruno, Acorn and Stannah all have sealed units that don’t require any maintenance at all.

Other manufacturers have hit back and claim that cable systems suffer more wear and tear as the cable is constantly moving. However, Summit units come with a five year warranty, which would seem to suggest that the company is confident that its cable system doesn’t suffer any more wear and tear than a rack and pinion system.

If there is one major downside to the Summit unit it is the ride comfort of the cable system. Rack and pinion stair lifts do give a smoother ride than that of cable stair lifts.

Summit stair lifts do use older technology but it is a technology that has been proven to work. It’s also a very reliable product and many customer reviews concur with this. If you’re on a budget and want to buy a low cost stair lift then the Summit is a good option.

credit : www.amazines.com

Best Canister Vacuum Cleaners - Tips On How To Find The One That’s Best For You

by ROBIN OBRIEN

The canister vacuum cleaner is becoming more popular and for many goods reasons. However, to avoid being disappointed with your new purchase, here are some tips to help you buy the canister that’ll work best for you. There are many advantages to using a canister vacuum. They’re easy to use; when you sweep back and forth you’re only pushing and pulling a light wand and cleaning head, unlike an upright where you’re pushing and pulling the whole vacuum, which can weight over 20 lbs. It’s also easier to vacuum under furniture with a canister. Despite, upright design improvements, they just can’t reach as far underneath a piece of furniture. Any decent canister will have onboard tools; many fine uprights still don’t - it’s a real chore to have to fetch tools each time you need them. Finally, all canisters come with automatic rewind of the power cord; you just press a button with your foot and the cord rewinds itself; compare this to an upright were you have manually loop the cord around hooks after you’ve finished using it.

In fact, anything an upright can do, so can a canister - and most times, better.

But before you go out and buy one you should first make a list of your requirements. The single biggest reason why customers complain about their vacuum isn’t because they bought the wrong brand, it’s because the bought the wrong model.

Everyone wants a vacuum with powerful suction. The key component to look at for suction power is the motor. Some manufacturers will waffle on about their ‘unique design’ making their vacuum more powerful, but the truth is, the size of the motor determines the suction power. Motor sizes usually start at around 5 amps all the way upto12 amps. A 5 amp motor is only really suitable for subcompact model (lightweights) and for cleaning hard floor types. If you have deep pile carpets then you need to buy a full size, 12 amp model. Obviously the bigger the motor, the more expensive the vacuum cleaner

The main advantage that uprights used to have over canisters was that they came with rotating brushrolls so they were better at lifting dirt out of carpets. But now you can buy canisters that feature brushrolls and will lift dirt out just as well as any upright. If you have deep pile, fitted carpets, then consider one of these. The Hoover Duros canister vacuum cleaner is an excellent model - it even comes with a headlight on the cleaning head.

Also, many best models of vacuum cleaner come with head that are specially designed to pick up pet hair. If you have pets then you should definitely look for one that comes with a specialized cleaning head.

You also need to think about whether you want a bag or bagless version. Bags are still preferred by most. Removing the bag is easy and clean; you just lift it out and place it in the trash. However, bags are usually proprietary and you will have the ongoing expense of buying that brand of bag. Bagless vacuum cleaners are cyclonic - suction is created by spinning the air around at high velocity. The big advantage of this type of vacuum is that suction is not lost as the bag fills up as it does on conventional bag vacuums. One disadvantage for some people is that emptying the dust cup is not as clean an operation as removing a bag; many complain about dust escaping when emptying the contents into the trash.

Finally, what kind of filter do you want? If you’re not that bothered, then one that comes with a charcoal filter is fine - it’s also the cheapest option. HEPA filters provide much better filtering. However, not all HEPA filters are equal. If you can afford it look to buy a canister vacuum cleaner that comes with a 100% sealed HEPA filter, that way you can rest assured that 99.97% of all particles are retained inside the appliance. The Electrolux Oxygen canister vacuum cleaner comes with an excellent HEPA filter.

Here’s the secret; there’s no such thing as the best canister vacuum cleaner. However, by knowing exactly what you want and only then comparing leading brands like Hoover and Electrolux canister vacuum cleaners, you should be certain of finding the best one for your needs.

credit : www.amazines.com

The All Popular Dyson Vacuum Cleaners

by MIKE SELVON

The Dyson vacuum cleaners are the most popular and common brand of bagless vacuums found on the market today. The benefit of bagless vacuums is that they do not utilize the traditional vacuum bags, so there is no need to buy any. Instead, the dirt is collected in a dustbin which can simply be removed, dumped out and replaced quickly and easily. The Dyson brand of vacuum cleaners are the biggest sellers among bagless models. Because of their popularity, more and more often their design is being used as a model that other manufacturers are copying. This means that there are now a number of choices on the market, if you are interested in getting a bagless vacuum.

This is good news because the Dyson vacuum cleaners are rather expensive, as compared to the other copy-cat models. However, this machine regularly receives very high ratings from owners and also receives very favorable reviews as well. Some people question if the Dyson vacuums are worth the higher price, but most who own the units respond with a resounding “Yes!”

The most recent Dyson model to be introduced to the market is the Dyson DC17 Animal. This model retails at around $550 and has already gotten many positive reviews from those who have had a chance to test it. Virtually all of the reviewers claim that this new model is more powerful and is better designed than it’s predecessor, the Dyson model DC14, which retails at about the same price.

One of the nice extras on this newest model is that is comes with a handheld accessory that has a revolving brush built in. This tool is designed to quickly and easily remove pet hair from any upholstery. Owners are reporting that this new tool is a great timesaver. Another of the new features on the DC17, is an automatic function that adjusts for the pile-height of the carpet being cleaned.

There are some reviewers of this new model who say that while the machine is very good overall, it is not particularly any better or worse than previous models. This is not necessarily any kind of negative comment because the Dyson vacuums have a long history of receiving very high marks.

This simply means that the new model meets the previous high standards for the Dyson brand. One drawback for some is that this new model, like the other Dyson upright vacuums, weighs in at 21 pounds, which some owners feel is just too heavy.

The Dyson model DC17 is not actually a self-propelled model. However, a number of the reviewers made comments about how the very powerful brush-roller effectively pulls the unit across the floor, and the only thing the operator needed to do was to steer it. In testing against the Hoover Wind Tunnel and the Shark Infinity vacuums, the Dyson DC17 was reported to be much easier than the Shark or the Hoover vacuum to push and to maneuver around the room.

As with any vacuum, bagless or not, the dustbin must be cleaned out regularly. The Dyson models make it simple to know when it is time to clean the collection dustbin because they are clear, so the operator can see exactly when it is full. Many owners of Dyson vacuum cleaners say that it is the best vacuum cleaner that can be found on the market.

credit by : http://www.amazines.com/Home_Improvement/article_detail.cfm/394896?articleid=394896