Need your vacuum repaired? The Vac Shack’s Service Plus Complete 15 point service plan has got you covered! Each vacuum we repair goes through these 15 steps…trust us, when we repair, we do it right! Call or come in today to take advantage of our Service Plan. It’s like peace of mind with every tune-up!

1. Check belt and replace if necessary

2. Check agitator brushes and replace if necessary

3. Disassemble, clean and grease agitator

4. Check electrical system

5. Check and inspect motor and disassemble if necessary

6. Check and inspect outer bag

7. Check motor bearings if necessary

8. Clean and grease motor bearings if necessary

9. Check motor brushes

10. Check armature and field

11. Check and inspect motor’s fan system

12. Lube all moving parts

13. Clean, sanitize and deodorize unit completely

14. Bench test

15. Replace paper bag and/or primary filter, if necessary

Make a note of Sunday, November 7th on your calendar; that’s the day The Vac Shack will be opening a new store in Cumberland, RI at The Big Flea! With dozens of vendors, The Big Flea is New England’s Largest Flea Market! Over 100 vacuums will be on site and on sale in our brand-new location.  If you’re looking for a deal on a vac, drop in this weekend or the next – we look forward to seeing you there!

Starting November 6th, The Big Flea Market will be open every Saturday & Sunday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Big Flea is located at 1 Ann and Hope Way Cumberland, RI 02864. For directions, click here!

Algonquin Products has 175-plus years of combined industry experience in the specialty chemical market – their economical, environmentally safe cleaning and sanitation solutions work for both industrial and residential uses. The Vac Shack is proud to offer a wide variety of Algonquin Products in our store, especially Algonquin’s new industrial hand sanitizer Purple Power. If you’re a professional or just want to clean like one, call or come in today to pick up some high-quality Algonquin Products!

]]> http://newenglandvacshack.com/the-vac-shack-teams-up-with-algonquin-product/feed/ 0 http://newenglandvacshack.com/useful-information-about-cell-phones/ http://newenglandvacshack.com/useful-information-about-cell-phones/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:42:12 +0000 vacshack http://newenglandvacshack.com/?p=245

As a public service from the Vac Shack, here’s 5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do!

For all the folks with cell phones (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet, as it’s good information to have with you):

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST (Emergency)

The emergency number worldwide for mobile phones is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you. Interestingly, the number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND (Locked Keys in Car)

Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other ‘remote’ for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
[Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!]

THIRD (Hidden Battery Power)

Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

FOURTH (How to Disable a STOLEN Mobile Phone)

To check your Mobile phone’s serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: *#06#.
A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card your phone will be totally useless. You probably won’t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can’t use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And finally…

FIFTH (Free Directory Service for Cells)

Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don’t have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE-411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.

This is sponsored by McDonald’s.

This is the kind of information people don’t mind receiving, so feel free to pass it on to your family and friends.

Cleaning out your attic or storage space? Why not put your used vacuums, cleaning equipment and janitorial equipment to good use? The Vac Shack will pay CASH for your industrial and consumer cleaning equipment…best of all, we’ll come to you! Here’s what we’re on the lookout for:

• Vacuum Cleaners (Backpack Vacuums, New-in-box Vacuums, Commercial Vacuums, Oreck, Tornado, Nobles, NSS, Electrolux, Kirby, Kenmore..all makes and models!)

• Miele Vacuums (Working or not, we want them! If it’s working, we’ll give you cash; if it isn’t, we’ll haul it away for free!)

• Rainbow Vacuums (Models D3C through the Current E Series models, though we’ll consider all running Rainbows)

• Buffers

• Scrubbers

• Carpet Extractors

• And more!

Got a broken vacuum taking up space? We’ll haul it away and recycle it for you for FREE!

Don’t wait! Call or come in today! (617) 824-0780

By Carl Conners

Allergies can come in a broad array of categories, from food allergies to medication allergies as well as insect stings to even jewelry. Perhaps the most common allergies are reactions to dust, mold, pollen, and animal dander. These are also among the most difficult to control as they permeate so much of our environment. After all, we have to breathe, don’t we? But when these allergens are trapped inside a house or business, their effect can be intensified. Even people who are not overtly prone to allergies can have their immune systems compromised by a myriad of microscopic irritants.

Molds

Molds belong to a large family of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments. Mold grows in three primary families; Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and Ascomycota. Although some molds cause disease or food spoilage, others are useful for their role in biodegradation or in the production of various foods, beverages, antibiotics and enzymes.

Molds are ubiquitous in nature, and mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust. However, when mold spores are present in large quantities, they can present a health hazard to humans, potentially causing allergic reactions and respiratory problems.

Some molds also produce mycotoxins that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and in some cases death. Prolonged exposure, e.g. daily workplace exposure, can be particularly harmful.

Pollen

Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes (pollen grains), which produce the male gametes (sperm cells) of seed plants. A hard coat covering the pollen grain protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement between the stamens of the flower to the pistil of the next flower.

Allergy to pollen is called hay fever. Generally pollens that cause allergies are those of anemophilous plants (pollen is dispersed by air currents.) Such plants produce large quantities of lightweight pollen (because wind dispersal is random and the likelihood of one pollen grain landing on another flower is small) which can be carried for great distances and are easily inhaled, bringing it into contact with the sensitive nasal passages.

Dust Mites

The house dust mite (sometimes referred to by allergists as HDM), is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin. They flourish in the stable environment of dwellings. House dust mites are a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. Some of the gut enzymes (notably proteases) produced by the house mite persist in their fecal matter, and can be strongly allergenic.

Allergens produced by house dust mites are among the most common triggers of asthma. A safety and tolerability clinical trial has been completed with positive results by Cytos Biotechnology using an immunotherapeutic for treatment of house dust mite-triggered allergies.

Some main signs of house dust mite allergies are itchiness, sneezing, inflamed or infected eczema, watering eyes, runny nose, hay fever, and clogging in the lungs.

Allergy and asthma sufferers are also often advised to avoid feather pillows due to the presumed increased presence of the house dust mite allergen (Der p I). The reverse, however, is true. A 1996 study from the British Medical Journal has shown that polyester fibre pillows contained more than 8 times the total weight of Der p I and 3.57 times more micrograms of Der p I per gram of fine dust than feather pillows.

Animal Dander

People that are allergic to animals are often allergic to the dander (dead skin that is continually shed), the saliva, or the urine. Because dogs and cats are the most common pets, they top the list of animals that people are the most allergic to. However, people can also be allergic to birds, hamsters, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and the larger animals such as horses, goats, and cows. In addition, there may be certain animals within a given species that they are more allergic to than others. This appears particularly true with cats. Cat and Dog hair and dander can settle deep within the carpet piles and be almost impossible to get out. Animal hair compounds the problem, as it’s buildup can form a barrier that locks in other allergens such as dust and pollen.

Dust

Dust is a general name for minute solid particles with diameters less than 20 thou (500 micrometers). Particles in the atmosphere arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in homes, offices, and other human environments consists of human skin cells, plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, and many other materials which may be found in the local environment.

There’s a very simple solution to dealing with all these nasty carpet critters. Vacuum your rugs and carpet as often as possible. A professional carpet cleaning service may be an even better solution. When compared to a consumer vacuum cleaner, professional services have more powerful vacuums that work in conjunction with steam cleaning systems to penetrate much deeper into the rug pile. Pro services often use a multi-step process to root out the particulates and achieve a much deeper clean.

It may be an unsettling thought to realize that your carpet and furniture might be attracting microscopic trouble for you and your family, but easy prevention measures will boost your health, quality of life, and even your property value.

At its most basic level, an allergic reaction occurs when a given allergen comes into contact with the body’s mast cells and basophils. If surrounding T and B white blood cells have been sensitized to this particular allergen, the mast and basophil cells will release histamine and other inflammatory chemical mediators (cytokines, interleukins, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins) into the surrounding tissue, causing several systemic effects, such as vasodilation, mucous secretion, nerve stimulation and smooth muscle contraction. This results in rhinorrhea, itchiness, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis. Depending on the individual, allergen, and mode of introduction, the symptoms can be system-wide (as in life threatening classical anaphylaxis), or localized to particular body systems. For example, asthma is localized to the respiratory system and eczema is localized to the dermis.

Carpets function as natural “sponges”, absorbing all of the above pathogens and providing an ideal shelter for them to collect and flourish. As such, they are notoriously difficult to keep clean. Try and vacuum carpets as often as possible. Better yet, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning service . Professional services are markedly more effective than consumer vacuums, as they tend to use highly pressurized steam cleaning techniques, combined with very high pressure vacuuming to rid the carpet pile of built up particulates and residue.

Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies or down and dirty carpet buildup, taking a few simple, preventative measures can make the world of difference, and boost your quality of life for pennies on the dollar.

We put some of our best deals online. Check out this week’s offerings! All used vacs have been completely cleaned and refurbished, and every vac comes with a 100% money back guarantee. As always, if you have any questions feel free to drop in or give us a call!

eBay Sales:

Kent 16” Upright Commercial Vacuum Cleaner, Fully Refurbished $149

Rubbermaid Backpack Vacuum Cleaner, Fully Refurbished $179

NEW Dyson DC17 Absolute Upright Vacuum Cleaner $279

NEW Oreck XL10 Backpack Vacuum Cleaner $349

Like NEW Rainbow D3C Canister Vacuum Cleaner $349

Kenmore Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum Cleaner, Fully Refurbished $149

NEW Proteam Pro Force 1500XP Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner $249

For a constantly updated list of our vacuum sales on eBay, click here. There’s always something new!

Craigslist Ads:

We Pay Cash for Rainbow and Other High-End Vacuum Cleaners

Like New Upright Commercial Vacuums

Refurbished Floor Machines/Buffers

Backpack Vacuum Cleaners For Sale, Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Rainbow D4C Canister Vacuum Cleaner For Sale

Like NEW Rainbow D3C Canister Vacuum Cleaner For Sale

There has been some confusion in the industry about what the specific ‘green’ certifications are and which ones apply to certain types of products. Listed below are common ‘green’ certifications to help you navigate through various environmental claims.

CRI Green Label, Green Label Plus and Seal of Approval:
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is the overseer of the Green Label, Green Label Plus and Seal of Approval programs for carpet products. The Green Label program ensures that the consumer is buying one of the lowest emitting carpet products available on the market. The Green Label Plus program has the strictest standards for chemical emissions and establishes the highest standard for indoor air quality (IAQ) ever set by the carpet industry. The Seal of Approval program sets a new standard for carpet cleaning effectiveness by raising the bar even higher and enhancing standards for vacuum cleaner performance.

DfE Certified:
The Design for the Environment (DfE) logo is a green label placed on household and chemical products that meet strict guidelines for human and environmental health. In order for a product to receive the DfE label, the EPA’s scientific review team screens each ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and the product only contains ingredients that pose the least concern among chemicals in their class.

EcoLogo:
Ecologo was founded in 1988 and is now North America’s largest environmental standard and certification mark. The EcoLogo Program is a Type I eco-label, as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Ecologo Program compares products/services with others in the same category, develops rigorous and scientifically relevant criteria that reflect the entire lifecycle of the product. Ecologo has certified thousands of products using this criteria in a large variety of categories including chemicals and janitorial.

Green Seal Certified:
Green Seal is a non-profit third party certifier dedicated to environmental standard setting, product certification and public awareness. Green Seal takes the life cycle assessment approach, evaluating a product from the raw materials through the manufacturing process and ending with recycling or disposal. Green Seal Certified products/services include household cleaning products, food service packaging, paper products and more. Products only become certified after rigorous evaluation, including on-site plant visits. Green Seal is the largest US-based eco-labeling organization and meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Criteria for Third Party Certifiers.

LEED Certification:
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the US Green Building Counsel (USGBC). LEED provides third party verification that a building was designed and built using green strategies such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emission reduction and improved indoor environmental quality. LEED certifications can be applied to both commercial and residential buildings.

Sanitaire Quietclean Backpack Vacuum Cleaner (EUR412)

10qt Rubbermaid Backpack Vacuum Cleaner (RCP 9VBP10)

Sanitaire 9 Gallon Carpet Extractor (EUR 6080)

EAG 1150 Air Mover (EAG 1150)

16" Sanitaire Upright Vacuum Cleaner (EUR 899)

12" Sanitaire Upright Vacuum Cleaner (EUR 886)

12" Commerical Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaner (HOO 1404)

Commerical Hoover Wind Tunnel Vacuum Cleaner (HOO 1703)

Sanitaire Duralite Upright Vacuum Cleaner (EUR SC9050)

Porta Power Lightweight Shoulder Vacuum (HOO CH30000)

All Types of Floor Pads in All Sizes (MCO 08270)

]]> http://newenglandvacshack.com/the-vac-shack-carries-only-the-best-professional-cleaning-products/feed/ 0 http://newenglandvacshack.com/august-savings-at-the-vac-shack/ http://newenglandvacshack.com/august-savings-at-the-vac-shack/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:54:03 +0000 admin http://newenglandvacshack.com/?p=176

Get a FREE pre-paid VISA card with any vacuum purchase over $150 during the month of August! Purchases over $150 get a $25 VISA card, and purchases over $150 get a $50 card. Must pay quoted or advertised price to qualify.

We’ve got a huge sale on Backpack Vacuums this month, too–check out our Craigslist ad here! These vacs start at $199 and come with a 3-day, 100% money back guarantee.

We’re also having a Commercial Metal Vacuums overstock sale–12” machines are available for $99 and 15” machines are available for $149. All have been completely sanitized, polished and tuned up. Some have new red shake out bags, belts, brushrolls and cords! Come in today and check them out!