One of the most common problems that people experience with their central vac system is reduced suction.

Common solutions for central vac suction loss:

a. Check canister or filter bag. If full, empty canister or replace filter bag.
b. Check that filter bag is not damaged, If damaged, simply replace or repair.
c. Check to be sure that secondary filter is not dirty. If filter is dirty, clean or replace.
d. Check that exhaust vent is not blocked or clogged. If clogged, clear blockage.
e. Check that the latches on the vac unit have been fastened properly. Check that the canister’s
rubber seal is seated on the canister correctly.

If none of the solutions above fix your problem, you may have a clog. Your next step will be to determine if the clog is in your hose or in your tubing.
Take your vac hose and connect it directly to dirt canister inlet. Next, turn on the vac unit. If the hose has reduced suction, the clog is in the hose. If the hose has normal suction then the clog exist in
your tubing.

If the hose is clogged:

a. Plug the hose in reverse into the inlet located on the vac unit and turn the power on. This should remove the clog. If not, try solution (b).
b. Remove the hose from the inlet and push a garden hose through the vac hose to remove the clog. Be sure that you do not turn the water hose on. No water should ever enter the vac system hose.

If the clog is in the tubing:

a. Plug hose into each outlet and place hand over hose to build up pressure and then release. If this doese not remove the clog, try solution (b).
b. Remove the canister from the vac unit. After the canister has been removed, try connecting a shop vac to each central vac inlet untill you find the clog. In most cases, this will remove the clog in your tubing. If this does not work, try solution (c).
c. Try inserting a plumber’s snake into the outlet to push the clog out.



If none of the above solutions address your central vac’s performance issues, you should contact your local central vac service technician. If you live in Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Radford or in the New River Valley, you can contact Profixes Home Repair and Maintenance of Virginia for central vac service and repair.

Most people would agree that natural light is more pleasant and more comfortable than artificial light, but does everyone really understand the benefits of natural lighting?
Natural light produced by the sun can benefit the body in many ways, and it has been proven that natural (full-spectrum) lighting is healthier than artificial lighting.
For example, natural lighting sources trigger your body to produce Vitiman D, which boost the immune system and builds strong bones and teeth. Vitiman D has also been proven to treat a variety of disorders including some cancers.
Everyone can benefit, in one way or another, from the effects of natural lighting, so why not consider bringing more sources of natural lighting in to your home.
The easiest and most affordable way to add natural lighting to your home is to replace your existing light bulbs with natural, full-spectrum, light bulbs. These bulbs can be purchased at most of your local home improvement warehouses, and are highly effective at bringing the benefits of natural light indoors and work wonders at reducing eyestrain as well.
Full-spectrum light bulbs work great, but if you really want to take advantage of all of the benefits of natural lighting, you should consider installing tubular skylights in your home.

Skylights are a great way to bring natural light into your home. However, traditional skylights are a significant source of energy loss, and they often don’t distibute light evenly enough and can cause UV damage to carpets, wood floors, and home furnishings. But tubular skylights, on the other hand, will bring natural light into your home without all of the disadvantages associated with these traditional skylights.
Tubular skylights distibute light evenly. They are energy effecient and will cut down the cost of your electric bills.

Tubular skylights have a roof-mounted light collector with a highly durable acrylic lens positioned inside a rust-proof metal frame.

Most tubular sky lights have a highly reflective sun scoop in the roof assembly that directs the sunlight into a metal tube which has a mirror-like reflective interior coating. This reflective tube guides the captured sunlight to a diffuser lense, mounted on the interior ceiling surface, that distributes light evenly throughout the room.

Installing tubular sylights is the best way to bring the benifits of natural light into your home, and they are suprisingly inexpensive to install.


Contact your local home improvement specialist today and ask them if they install tubular skylights.
If you live in Blacksburg, Christinsburg, Radford or surrounding areas of Virginia, contact Profixes Home Repair and Maintenance for your free tubular skylight estimate www.profixes.com

Installing replacement windows is the, single, most important investment that you can make for your home. In fact, a replacement window will actually pay for itself over and over again, and the savings will start accumulating the moment that they are installed. Replacement windows will, effortlessly, keep your house cooler in the summer months and warmer throughout the winter season, and therefore reducing your energy cost. In addition to lower utility bills, replacement windows will also increase the resale value and overall look and comfort of your home. No matter how you look at it, you can not lose when it comes to installing new replacement windows.

If you are considering installing new replacement windows, you may also qualify for the U.S. 2009-2010 energy tax credit. All you have to do is purchase a qualifying replacement window and you could recieve a tax credit up to $1,500 on your 2009 or 2010 federal income tax return. Replacement windows that qualify for this tax credit must have a U-Factor equal to or below 0.30 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) equal to or below 0.30 in all climate zones. This credit is only available on replacement windows installed before December 31, 2010.



If you live in Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Radford or in the New River Valley, and you are considering installing new replacement windows, you can contact Profixes Home Repair and Maintenance of Virginia for your free, affordable quote. To contact Profixes, visit our website Profixes.com