Central vacuum systems · sold & installed

Central vacuum systems, sized & installed across the Metro East.

Air Lion designs, sells, and installs central vacuum systems, also called whole-house or whole-home vacuums, across Collinsville, Edwardsville, and the Metro East. A built-in system means stronger suction at every inlet, cleaner air for allergy homes, and nothing heavy to carry, in houses, salons, grooming shops, clinics, and facilities alike.

Schedule a consultation Call (618) 223-8880
Vacuuming a bright modern home with a central vacuum
Central vacuums, explained

What is a central vacuum system?

A central vacuum system is a built-in cleaning system with one powerful motor mounted in your garage or basement and inlet valves in the walls throughout your home. You connect a lightweight hose to any inlet and clean, and the dirt travels through tubing inside the walls to a large canister at the power unit, so none of it blows back into your living space.

Why install one

The motor lives in the garage. You just carry the hose.

A central vacuum puts the power where you cannot hear it and the cleaning where you need it. Here is why homeowners and business owners across the Metro East make the switch.

Stronger, steadier suction

A full-size power unit pulls far harder than any portable, and because it sits in the garage it runs cooler and holds that power at every inlet for years.

Cleaner air for allergy homes

Fine dust and dander travel through the walls and out of your living space instead of recirculating through a portable filter. A UC Davis study found real relief for allergy sufferers.

Low-noise, low-effort

With the motor out in the garage, cleaning is far quieter, and you carry only a light hose from inlet to inlet, never a machine up the stairs.

Built to last, easy to own

The system can run 20 years or more, the canister is large enough to empty just a few times a year, and a built-in vacuum adds value as a permanent home feature.

How it works

Four parts, working out of sight.

A central vacuum is simple. A power unit in the garage or basement connects to tubing hidden in your walls, which runs to inlets in each part of the home. Plug a light hose into the nearest inlet and dirt is pulled all the way back to the unit, out of your living space.

1

Power unit

A large, stationary motor mounts in the garage or a mechanical room, far from where you live.

2

In-wall tubing

Hidden PVC tubing routes through the walls to carry everything back to the unit.

3

Wall inlets

Flush-mounted inlets sit where you need them. Plugging in the hose switches the system on.

4

Lightweight hose

You carry only the hose and tool. The heavy motor never leaves the garage.

Hide-A-Hose option

The hose that disappears into the wall.

With a Hide-A-Hose system there is no 30-foot hose to coil up and store. The hose lives inside the wall tubing itself. You pull out only the length you need, clean, and the suction draws it right back into the wall when you are done. Because each inlet reaches so far, most homes need only a handful of them.

1Pull out the hose
2Vacuum the room
3It retracts into the wall
  • Pull out only the hose you need
  • Nothing to carry, coil, or store
  • Suction retracts it back into the wall
  • Roughly half as many inlets to cover the home
Ask about Hide-A-Hose
What it is good for

One system, a lot of jobs.

Central and built-in vacuums are not just for big houses. We size and install them for homes and businesses across the Metro East.

Whole-home & new construction

The cheapest, cleanest time to install is during the build, with the tubing run before the drywall and inlets planned to your floor plan.

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Allergy & pet households

Fine dust, dander, and pet hair are carried out of your living space instead of pushed back into the air, which is exactly what allergy and asthma families are after.

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Garages & workshops

A garage inlet and kit make quick work of sawdust, grass clippings, and the floor of the car, with suction strong enough for grit a portable would choke on.

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Hair salons & barbershops

Sweep cut hair off the floor in seconds between clients. A wall inlet at each station keeps a busy shop clean without dragging a vacuum around the chairs.

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Pet grooming

Groomers move a mountain of fur a day. A built-in system pulls hair and dander straight out of the room and keeps the air clear for the next appointment.

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Veterinary clinics

Exam rooms, kennels, and lobbies stay cleaner and lower-allergen when dust and hair are carried out to a remote unit instead of recirculated through a portable filter.

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Offices & facilities

For offices, studios, and small facilities, central inlets let staff clean fast and often, with stronger suction and far less noise than a rolling commercial vac.

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Power units & brands

Sized to your home, not oversold.

The power unit is the heart of the system, and it is matched to your square footage so you buy only the suction you need. We work with proven makers like H-P Products and its VACUFLO line, building central vacuums since 1955, along with Element power units and Hide-A-Hose retractable systems.

You also choose how it handles dirt: a permanent self-cleaning filter that never needs replacing, sealed disposable bags for no-touch emptying, or true cyclonic separation. We walk you through the trade-offs during the consultation.

  • Matched to your home by square footage
  • Large canister, emptied just a few times a year
  • Permanent, bagged, or cyclonic filtration
  • VACUFLO, Element, and Hide-A-Hose equipment
Central vacuum power units from VACUFLO and Element
From consultation to clean

How we install yours.

1

Free consultation

We walk your home or business, talk through how you clean, and map where the inlets should go.

2

Design and quote

We size the power unit and inlet plan to your space, then hand you a clear written quote.

3

Professional install

We route the tubing and set the inlets with care, in new construction or an existing building, usually in about a day.

Good to know

Central vacuum questions, answered.

How much does a central vacuum system cost to install?
It depends on the size and layout of your home and how many inlets you want. We start with a free in-home consultation, size the system to your square footage, and give you a clear written quote before any work begins.
Is a central vacuum the same as a whole-house vacuum?
Yes. Central vacuum, whole-house vacuum, and whole-home vacuum all describe the same thing: a built-in system with the power unit in your garage or basement and inlet valves throughout the house. Air Lion sizes and installs them across the Metro East.
Can a central vacuum be installed in an existing home?
Yes. Central vacuums are retrofitted into existing homes all the time, not just new construction. We route the tubing through walls, attics, basements, and closets, and most installs are finished in about a day with minimal disruption.
Is a central vacuum really more powerful than a portable?
Yes. The power unit lives in the garage or basement and is far larger than any portable motor, so suction stays strong at every inlet. Because it is stationary it runs cooler and holds that power for years.
Does a central vacuum help with allergies?
It can make a real difference. Instead of recirculating fine dust and dander through a portable filter, a central system carries it through the walls and out of your living space to the remote unit. A UC Davis study found measurable relief for allergy sufferers.
What is Hide-A-Hose?
Hide-A-Hose is a retractable hose that lives inside the wall tubing. You pull out only the length you need, clean, and the suction draws the hose back into the wall when you are done. There is no heavy hose to carry or store, and each inlet covers so much area that most homes need far fewer of them.
How often do I have to empty it?
Not often. The canister on the power unit is large, so most homeowners empty or change it just three or four times a year. Permanent self-cleaning filters never need replacing, and bagged units seal in the dust for no-touch disposal.
How many inlets will my home need?
It depends on your floor plan and the hose length you choose. A longer hose reaches more of the home from each inlet, so a Hide-A-Hose layout can cover a house with far fewer inlets than a traditional system. We map this for you during the consultation.
Do you install central vacuums for businesses too?
Yes. Central and built-in vacuum systems are a great fit for salons, pet groomers, veterinary clinics, offices, and other facilities that deal with hair, dander, and constant foot traffic. We size commercial systems the same careful way we size homes.
What brands do you install?
We work with proven central-vacuum makers, including H-P Products and its VACUFLO line, which has built central vacuums since 1955, plus Element power units and Hide-A-Hose retractable systems. We match the equipment to your home and how you clean, not the other way around.
Air Lion

Thinking about a central vacuum?

Start with a free in-home consultation. We will size a system to your home or business and give you a clear quote, with no pressure.

Schedule a consultation (618) 223-8880