How to use a car vacuum cleaner in the home?

It’s obvious that vacuum cleaners have gained a lot of popularity these days for cleaning purposes, so it has made its way to the heart of the home as an essential tool for the home. Without a dedicated vacuum cleaner in the house, things will really get hard and messy. If for example, the vacuum cleaner in the house is damaged and in need of repairs, what will you do? And you need to get cleaning chores done at that moment. The answer to your cleaning chores may just reside in your car, that’s if you have a car vacuum cleaner. But wait? Car vacuum cleaners are not compatible with power grid mains/socket in the house. It is for this reason we have dedicated a whole article to discuss the ways you can convert a car vacuum cleaner for home use.

Overview

Generally, there is a difference in the way home vacuums and car vacuums are connected and powered. While a home vacuum system is powered by an alternating current (AC) supply, car vacuum cleaners are powered by direct current (DC). In other to use a car vacuum cleaner with the household mains supply you have to figure out how to do the power source conversion. Converting the power source will allow you to run the machine effortlessly in the home.

Check to see the power ratings on the body of your car vacuum cleaner. Ideally, the current home power supply rating is 220V from the grid. Check the vacuum, and locate a sticker mounted on the vacuum to get the vacuum’s power rating. A Car vacuum is usually rated with a 12V DC rating. Once you have figured that out, the next stage is to determine how much current it requires to safely run without damaging it.

The task:The task at hand is to figure out a way to convert a 220V AC supply to a 12V DC supply unit. Since car vacuum cleaners consume around 10 amps the power requirement is 100W supply.

Your Options

Using a PSU Unit

This is one of the cheapest ways to get the car vacuum cleaner powered since many homes will already have a PSU desktop unit. A PSU unit will ensure you have about 400W of power without causing damage to the car vacuum cleaner. Follow these steps to correctly make the connection.

• Firstly, remove the outer casing of the vacuum cleaner to reveal the power section
• After locating the power section, cut off the connection with batteries.
• Then connect the vacuum cleaner’s connection wires to the PSU of the desktop before using an attachable cord to supply power from the socket.

Once you have done this, mount the PSU in a suitable position and align it properly with the mains and the vacuum to enhance conductivity. This needs to be done so that accidents don’t happen during the cleaning process.

Device options

If using a PSU and opening the outer casing of the vacuum cleaner seems too odd for you, there is another way to go about it. Since it’s obvious that the car vacuum cleaner comes with a plug for a cigarette lighter, you will need a power supply that delivers at least 8 amps at 12 V. Go over to eBay or Amazon and find a socket device that has those power rating. Once you have located the device, the next step is to buy a cigarette lighter plug to connect it to the power supply.

Read more: How to clean and maintain laminate floors?

Using a two-in-one vacuum cleaner

Using a two in one vacuum cleaner is one of the best ways to save yourself all the hassles associated with conversion. Most two in one vacuum cleaners have a removable technology that makes the device portable to use and handier. Look for these features in a two in one vacuum cleaner for home and car:

• It must contain two modes of cleaning with an extended handle to use as a traditional vacuum or a handy car cleaner.
• Must have connectors to use with a car cigarette lighter since that’s the main power port for a car vacuum.
• Ensure what you buy is lightweight enough to use for both types of cleaning jobs.
• Ensure the package comes with a bunch of accessories dedicated to both cleaning types – traditional and car vacuuming
• It should also make use of a dedicated HEPA filter. A HEPA filter is the best option since you will need it as a multi-choicetool.