FAQ’s

A central vacuum is a series of pipe that run through the walls, ceiling or floor with wall inlets located at convenient places for you. The hose is plugged into the wall inlet which will activate the power unit and you can start vacuuming. 100% of the dust and dirt that is vacuumed up and taken away from the living area to the power until that is usually located in the garage or basement. The dust and dirt is collected in the dust bag or compartment of the power unit and is easily and cleanly emptied 2 or 3 times a year.

Improves your family’s health – All the allergy and asthma causing dust, dirt and allergens that are vacuumed up are removed away from the living areas to the large dust capacity power unit, usually located in the garage or basement, leaving the air quality within your living area cleaner and healthier to live in and breathe.

Extends the Life of your floor coverings and furnishings – Your carpets, floor coverings and furnishings will last longer with a deeper cleaner clean by the more powerful central vacuum.

Saves Time – Less time is spent vacuuming because the suction is up to five times greater than a portable vacuum cleaner. And with a central vacuum you only need to empty it or change the bag a couple of times a year.

Cleanest Emptying Systems – Minimal contact with the vacuumed dust and debris when emptying your Kiwivac AVT system, with our unique slide plate emptying system and the closed double lined filter bags.

A Quieter Vacuum – With the power unit located away from the living area there is no annoying noise where you are vacuuming, like you get with a portable vacuum cleaner.

Less damage to your walls and furnishing – With a portable vacuum being pulled around behind you, they tend to have a mind of their own and can head off in any direction denting and banging into you walls or furnishings.

A selection of power units to suit – Whether you like bagged or bag-less systems we can provide you with one that suits your needs.

Ergonomic– no more back strain, with a telescopic wand you can adjust the wand to the correct height for whoever is doing the vacuuming, and shortening it up for vacuuming the stairs. Or if you prefer you can have standard wands and plastic wands to suit your needs.

Ease of use – makes vacuuming stairs a breeze, no portable vacuum to lug up the stairs.

The unique tumbling motion of the dust and dirt in our bags means there is minimal suction loss until the bag is completely full.

Kiwivac AVT has the large range of tools and accessories available in New Zealand to help you take care of your floor coverings and furnishings.

The only meaningful measurement of the Central Vacuum system is the power produced at the floor tool, this is a combination of suction and airflow (clean-ability rating), expressed as air watts.

Comparing motor performance figures (e.g. horse power, Amps, RPM or watts) is meaningless, as this is a rating of power input not output. Likewise vacuum (water lift) or air flow alone proves nothing. A Central Vacuum Cleaning system needs a specific combination of both factors to do the job effectively.

Vacuum is greatest in a closed pipe, while air flow is greatest in an open pipe. Professional selection for the right combination of your requirements leads to optimum performance.

A properly designed system will be a good investment and free of hassles. Remember you are buying convenience. We recommend consulting your Kiwivac agent for an appraisal to suit your individual needs.

No, Kiwivac Systems don’t need regular servicing to keep the 5 Year Warranty valid, saving you money over the long term. Other brands require regular servicing to keep the warranty valid and can be required every year or 2 years.

We suggest if you are looking at buying a Central Vac you ask if there are any ongoing servicing required to keep the warranty valid.

A Kiwivac system uses disposable closed bag, it is necessary to use the Official Kiwivac Blue Bag, Part A19 on the bag, as these bags provide the best filtration. Generally a bag will last between 4 – 15 months. We find on average people use 2 bags a year . At around $9.00 per bag this will save you several hundreds of dollars over the period of the warranty.

Yes, we are the central vacuum specialists when it comes in installing Central vac pipe in concrete floor.

When other companies walk away from your new home or charge excessive prices because they don’t want the job. Contact us, we will install a specially designed system for you and not charge you an exorbitant price.

If you have a concrete slab floor, walls and flat roof we will run your central vacuum pipes through the concrete floor. *

* The pipes need to be put into position before the concrete is laid.

Yes both the Kiwivac bag and AVT bag-less power units are made in New Zealand and have been for since 1992.

Kiwivac is the only NZ MADE central vacuum system, all the other brands are imported.

Being made here it gives us the advantage over other brands by always having spare parts available. We stock parts for every power units we have manufactured since the beginning or have a replacement part that fits all the power units. There is no such thing as as obsolete parts with our Kiwivac and AVT brands.

We believe in giving our clients peace of mind when it comes to needing a replacement part for their central vacuum system. You don’t have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars replacing your power unit, because a part is obsolete , when you have a Kiwivac AVT central vacuum cleaner.

We are finding that newly carpeted or re-carpeted homes with Solution Dyed Nylon Carpets like Triexta and SmartStrand and carpets such as Rhino and Silk are having problems with their central vacs not being able to move the floor tool over the new carpet. With this new type of carpet the conventional floor tools tend to stick to the carpet making it very hard to move across the carpet and vacuum. Give us a call for a choice of floor tools that will work on your new carpet. Phone 0800 354 948

No, not unless you find that it has lost some suction or something on it isn’t quite working like it used to or is broken. Every time you change the bag you are changing the primary filter, or if you have a slide plate system, the filter is designed to self clean and once again doesn’t require regular servicing.This is where our systems are unique from all other systems, other systems need or suggest regular servicing. If you would like it serviced to make sure everything is working to its best, we will service it for you, but it isn’t necessary and will tell you this.

We have people ring up with Kiwivac systems over 10 years old and ask if it needs servicing as they have never had it serviced. We ask if they have a problem or feel it has lost suction or isn’t working as well as it should do and if their answer is no, our reply is it doesn’t need servicing unless you have a problem. We are honest and want to save our customers unnecessary expense.

Remove the lid of your Kiwivac power unit.

Holding the cardboard reinforcing slide the bag off the intake pipe. Carefully lift the bag out of the power unit. Discard the paper filter bag. Take care to avoid rupturing the bag.

Make sure the interior of the Kiwivac power unit and cloth bag are clean and free of debris, and the cloth bag is sitting evenly on the indented lip just below the intake pipe.

Unfold your new Kiwivac bag and expand the pleats. Hold the bag by the cardboard reinforcing and position the hole in the cardboard onto the end of the intake pipe.

Slide the bag onto the pipe until the cardboard is completely on the tube and close to the wall of the power unit.

Replace the lid making sure it sitting correctly on the power unit.

You are ready for your next vacuum.

Kiwivac microfibre filter dust bags can either be composted or put into your household rubbish bin.

The genunine Kiwivac bags Part # A19 or A60 aren’t sold in retail shops. You buy them direct from your local agent by calling Phone 0800 354 948 Or email enquiries@kiwivac.co.nz

Sorry we don’t have an eCommerce option on our website.

We prefer to speak to our customers to make sure they are buying the right bag or item for their vac system.

Read below for our reasons why.

We find that when we speak to people on the phone we can often save them money as they don’t necessarily need to replace their existing part that is causing them problems or warn out. Or they would be better with different accessory/hose etc.

For example;
We had a lady ring who wanted to replace her standard hose because the hose cuff had been squashed when run over by the car. She had been told by another company that she would have to by a whole new hose as they couldn’t supply the hose cuff. We sold her a new hose cuff for under $30.00 including the courier whereas she was looking at spending at least $150.00 – $300.00 for a new hose.

Another example;
A gentleman rang wanting to replace the vacuum head/floor tool with what he already had as it had warn out. He had recently re-carpeted with Nylon Solution Dyed Carpet and thought because the vacuum had was sticking to the carpet and giving them a real workout that he would get the same again. We explained that you need airflow to shift the dust and dirt in the carpet,. We sold him a different vacuum head/floor tool and he was very happy with it.

A real workout isn’t always the best when you are vacuuming!!

We have superior replacement disposable bag for these bags Part No. 110025. Our dust bag has a double lining giving you better filtration and protecting your vacuum motor as less dust and dirt get through the bag membrane.

Please give us a call on 0800 354 948 to order replacement bags.

It could be caused by one of many reasons
– the cartridge filter maybe blocked
– the system has a blockage or something stuck in the pipe work or your hose
– there is an air leak somewhere, whether it be at the vacpan, an inlet, a pipe come off
– your hose has a split in it
– you have lost the o’ring that keeps the bin on the bottom
– the ‘o’ ring that fits onto the cyclonic cone is either lost or broken
– your bin keeps falling off the bottom because the seal has disappeared.
– the vacuum head/floor tool is worn out
– the floor tool/vacuum head is the wrong type for your carpet.

These are a few of the reasons that could be causing you to lose suction/pressure and your central vac not to be working properly.

Give us a call and we will help you solve the issue or come and fix it for you. Phone 0800 354 948.

It may be inserted in the inlet valve incorrectly.

The correct way to insert your switch hose

The two metal bands need to make contact with the inlet contact points at approximately 12 o’clock, one on each side of the plastic on your switch hose.
To ensure that your switch hose works properly please make sure you insert the end into the wall inlet as far as it will go. With the gap in the metal band vertical as in picture 2.
The newer Kiwivac inlets have two little lugs located at the hinge end of the inlet, when you open the flap, ensure the switch hose tab is between these and it will work properly and won’t move around in the inlet.

The wrong way to insert your switch hose as showed in pictures 3 and 4.

The switch on the switch hose will not turn the switch hose on or off, and the power unit will either not start or will run continuously. If this happens recheck the wall insert end of the hose to see if the gap is in the right place between the contact points in the inlet, or turn the hose cuff until the tab is at 12 o’clock as shown it picture number 2 ensuring the hose is pushed right into the inlet.
If the hose is inserted correctly as in picture 2 make sure the hose cuff is pushed in as far as it will go, right into the inlet so the metal band makes contact with the contact points inside the inlet.
If you have Compac Square inlets – There are two little lugs located at the hinge end of the inlet, when you open the flap, ensure the switch hose tab is between these and it will work properly and won’t move around in the inlet.

A switch hose works by turning the little black switch on and off at your hand piece. This allows you to turn off your system without having to go back to the wall to unplug it. To achieve this 24 Volt wires run, within the moulding of the hose, from the wall cuff to the hand piece.

Your hose may not be in the wall inlet properly. See below for help with getting it in the wall inlet correctly.
Or your inlet maybe worn and the hose has become loose in the wall inlet valve. If this is the case the inlet may need replacing.

There should be two locators on the wall outlet to place the tab on the end of your switch hose into. Make sure the tab in pushed in between the two locators, at either the top or bottom of the hole you plug the hose into.

If there are no locators:
Make sure the two metal bands on the end of your switch hose is lined up with the two metal terminals inside the wall socket.
You need one metal terminal should be on each metal band.
Click on ‘How does a switch hose work’ above to see the images showing how to plug your hose into the wall inlet.

Still having problems give us a call on 0800 354 948 and we will help.

A standard hose starts up your vacuum system as soon as the hose is plugged into the wall inlet valve, whereas a switch hose is controlled by the switch on the hand piece. You can turn it on and off at the handle while it is still plugged into the wall.

So long as your wall inlets have two metal terminals inside them a switch hose will work with your system. Contact your local dealer for more details on 0800 354 948.

Reverse the hose into the inlet valve and make contact with the contact points to make the vacuum system start up; this should suck back the blockage. If you have a utility inlet on your machine you can do this at this inlet to prevent the possibility of blocking your pipe work. If it does not clear the blockage call your local dealer on 0800 354 948 for further help.

Your vacuum hose should be long enough to reach everywhere in your home when you move the hose to each of the wall inlet valves installed in the walls or floor.

If you are unsure how long your hose needs to be – measure from each wall inlet (face plate) to the furthest point you vacuum going around the furniture. The longest distance is how long your hose should be.

Unless you have had an addition to your home and you have an area you can’t vacuum. In this situation we can make you an extension hose to reach this area, while you use your shorter hose to reach the rest of your home.

We have replacement handles for some central vacuum switch hoses.

If your handle has broken we may have a replacement handle that will fit existing hose.

Give us a call on 0800 354 948 to see if we have one that will fit

A VacPan is usually located under a set of drawers, in the toe kick in the kitchen area, or any other hard flooring area that is away from water that requires sweeping up of small messes without having to get out you vacuum hose. You just sweep the crumbs up to the VacPan, flick the lever on and once the mess is gone turn the lever off again.

Check that the lever is turned off fully, if the motor is running and it is still leaking air and you think it is right off, get down and have a look to make sure nothing is stuck in it that is preventing it from completely shutting off. If there is something there that is stopping it from shutting off, flick the lever so it is completely open, remove the obstruction and close it off again. This should solve your problem, if not contact your local dealer. Call 0800 354 948.

Ring your local dealer on 0800354948. You may be able pick them up from them or for your convenience have them couriered to your door.

No sorry, Supermarkets and Hardware stores don’t stock Kiwivac disposable bags. You need to get them for your local Kiwivac agent or by ringing us on 0800354948 or emailenquiries@kiwivac.co.nz

The average size home and family would need a new bag 2 – 3 times a year. We have heard from people whose bag lasts them up to 18 months! It does vary depending on your floor coverings, how big your home is, how many people live in your home and if you have long haired pets etc. You will notice lose of suction when the bag needs replacing and the hardest part of changing the bag is getting the full bag out.

Remove the lid of your Kiwivac power unit.

Holding the cardboard reinforcing slide the bag off the intake pipe. Carefully lift the bag out of the power unit. Discard the paper filter bag. Take care to avoid rupturing the bag.

Make sure the interior of the Kiwivac power unit and cloth bag are clean and free of debris, and the cloth bag is sitting evenly on the indented lip just below the intake pipe.

Unfold your new Kiwivac bag and expand the pleats. Hold the bag by the cardboard reinforcing and position the hole in the cardboard onto the end of the intake pipe.

Slide the bag onto the pipe until the cardboard is completely on the tube and close to the wall of the power unit.

Replace the lid making sure it sitting correctly on the power unit.

You are ready for your next vacuum.

Kiwivac microfibre filter dust bags can either be composted or put into your household rubbish bin.

No, you will void the warranty, as only Kiwivac bags have the double micro-filter liner that protects the motor against damage for dust and dirt. If you use any other bag you will void your warranty. 99% of Kiwivac Central Vacuum power units take Part # A60, it is only extra wide bodies that take the bigger bag Part # A64.

No, you need to put in a new bag whenever you empty your system, as the Kiwivac Bags are made with a micro filter material in them, which is one of the filters within your system. Every time you change the bag you are changing the filter and therefore protecting your power unit from damage caused from dust and dirt getting into the motor. Would you put new oil in your car and reuse the old filters, it’s the same thing. If you reuse a bag it may cause damage to the motor.

We sell bags for all other brands, contact your nearest dealer, phone 0800 354 948.

These can be emptied very easily and cleanly. Firstly ensure that the machine is not running. Remove the black rubber ‘O’ ring from the base of the power unit. Place a household plastic rubbish bag around the base of the machine. From the bottom slide the ‘O’ ring back over the rubbish bag. Fold approximately 10cm of bag back over itself to ensure that it is held firm.

Pull the black slide plate out to allow dust and debris to be collected in the attached bag. Push the slide plate back in completely and allow the dust to settle before removing the attached bag. The Slide Plate must be inserted all the way back into the space provided. Always put the slide plate in before removing the rubbish bag. NEVER start the power unit with the rubbish bag still attached.

Yes you can replace any existing central vacuum power unit with a Kiwivac Bagged or Bag-less model. Generally they will fit onto your existing pipework, very occasionally we need to alter the pipework to get your new Kiwivac power unit to fit.

Yes, your AVT Slide Plate filter does have a weighted centre that is can be mistaken for rocks, dirt or small stones between the layers. This weighted pouch is supposed to be in the filter.

It is a central weighted inverted cloth filter that has a small bag of weights sewn into the filter.

Other bottom emptying systems that also use weighted cloth filters include Zanussi, Electrolux Central Vac, Smart, Beam, Volta, Canavac, Tornado, Nilfisk Central Vac. As well as some VacuMaid and Premier Clean central vacuum systems.

Whether you have a Kiwivac, or another brand, we have an extensive range of accessories and tools that will fit most systems. See our Accessories and Spare Parts section.

We have chosen not to have an online purchasing option as we prefer to talk to our customers and make sure they are getting exactly what they need or want to replace.

For example
Often people extend or alter the layout their homes and now their existing hose doesn’t reach all areas.
Instead of buying a new extra long hose to vacuum the whole house, that is more cumbersome to use we sell extension hoses. The extension hose in fits into the wall inlet and the end of your original hose giving you extra length to reach the new areas that you can’t reach before. While using your original shorter hose for the rest of your home.

Each extension hose is made to your individual requires and a fraction of the cost of a new extra long hose.

Not only is it more convenient to have a shorter hose and use the extension when needed. It also saves you money as you aren’t replacing a perfectly good hose with a longer one.

Ideal for using in your garage if you can’t reach the far side with your original vacuum hose.

Each extension hose is individually customised to suit your needs.

If your wand has a large black plastic ring around it you will find it is a telescopic wand. If you hold on to this while pulling/pushing the other end of the wand away from you it will extend. Your particular wand may have a small button that you need to push before the wand will extend.

Yes, we have a large selection of colours available, contact your local dealer on 0800 354 948 for more information and to see our colour range.

Yes, we have a large range of inlets (also known as face plates or outlet valves) to replace those broken and discoloured inlets, including Kiwivac, Cen-vac, Compact, Vaculine, Plastiflex, Vacuvalve and Deco. We also have some metal inlets. Contact your local dealer on 0800 354 948.

The short answer is No.
An ‘Air Driven’ Turbo vacuum head will work on either a standard hose or switch hose (one that has an on/off button) on the handle.
They are ideal for picking up animal hair and on hard to vacuum carpets.
Check out our Air Driven Turbo heads under ‘Accessories’ or give us a call.

We have a selection of replacement dust buckets and cyclonic cones for bagless central vacuum systems including Electron, Hayden, Hills 1200, Hills 1600, MaxVac. Give us a call to see if we have one for your system. Phone 0800 354 948

The optimum length hose for you to use in your home is one that reaches the furthest area of your home from each wall inlet valve.

E.G. The closest wall inlet to your bedrooms should comfortably reach all the bedroom area with a bit of excess hose to let you to get around the bed and furniture etc. and still reach the furthest area from that wall inlet valve.

If your current hose isn’t long enough. Measure the distance from the wall inlet to the furthest point that you can’t reach, add about half a metre to get around furniture. This is the hose length you need. Alternatively, you could get an extension hose to cover this area.

Optimal the best length is 9 metres. We do have longer hoses if you home has been designed for a longer hose.

We stock new hoses with on/off buttons on the handle, standard hoses that start up as soon as you plug them into the wall. We also stock standard extension hoses for standard hoses and on/off extension hoses if want to be able to use the on/off button on your hose when you are using your extension hose.

Call us on 0800 354 948 to order or have your questions answered.

Yes, we can install a Kiwivac AVT System into 99% of existing homes. So long as you have a crawl space in your ceiling or under your home we can generally put a system in for you. It can be piped and installed usually in one day, with very little mess or disruption to you. Call your local dealer for more information or a no obligation free quote on 0800 354 948.

This is done around the time the electrician and plumber are doing their work. After the roof has gone on and before the wall linings are put on. In some cases it is necessary to put the pipes under the concrete floor, if this is the case you need to contact your local dealer earlier.

You are best to contact us after you have decided on your plan and before the floor goes down if it is on a concrete pad or before any building commences. If you have already started building and you have just remembered about the Central Vacuum give your dealer a call on 0800 354 948.

You need to decide before or at the time of piping out your home. As we have our unique Kiwivac inlets and other compact inlets that have different size face plates. As a gib guard is put on at the time of the pipe out and the gib board is cut around the guard, therefore determining which type of inlet can be fitted when you finish off your system.

No, generally an inlet covers an area of about 80 Square metres. The average home needs between 3 and 5 inlets depending on the design constraints of your home.

Yes, a Kiwivac AVT power unit will fit on all pipe work. We will need to come and have a look to see which power unit will best suit your needs and what you would like with your system. Give us a call on 0800 354 948 to find out more.

Our systems have the cleanest emptying systems available, ensuring you have minimal contact with the dust and debris that you have vacuumed up. Kiwivac systems are designed and built here in New Zealand for New Zealand conditions. We consult with you on the best design, hose length and tools for your needs and our systems are designed to perform at their best at all times.
We pride ourselves on having great back up service.

Your system is finished off with the power unit, and inlets put on the walls, when you are about to move in. Once the carpet is down, all the painting is finished and the kitchen units are installed.

Check to see if the bag is full, if it is you need to change it.

If not, check all your inlets to see that they are fully closed including the VacPan, if you have one. Plug your hose into the inlet closest to the power unit and walk around your home and listen for any air leaks. If you hear a leak check the inlet and remove anything that may be keeping it open. This should solve your problem, if not continue with the following.

Plug your hose into each inlet to see if suction is lost at all the inlets. If there is the same amount of suction at each inlet try the following.
Check the lid is on properly
Check the cloth bag under the disposable bag hasn’t dropped down. If this has happened lift up the cloth bag so the wire ring in the cloth bag sit above the swage in the machine body.
Check that all the inlets have lid rubbers on the inside of the flaps.

If you still have a problem contact your local dealer on 0800 354 948 for further help.

Do you have a VacPan in your home that you sweep the dust and dirt up to? If you do check that the lever is fully closed and that there are no sticks or anything that could be stopping it from completely shutting off. Open the VacPan and try clearing it with your finger to see there is nothing keeping it open. Turn the lever to the off position, hopefully this has solved your problem.

If you still have a problem contact your local dealer on 0800 354 948 for further help.

Yes we service and sell spare parts for almost every brand of Central Vacuum including 5 Star, Astrovac, Auskay, Beam, BVS, Canavac, Centralvac, Compact2, Cyclovac, Drainvac, DVS, EasyVac, Elantra, Electron, Eurovac, EVS, Excel, Hayden, Hayden Supervac, Hills, Hoover, InterVac, Laservac, MaxVac, Mistral, Modern Day, Monarch, Ovis, Premier, Premier Clean, Pullman, Smart, Smartvac, Silent Master, Tellus, Tornado, Ultra Clean, UltraClean, UltraVac, Valdeig, Vacumaid, Wadvark, WardVak, and Zanussi.

Although your system has been designed for maximum performance and service life, there are some guidelines you can follow to help prolong its serviceability and life.

• When removing the hose from the inlet valves, hold the inlet lid up for three (3) to five (5) seconds after removing the hose, until the suction stops.
• Do not use on wet surfaces.
• Never vacuum up liquids of any kind with your central vacuum system. If you accidentally do, leave your hose plugged into the inlet valve and let the system run for approximately five (5) minutes, without vacuuming up anything, to dry out the hose and vacuum pipes. If you fail to do this and continue to vacuum the dust and dirt will stick to the walls of your hose and pipes and reduce the performance of your system.
• Never vacuum up Gib dust, plaster dust, fire ashes, construction debris; these may cause damage to the motor, the warranty does not cover such damage.
• Never activate the power unit unless a hose is inserted into an inlet or the VacPan is open.
• Do not pick up anything that is burning or smoking, such as cigarettes, matches or hot or warm ashes, or any flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline or use in areas where they may be present.
• Keep the surrounding space around the power unit clear to avoid the motor overheating.
• With the Kiwivac Bag model power unit always make sure the Kiwivac dust bag and filters in the correct position.
• Always use a Kiwivac Bag which is especially made for our bag model power units. Using any other paper bags voids the warranty and lessens the filtering of the power unit.
• Empty the power unit dust compartment periodically.
• Never activate the Slide Plate power unit with the rubbish bag still attached to the bottom or with the Slide Plate out. Make sure the slide plate is pushed back as far as it will go, when returning it to the correct position.
• Do not use abrasive cleaning product on the power unit.
• If installing in a cupboard or confined area make sure there is adequate ventilation to ensure there is good airflow around the power unit.
• Never attempt any internal repairs on the power unit. This should be done ONLY by an authorised Kiwivac AVT agent.
• For more information please consult your Owners Operation Manual that was provided with your system when it was installed. If you don’t have a copy email or phone us for a copy.

Drimaster prevents many of the problems associated with condensation in your home, such as mould growth on walls, ceilings, furniture, clothes and curtains.

Drimaster also eliminates any musty odours which can result from severe condensation. It purifies the air, resulting in less allergens and providing relief from those suffering from asthma or allergies.

The outcome is a cleaner, drier and healthier living environment.

Drimaster offers all the same benefits as other positive pressure home ventilation systems in the New Zealand market. However, the difference is the much more affordable price and cheaper on-going running costs.

You can be assured you are purchasing a reliable and quality product, made by a reputable and world-class company with many years’ experience in the industry.

Drimaster is made in England by Nuaire, the UK market leader in energy-efficient ventilation solutions for both the residential and commercial sectors. Nuaire have been designing and manufacturing ventilation systems since 1963 and are an innovative and world-class company with their products now available in over 40 countries worldwide.