Electrolux Beam User manual

Beam Central Vacuum
Installation Design Manual
by

Contents
HOW TO DESIGN A BEAM CENTRAL VACUUM SYSTEM
Choose the location of your Beam Appliance
Choose where the wall inlets/sockets should be placed
Typical Installation - Floorplans
Plan where the pipe/duct work can be hidden
INSTALLING YOUR PIPEWORK
Solid Wall Diagrams
Dropping from the other side of the wall
Chasing-up through the wall
Close-Ups
Floor-mounted inlet Diagrams
with pipework in timber joist floor
with pipework in solid floor
Timber Partition/Stud Wall Diagrams
Side-On
Face-On (without inlet)
VacPan Installation Diagrams - Side-on
Personal Clothes Brush Installation Diagrams
Side-on
Face-on
Wiring the Inlets & the Appliance
5 RULES OF INSTALLING A BEAM CENTRAL VACUUM
1 The Pipework
2 Sweep T
3 Glue
4 Low Voltage Wire
5 Sharp 90 bend
Normal Installation Components
Tools Required
Our Contact Details
3
3
4
5
6
7
7
7
8
8
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9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
16
16
2

Before starting to design the Beam Central Vacuum system into your home, it is
important that you understand all the implications on HOW it can be installed.
Refreshingly,itisfairlysimpletoinstall.
1
The most popular locations for the appliance to be mounted are on a wall in a:
!garage
!utility room
!under the stairs
!loft
!basement
!plant room
!cupboard (the smallest being a 500mm kitchen unit).
A bucket model, (dirt collects at the bottom of the appliance) should be fixed at
elbowheight so thatyou can emptyit easily withthe top ofthe appliance noless than
30cm from the ceiling. If it is a bag model, it should be no less than 30cm from the
floor and there will need to be enough space above the appliance to remove the bag
alongtheentiretyofitslength(about75cm).
Becausethefilterswithintheappliancearetoahighstandard,(98.3%filtrationat0.3
microns) the exhaust doesn’t always need to be vented to the outside, especially if it
is located in a garage, plant room or basement. However, if the appliance is in a
popular area of the property and it is convenient to do so, venting to an internal void
(egunderthefloor)orexternally,isquiteusefulinreducingexhaustnoiseaswell.
ChoosethelocationoftheBeamCentralVacuumAppliance
IFYOU PLAN TO VENT THE EXHAUST, THE LENGTH OF PIPE SHOULD BE NO
LONGER THAN 3MAWAY, WITH AN EXHAUST VENT-FLAP FITTED TO THE
OUTSIDE, TO STOP WATER AND VERMIN FROM GETTING INTO THE EXHAUST
MUFFLER. (SEE OUR PRICE LIST).
How to design a
Beam Central Vacuum System
3
1 Ductwork
2 Wall Inlet
3 Appliance utility inlet
4 Kitchen VacPan Inlet
5 Hose, wand and vacuum attachment
6 Appliance exhausted to outside
2
1
34
5
6

2 Choosewherethewallinlets/socketsshouldbelocated
Themainaimhere is tocoverasmuch of the housefromeachpoint, so youdon’thave
to keep going back to the inlet in the wall and unplugging it to reach all the rooms.
Equally, youdon’twant to haveexcesshose for halfthetimethat you arevacuuming-
you therefore need to get a happy medium between not having too-long-a hose and
not having to unplug it too often from the inlet - the property DOES NOT need an inlet
ineveryroom!
EXISTINGPROPERTYORRENOVATION-WITHOUTFLOORPLANS
!Youmay need two people towork thisout as youhave tomeasure how faryou can
reach with the hose all round the house. The most popular length of hose is 8m
and it is good to start with this length, although the hose can be shorter or longer
asrequired-seeourpricelistfordetailsonthelengthsavailabletoyou.
!Start with an 8m (29’3”) piece of string, wool, rope or a measuring tape. One of
you will need to stand at a fixed point in the hall way, (the inlet end) about ½ a
metre off the ground. The other person will see how far the 9m “hose” reaches
into every room from that point.You may need to move the person in the hallway
slightly, have a longer hose or have more than one inlet/socket downstairs.
Always try to have an inlet in a hallway as you can access several rooms from this
point. Sometimes there may be a need to have an inlet in a room, if you have a
room-off-a-roomsituation,ieaconservatoryoren-suitebathroom,orifthereisa
verylargeroomtogetacross.
!Dothesameonthelandingupstairsandeachfloorthereafter.
NEWBUILDPROPERTYORRENOVATIONWITHFLOORPLANS
!Normallyasetoffloorplanswillbeavailableonanewbuildproject.
!Find what scale they are at and measure from the furthest point of the furthest
room downstairs, back into the hall. (Hopefully this will be under 8m - if not see
ourpricelistforotherlengthsofhosesavailable).
!Mark the point you get to and measure how many metres it was with the ruler to
the furthest point of the furthest room - you are measuring what hose length is
required.
Move to each further room downstairs to see if they can all be reached from the
point you marked - if not you may need to move your mark slightly, lengthen the
hose or have more than one inlet downstairs. Always try to have an inlet in a
hallway as several rooms can be accessed from this point. Sometimes you may
need to have an inlet in a room if there is a room-off-a-room situation, ie a
conservatoryoren-suitebathroom,orifthereisaverylargeroomtogetacross.
!Dothesameonthelandingupstairsandforeachfloorthereafter.
Alternatively, send us floorplans and
WE can complete a quote for you FREE of charge!
!
TIP:MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHERE FURNITURE IS LIKELY TO
BE,AS AHOSE CAN’TBE STRETCHED OVER THE TOP OF ADINING ROOM TABLE!
TIP: ITIS WISE TO HAVE AN INLET NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS SO THAT
YOU CAN VACUUM ALL THE WAY UP THE STAIRS BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF HOSE.
4

Wall Inlet
Hidden
Drop
First Floor
P
VacPan
Inlet
9m Hose
Hidden
Ductwork
Hidden
Riser
Ground Floor
Appliance
Utility Inlet
Typical Installation
5

3 Planwherethepipe/ductworkcanbehidden
Obviously, if at all possible, all the pipe work that joins the appliance to the inlets in
the wall, should be hidden. Ultimately, you may now need to change the location of
the actual appliance and/or inlets, if the route is too long and complicated to get
there.
EXISTINGPROPERTYORRENOVATION
Thepipehasa52mm(2”)diameterwhichcanbehiddeninmanynaturalvoids:
Thebackofafittedwardrobe
Thebackofaboilerorairingcupboard
Inexistingsoilpipeboxing
Intheloft
Underfloorboards
Behindthebath
Underneathkitchenunits
Evenoutside-perhapsnexttogutteringandpaintedtomatch
In the worst case, your installer will either have to complete some boxing-in or you
will have the pipe exposed in the corner of the room behind a door - just paint it the
samecolourastheroom.
NEWBUILDPROPERTY
Normally all the 52mm(2”) pipe will go in at the first-fix stage of the project, so it is
therefore very easy to conceal. The locations shown above are all options, but
obviouslywithanewbuildprojecttherearefurtheropportunitiestohidethepipe:
Intheinsulationlayerorscreedofthefloor-justkeepthepipetotheedgesofthe
room,wherethereislessfoottraffic(youwillneedatleasta55mmdepth)
If the project includes underfloor heating around the property, the pipework can
againbelocatedintheinsulation.
Utilise the voids within any partition walls - holes can be cut through any noggins
thatgetinthewaywhenthepiperisesordrops.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
RUN THE PIPE WITH THE JOISTS -
SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED (POSI-JOISTS FOR EXAMPLE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE). OTHERWISE
THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE JOIST AND THEREFORE IT’SSUPPORT PROPERTIES MAY
BE AFFECTED. IFIN DOUBT - SPEAK TO ABUILDING SURVEYOR OR BUILDER FIRST!
NEVER CUT THROUGH AJOIST UNLESS IT HAS BEEN
DON’TFORGET TO RUN THE WIRE WITH THE PIPE AND LEAVE ENOUGH CURLED UP IN THE
PIPE BEHIND THE PLASTER GUARD TO CONNECT TO THE INLET/SOCKET AT SECOND-FIX!
6

Solid Wall
Dropping from other side of wall Solid Wall
Chasing-up through wall
Installing the Pipework
MP
Inlet
Screw attaches inlet to MP
Screw in side flange of MP
into raw plug in blockwork
LV cable split in two
joined to screw
connectors in inlet
FLOOR
VOID
Floor-mounted inlet with
pipework in timber joist floor
Floor-mounted inlet with
Pipework in solid floor
Mounting plate (MP)
Screw-in top & bottom
flanges of MP into raw
plug in blockwork
Inlet
Screw attaches inlet to
MP
LV cable split in two
joined to screw
connectors in inlet
Pipe
Sharp 90°
bend
Cable tie
Sweep 90°
bends
LV Cable
Pipe
Low Voltage Cable
Pipe bracket with cable
holder
Sharp 90° bend
Coupler
CV pipe runs around outside
of room in insulation layer.
PIPE HIDDEN IN
BACK OF CUPBOARD
Inlet
Floor covering
notched for inlet
recessing
Mounting Plate
Coupler
UFH pipe in screed
Sharp 90°bend is
first bend after
inlet
g
g
Inlet
Floor has been notched
out to allow inlet to be
recessed
MP with flanges
removed & screws
connecting to inlet
Sharp 90° bend
Pipe bracket
7

Sharp 90° bend
Cable tie
NOGGIN with
55mm hole
allows pipe &
cable to go
through
This accessory is mounted on the connector
permanently unless being used, so some
thought should go into where it is to be
located.
VacPan Installation
Personal Clothes Brush Installation
Clothes brush connector must have LV cable
connected to it and must be hung far enough
above the inlet so that the hose of the Clothes
Brush hangs naturally. Ensure wires are insulated
from each other.
Low voltage cable running to clothes brush
connector NOT to the dedicated wall inlet.
A dedicated inlet must be used and it is
important to run the low voltage cable past the
inlet itself, up to the clothes brush connector.
Installing the Pipework
Timber Partition/Stud Walls
Side-On Timber Partition/Stud Walls
Face-On (without inlet shown)
Screw in mounting
plate using only 1
flange into upright
timber (or noggin)
Inlet
Low voltage cable
Pipe bracket &
cable holder
screwed into
timber stud
Pipe bracket
securing pipe to
joist below floor
Kitchen Unit
Flexible Pipe
Jubilee Clip
Pipe
Plinth
Sharp 90° Bend
VacPan Inlet
LV cable
8

Wiring the Inlets & the Appliance
WALL INLET: Slot cable through the special hole in the mounting
plate. Cut back the outer and the inner blue and brown sleevings
2cm from the end. Loosen the two screws on the contacts and
make sure each wire is twisted to create a solid contact. Wind 1
wire (2 if 2 cables) around each contact screw and tighten.
Attach to wall mounting plate using screws included. On metal
inlets use 4mm prong crimps to insulate wires from inlet.
For picture clarity in the diagrams, we have only shown one cable with a blue and a
brown sleeved wire within it. However, as mentioned on page 14, if the inlet isn’t
on the end of the run, then you will actually have two cables in a loop going to the
inlet. This is to ensure that there are no breaks in the wire, where you can’t get to
them at a later date should a connection become loosened. This will mean both
blue sleeved wires will be fitted underneath the screw of one contact and both
brown tightened by the other. Make sure that the opposing colour wires do not
touch, as you will create a short and the appliance cannot be activated remotely.
VACPAN AUTOMATIC DUSTPAN: Do as above, cutting back the
sleeving. Loosen the two screws on the contacts towards the
back of the VacPan and wind one wire around each
contact screw and tighten again. Ensure that you have enough
length/ play in the cable to match the flexible pipe. This allows
the plinth of the kitchen unit to be removed if required. Details
of the size hole to cut in the plinth are included with the VacPan.
(2 if 2 cables)
PERSONAL CLOTHES BRUSH: Placed permanently above a wall inlet
where the cable needs to run up to the clothes brush connector
instead of the inlet. Drill a hole large enough to accommodate the
cable on the surface the clothes brush is to be mounted. Cut back
the sleeving and twist the 2 wires onto the 2 wires
on the back of the assembly. Insulate them with electrical tape
and screw assembly to the permanent surface.
(4 if 2 cables)
LOW VOLTAGE CABLE CONNECTION TO BEAM SPECIFIER APPLIANCE:
the low voltage terminals can be found to the rear left-hand side
of the appliance when it is mounted on the wall. Cut the tip of
the rubber boot with scissors, large enough to pass the cable
through. Cut back the sleevings as above. Crimp the terminals to
the stripped wires and push them into the appliance. Slide the
boot over the terminals onto the ring for a snug fit.
LOW VOLTAGE CABLE CONNECTION TO BEAM PLATINUM APPLIANCES:
Cut back the sleevings as mentioned above. Locate the speaker-
style low voltage terminals to the rear left-hand side of the
appliance. Hold-down the lever of each terminal and ensure that
each wire is inserted deep enough to be held firmly in place.
OR:
K
9

5 RULES
OF BEAM CENTRAL VACUUM
INSTALLATION
Summary
1
THE PIPEWORK: CLEAN-CUT EDGES
2
SWEEP T: CORRECT DIRECTION
3
GLUE: THE PIPE, NOT THE FITTING
4
LOW VOLTAGE WIRE: LOOPED TO EACH INLET
5
SHARP 90°BEND: ONLY BEHIND EVERY INLET
If at any time you are not sure what to do - PLEASE call
our service department on
0845 260 0123
We will be happy to assist you from 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.
10

RULE 1
THE PIPE/DUCTWORK: CLEAN-CUT EDGES
The pipe has a 52mm (2”) outside diameter and comes in 2m lengths. With
each inlet kit you would normally get 6m of pipework, which is what we’ve
calculatedistheaveragerequirement.
Cut the pipe at a 90° angle using a simple mitre-block with a hand saw.
DE-BURR edges with sandpaper so they are clean and smooth. Doing this
willensurenothingyousuck-upwillcatchonanyroughedges.
!Alternatively, you can purchase a special pipe cutter fromus -saving you
timeoncutsandde-burring.Calluson08452600123fordetails.
INSTRUCTIONSFORCUTTINGWITHPIPE-CUTTER(purchaseseparately)
!Should you need more pipe to be delivered, just contact us. If you only
require one more length of pipe (2m), we can cut the pipe in two for you
andsenditinthepost!(Justmakesureyouhaveacouplerleftthough.)
!
1: Slide the
cutter over
the end of
the pipe.
3: Separate
the pipe.
2: At the
point you
wish to cut,
engage the
blade and
rotate the
cutter at
least twice
around the
pipe.
4: The end is
cut to a
smooth
finish.
11

SMOOTH BEND
Debris ToAppliance
SHARP POINT COULD
CAUSE BLOCKAGE
The pipe needs to go to each inlet/socket. You start with a main trunk and
thenbranchofflikeatree,usingat-piecetoeachinlet.
The DIRECTION of the t-piece is VERY important, because if it is pointing in
the wrong direction, there will be a sharp edge inside the pipe that things
yousuck-upthroughthehosewillbeabletocatch on-seediagrambelowfor
thewrongandrightdirectionofat-piece.
RULE 2
SWEEP T-PIECES: CORRECT DIRECTION
Debris from an inlet
Debris
12
Debris from an inlet
ToAppliance

Once you are happy with the layout of your pipework, the joints between
the pipe and fittings (t-pieces, sweep 90° bends, couplers etc) need to be
sealed.
The pot of glue that will be included in the starter inlet kit is similar to a
nail varnish bottle - the lid comes off with a round sponge attached (rather
thanabrush).
!Getridofanyexcessgluefromthesponge
!SwipethespongearoundthetipofthePIPEtobeinsertedintoafitting.
!Immediately push the pipe into the fitting until it reaches the stop-
ridgeinsidethefitting
!Startthenextjointassoonasyouwant
!The 120ml pot of glue should last for about seven inlet kit’s worth of
fittingsbeforeyouwouldneedtocontactustopurchaseanotherpot.
IFYOU PUT THE GLUE INSIDE THE FITTING AND THEN PUSHED THE PIPE INTO THE
FITTING - GLUE WILL BE PUSHED OUT WHERE IT WILL HARDEN INTO AN OBSTRUCTION
INSIDE THE PIPEWORK AND COULD THEREFORE CAUSE ABLOCKAGE. PLEASE FIRST
SWIPE THE GLUE ON THE PIPEAND NOTTHE FITTING!
RULE 3
GLUE - SEALING THE JOINTS
13
Pipe Glue Sponge Stop-ridge of Fitting

The low voltage wire (24volt) is required so that you can turn the suction on,
fromanyinlet/socketpointlocatedintheproperty.
!The wire is two core (one blue wire and one brown) and must go from the
applianceandfollowthepipeworkwhereveritgoestoreachaninlet.
!Cabletiesandpipebracketswithclipsareprovidedtoholdthewiretothe
pipeworktokeepitneat.
!Wherever you t-off from the main pipe route to go to an inlet, the wire
must be looped before carrying on to the next inlet, rather like the ring-
main in your house electrics. (See diagram below.) This means that you
willhavetwosetsofwiresgoingtoeachinlet.
!TheonlyplacethatyouCUTthewireisIMMEDIATELYBEHINDtheinlet.
!It doesn’t matter which colour wire goes to which contact, just as long as
youputbothbluestoonesideandbothbrownstotheother.
!The wire is connected to the appliance with spade connectors into the
littlesocketsatthetopoftheapplianceorthewireisjustputstraightinto
speakercabletypeconnectionsdependingonwhichapplianceyouhave.
!See page 9 for further information on how to wire-up the different types
ofinlet.
TIP:YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AREGISTERED ELECTRICIAN TO CARRY OUT THIS WORK AS
YOU ARE NOT CONNECTING TO ANY ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TO THE MAIN PROPERTY. THE
CIRCUIT IS JUST BETWEEN THE APPLIANCE AND THE INLET.
HAVING ONE WIRE GOING FROM EACH T-PIECE FOLLOWING THE PIPE TO THE INLET
COULD CAUSE APROBLEM. INTHE FUTURE IT’SPOSSIBLE THAT ALOOSE CONNECTION
WILL DISABLE THE ABILITY TO TURN THE APPLIANCE ON AND OFF FROM THE INLET.YOU
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO THE LOOSE CONNECTION TO CORRECT THE FAULT. ONLY
CUTTING THE WIRE BEHIND THE INLET AND LOOPING IT AROUND TO THE NEXT ONE
INSURES YOU HAVE EASY ACCESS TO CORRECT ANY LOOSE CONNECTIONS. (JUST
UNSCREW THE INLET FROM THE WALL TO RECTIFY.)
RULE 4
LOW VOLTAGE WIRE: LOOPED TO EACH INLET
14
Back of
Inlet
Back of
Inlet
Back of
last inlet
in run
To power
unit

The sharp 90° bend is an anti-blocking device, rather like the u-bend
under a sink - this MUST be located immediately behind all inlets
(including VacPans) to stop anything that could block-up the system. Any
debris that can’t get past is then easily extracted by opening the inlet and
hooking it out.
Occasionally, if you are putting the pipe through a solid wall, it will not be
possible to position the sharp 90° bend right behind the inlet, in which
case it should be the first bend on the other side of the wall.
There are also rare situations where the plasterers have been a little too
generous with the plastering and the inlet won’t reach the mounting
plate. You may therefore need to order an inlet valve extension from us
(code 2020) to fit into the mounting plate before you can fix the inlet on
the wall satisfactorily.
RULE 5
SHARP 90° BEND: behind every inlet
Sharp 90°
Bend Sweep 45°
Bend Sweep 90°
Bend
FIRST FITTING TO BE BEHIND INLET
15
NEVER LOCATE ASHORT 90°BEND ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE DUCT RUN APART FROM
BEHIND AN INLET. ASAN ANTI-BLOCKING DEVICE DEBRIS MAY BE STOPPED HERE AND
YOU WON’TBE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAR ABLOCKAGE.
NB: IFTHIS BEND IS PUT ELSEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM, THE LIFETIME GUARANTEE
AGAINST BLOCKAGES WILL BE MADE INVALID.

Beam Installation Design Manual to Email, Issue 3, 19/08/09, T.H.E Ltd, E&OE.
TOOLS REQUIRED
Electric drill Hand-saw, mitre-block and sandpaper or
vacuum pipe-cutter (can be purchased from us)
Pencil Cross-headed screwdriver
Flat-headed screwdriver Jigsaw/hand-saw (to cut hole in plinth for VacPan)
55-66mm Hole-saw (66mm can help in a retro-fit situation if you need to get a
sweep 90 bend behind a plastered wall with the minimum of fuss and damage.)
h
If you require any help with the design or installation of the central vacuum
system in your home, please contact Beam Central Vacuums on
0845 260 0123
Our technical department will be happy to help 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday.
90°Sweep
Bend
2003
45°Sweep
Bend
2005
90°Sharp
Bend
2007
Stop
Coupler
2002
Pipe
Bracket
2009
Mounting
Plate
2040
90°Sweep
Tee
2008
Solvent
Sealer
(120mm)
2014
& Plaster
Guard
2040
Wall Inlets
Duct
Beam Aspira Hose &
Deluxe Attachment Set
Appliance
Typical Basic Installation Components
A typical complete system will be delivered to site in approximately 3
boxes and a bundle of pipe.
Typical Components are:
j
Fittings
by