Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

James Dyson has voiced his feelings in regard to what it will take to save Britain's manufacturing industry in a report commissioned by the country's Conservative Party.  An interesting read and plenty of UK reader comments follow.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/7400742/Sir-James-Dyson-plan-to-fill-UKs-engineering-vacuum.html

M00seUK and vacmanuk, I'll be glad to learn what you think.

Venson

I have lived under the roof of a two-story building here for the last 15 years.  It being my dwelling is a rental and long in the tooth as it were, central air conditioning was never a consideration.  Thus, what had to be looked to here were ways to keep air circulating and also to keep the indoor environment at comfortable temperatures.  I have had to opt for window fans and/or window air conditioners. 

This is remarkable to me as when I was younger -- the hotter the better.  Now, I'm tjoroughly surpised at how I take winter so much better than I used to and how I get really irritating heat rashes come summer.  Come summer, Con Edison, our supplier of electricity and gas, does not care whether I'm hot or cold.  It only says, "Pay me." And believe me -- you pay.  That said . . .

While I was living there, I learned there was a joke among the Turkish that a Turk builds a house but leaves the worry over where a well is until later.  We have something of the same problem here.  In Tenerife and even Bodrum, I was amazed that the communities I'd be living in actually built houses to work with the weather.  All you had to do was go to the top of the of a whitewashed house, open a door or window to start up a convection current that worked as well as any fan throughout the whole house.  You were neither exposed to the often unnatural chill of air conditioning or left to sweat in the heat.  AND it was free.

The "modernly civilized" build our homes on mountain sides, below sea level and just about anywhere else because we feel that a fix can be bought for just about anything.  All you need is a good insurance policy and properr appliances.  BUT, the tables are turning as of late as more and more of us are confronted by the fact that we don't always have the funds to opt for pricey  fixes to sustain us.  Therefore we begin to look to learn what we can do that won't bear high cost.

The Dyson fan is undeniably an interesting idea but not necessarily a practical one.  That I strongly believe.  If you can afford go for it.  What I feel this fan is all about is that it's an engaging "loss leader" good for the Dyson name by way of novelty potential.

I've always used regular fans.  What mattered to me was affordabilty and if I was made comfortable in the process despite aesthetic trade-offs..

Venson

vacmanuk wrote:

High hopes.  Let's see dyson deliver before they get the kudos.  Still waiting now over 3 years for the water free washer that dyson patented almost 3 years ago and hyped here by some UKUSA dyson fans [no pun intended].

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:

Hi Carmine

What ever happened to the good ol trusty attic fan...a true blessing here in the south. i would think that with those cool desert nights that an attic fan would shine and keep things nice and cool. We run ours with cieling fans at night ..early summer spring and fall....a/c on those warmer humid days.....but the thought of a home with no a/c....in this day and time is pretty unheard of....but a table fan by dyson at that price...is better suited for a sharper image store/catlg....if still around.

turtle

retardturtle1 wrote:

Hello turtle1:

Not here in LV.  Why?  Roofs here are slate due to the extreme heat and the attics still get extremely hot.  Homes are mostly stucco.  Attics are unbearable hot.  Retrofitting attic fans is too costly and labor intensive for slate roofs and stucco walls.  Sometimes seen are roof fans for garages only because these areas are not typically air conditioned.  Even with them the temperature differences with and without the fans is almost negligible in summer months.

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:

Hi Carmine

Imeant more along the lines of a whole house fan...pulls in outside air from windows..thru the atiic fan in your cieling thru the attic and out your soffit vents/roof vents..cools house and also cools your attic space....unless you have vaulted cielings..or no attic at all. ..or i could just be really off on this one...not familiar with houses are built out your way.

turtle

retardturtle1 wrote:

In my 3 plus years here in Vegas, I've not seen any new homes' construction with whole house attic fans installed, even customized homes.   Nor older homes with these whole house fans.  Central air is the norm with room ceiling fans and portable room fans/AC units. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

They are still awaiting the discovery or dehydrated water.  Simply add water to the bottle of dehydrated water and fill the washer.

I went to BB today to pass time.  I paid a little more attention to the fan.  I like the concept, the smoothness and quietness.  I do not like the price.  Even if I needed a fan.

CarmineD wrote:

Hi Carmine

Never seen attic fans until i moved to the south..where its really humid. But i still have my $30 high vlcty aloha breeze 20in fan from wally thats not too loud and works wonders in a stuffy house ....shop. a true blessing when the a/c goes out on a humid day in concert with cieling and attic fan....dont know how you guys lived without no a/c back in the day......

turtle

retardturtle1 wrote:

You don't miss it until you've had it.  Humidity is not a problem here in the desert.  Tops 10 percent humidity with 120 degree temps in July.  Winds and sand are huge problems even on very hot days.  2 reasons also for not opening windows and/o using fans that are exposed and/or subject to these outside elements.

Carmine D.

retardturtle1 wrote:

Well . . . people opened windows and doors.  That's what screens are for.  (Grandpa always said, there's more than one way to skin a cat.) AND if the house was well designed air would start moving.  The whole-house/attic  fan helps the idea along. 

Unfortunately a lot of what was done in past may only be good for some -- especially in places where everybody's piece of the pie is stacked on top of someone else's.

Venson