Commercials used to brag about the house of the future that would be filled with labor-saving conveniences. A central vacuum system should have had its place in those commercials.

Using sewer pipe, and a standard shop vac placed in the basement, in what they call the Mechanical Room, above left, the Weingartens built a system that spares them having to lug a vacuum canister all over the place. There are sockets around the house, such as the one above right, that a vacuum hose can be plugged into. After it runs through the shop vac, exhaust air is blown outside the house instead of back into it, as with a typical vacuum. This way, absolutely none of the dust re-enters the house.

Air quality is very important in a snug house.