Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
Anatomy of a Central Vacuum System: 5 Easy Pieces

What goes into a central vacuum system? We lay out the five basic pieces: power unit, piping, inlets, hoses and brushes and accessories.

Do you hate dirt and hate to vacuum? A central vacuum system may be just what you need. Instead of lugging a canister around the home, the heavy lifting is done by a power unit located some place like the garage, where it can barely be heard.

A central vacuum system can also be a healthier and greener choice, as it won’t emit dirt particles into the air, as do some other vacuum systems.

For consumers who are new to the category, we provide the foundations of a central vacuum system.

 1. Power Unit

Drives the system and is usually mounted in the garage.

Bag vs. cyclonic (bagless) filtering: Bag-type systems require users to replace bags, but don’t require venting the system to the outdoors. Cyclonic units require no messy bags, but do need to be exhausted to the outdoors. Typical homes under 6,000 square feet can run off of a dedicated 20-amp, 120-volt circuit. Larger homes may require a larger, dedicated circuit. AirWatts typically indicate the power of the unit, but be cautious of using single high-air watt motors in larger home applications, as they may wear out too soon. Consider a unit with a utility valve on the tank for cleaning the cars and garage Typically code requires the wall between the garage and home to be penetrated with steel pipe. Check local building codes for safety requirements.

2. Piping

Provides suction from the power unit and delivers waste to the power unit.

2-inch special piping tested to specific standards. Cut the pipe with a miter box, chop saw, or tubing cutter. It must have a smooth, straight cut to reduce potential for debris getting stuck. Use wide sweeping turns at all locations after the inlet valve. For less friction loss, make jogs with 45-degree ells instead of 90-degree ells. Low-voltage wire follows along the outside of the pipe. Strap it to the pipe with zip ties or tape. Wire is run in series rather than home-run.

3. Inlets

Installed in the walls between piping and hoses.

Typically, one inlet covers 600 to 900 square feet of living space. Inlets are located at the same height as electrical outlets, but they can also fit in to the baseboards. Inlets are available as “air-only” or electrified. Electricity is required for traditional power brushes, but can still be provided with a separate cord for non-electrified (less expensive) outlets. Remember to place inlets near outdoor patios and porches. Plan for an inlet near the base of the stairs.

4. Hoses

Connect from the inlet to the vacuum cleaner.

Hoses normally come in 30-foot lengths, but 35-footers are available. Consider buying an additional hose and tool set for upstairs. A hose sock can protect baseboards and furniture. Designate a closet to hang the hose and tool set. Options are available for easy-to-tote spools and for hoses (up to 50 feet) that retract into walls.

5. Power Brushes, Accessories

Connect to hoses for cleaning everything from carpeting to pets.

Power brushes are the best central vac accessory for cleaning carpets and other flooring. Most brushes require electricity, but some lower-powered units can operate via air power. Brushes come in a variety of shapes and sizes for cleaning upholstery, staircases, cars, underneath furniture and more. Additional accessories can be used for cleaning tight spaces, ceiling fans, pets and more.

Grant Olewire of MD Manufacturing contributed to this article.

By CE Pro Editors

http://www.cepro.com/article/anatomy_of_central_vac_systems/T320

Custom Installation Services, LLC – First choice for low voltage wiring and central vac in Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas

 

Posted in 3D TV, Automation, Central Vac System, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, IP Cameras, LED, lighting control, Low Voltage Contractors, Lutron Radio Ra II, Media Rooms, Outdoor Speakers, Structured Wiring, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anatomy of a Central Vacuum System: 5 Easy Pieces


Onkyo Adds 3D-Ready Pre-Pro, Blu-ray Player with Blockbuster VOD

Charlotte's #1 Authorized Onkyo Dealer is CIS!

CIS is Charlotte's #1 Authorized Onkyo Dealer.

Onkyo will ship three THX-certified components in September 2010.

Onkyo will ship three new THX-certified components in September 2010, including its first multichannel preamp-processor that is also 3D-ready, a 150-watt nine-channel amplifier, and a next-generation Blu-ray player.

The flagship PR-SC5508 ($2,199) is a THX-Ultra 2 Plus certified, network-capable, 9.2-channel audio-video controller that is 3D-ready with an HDMI 1.4 interface. The PR-SC5508 also features:

-HQV Reon-VX video processing and 1080p upscaling
-ISF Video Calibration
-DLNA 1.5 and Windows 7 compatible connection to PC audio and Internet radio
-Pandora, Rhapsody, Mediafly, Slacker, Napster, VTuner, and Sirius Internet Radio

Connectivity on the PR-SC5508 includes 8 HDMI inputs, dual USBs, two balanced line-level XLR audio inputs, and nine XLR preamp outputs.

The matching PA-MC5500 ($1,699) nine-channel power amplifier is THX-Ultra2 Plus certified and is 8-ohm rated at 150 Watts per channel, and up to 400 Watts dynamic power into 3 ohms. It features Onkyo’s WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) design for “low negative feedback, low distortion, extended frequency response, and a power supply with high instantaneous-current capability.”

Other features of the PA-MC5500:

-A three-stage inverted Darlington circuit to remove distortion
-Balanced line-level XLR inputs
-Anti-resonant chassis and gold-plated inputs and outputs
-Multi-zone and bi-amp capability

The Onkyo BD-SP808 ($599) is a THX- and DLNA 1.5-certified Blu-ray player that offers Blockbuster On Demand, Marvel Qdeo video scaler and Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio sound.

The Profile 2.0 BD-SP808 has an Ethernet port for BD-Live features, including picture-in-picture and web-based firmware updates. There’s an SD card slot for playback of downloaded web content, and HDMI Source Direct mode outputs video signals in their native resolution.

by Steve Crowe

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/onkyo_adds_3d-ready_pre-pro_blu-ray_player_with_blockbuster_vod/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – ”We may be a few dollars more than the competition, but we are a million times better”.

Posted in 3d movies, Audio Systems, Blu-ray, Home Theater, Media Rooms, News, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Smart House Keeps Owners Cool
 

CIS : Asheville, NC's Choice For Home Automation Needs!

CIS : Charlotte, NC's Choice For Home Automation Needs!

Full integration, including lots of motorized shade controls, make this home run smoothly.

These homeowners were building their “dream home” in Winter Park. So why not add some dream home electronics systems to really bring out the best in it?

They enlisted a local custom electronics pro to outfit the 6-bedroom, 6.5-bath residence, and the installers served up a suite of security, lighting, audio, video, window treatment control, outdoor screen control, entry gate control, network, telephone and video monitoring.

According to Smart House’s William Leaton, the mandate from the homeowners was pretty simple. “The integration of the systems must be intuitive. They did not want to have to refer to an owner’s manual of call us for instructions,” he says. “The need to control the systems from multiple locations was a key requirement. We provided the owners the ability to control their entire home from wall touchpanels, wireless touchpads, their laptop computers, as well as their PDA cell phones.”

The installation incorporated technologies and products from manufacturers such as HomeLogic, CentraLite, Elan, Mitsubishi, Vutec, KEF and Denon.

Also, not only did Smart House make operation of everything easy and convenient, they made sure the precious electronics were well protected from any potential power problems. “The entire central control center is powered through a UPS and the entire house has a backup power generator,” Leaton says. “The cable and telephone service feeds go through surge protection prior to distribution to the systems in the house. All the televisions and computer system in the house have surge protection devices to minimize damage from power fluctuation.”

Here’s a more in-depth explanation of each of the home’s systems, courtesy of Leaton:

Security System – The system has multiple communication ports that provide the required flexibility and control. It provides different looks and scenes when armed. The system is directly integrated with the lighting control, automated window dressing, front gate control and the security video monitoring system.

Front Gate Control – This system is integrated not only with the security system, but also with the garage roll up doors and the data network system. When the owners set the alarm, the security system checks to see if the garage doors were left open. If the doors are open, it will give a command to close the doors. The owner can monitor the security video cameras for the front gate from any of their control devices, even when they are away from their home. If the owner’s receive a telephone call on their cell phone from someone requesting to get access to the house they can view a camera from their cell phone and see the person at the gate. Then they can then open the gate for the visitor.

Lighting Control – This system is designed to supplement the way the house is used. The lights integrate with other systems to create scenes for special functions. This would include setting lights scenes for entertaining, pathway lighting, mood settings and burglar alarm.

Automatic Window Treatment – This system is integrated to enhance various scenes. In the morning all the automatic window treatments on the east side of the house close until the sun is overhead. Later in the afternoon when the sun is on the west side of house the window treatment will close until one hour before sunset. The shades and drapes randomly close and open when the house is set in the armed mode. When in arm mode the schedule changes constantly in order to appear that someone is in the house. There are drop down screens in front of each of the doors exits that go to the lanai area. The screens are integrated with the lighting system. There are dedicated control buttons on the light switches adjacent to each of the exits. There is no need to go to a touch pad in order to open the drapes; it is done right at the door.

Motorized Outdoor Screen – Each outdoor screen is individually controlled or used as part of an integrated scene.

Swimming Pool and Spa Controls – The swimming pool has some unique water features that are activated by the control scenes on the touch pad controllers, network computers or the owner cell phone. The owner has the ability to turn on the spa and set it to a desired temperature directly from his cell phone.

Security Video Monitoring – This system monitors critical areas of the house interior and exterior. The video cameras are networked. This allows the owners to view their home from anywhere in the world with a network connection or cell signal. The cameras are integrated with the security system. In the case of an alarm, all of the video is recorded on to a network storage system for later review.

Video and Music Entertainment and Distribution System – This system is integrated with the home televisions and the whole house audio system. All the audio and HD video are stored in a single location. This media can be distributed to individual rooms in the house. The audio system is also integrated with the phones for paging and answering the front door and gate intercoms.

Network – This is the key to the success of the integration of components in this project. This works because the subsystems are IP based. This allows for easy future expansion and changes as technology evolves.

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

by Arlen Schweiger

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/smart_house_keeps_florida_owners_cool/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Audio/Video Sales, Service and Installation in North Carolina and South Carolina

Posted in Automation, Home Theater, lighting control, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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