According to statista.com, Revenue in the Vacuum Cleaners segment amounts to US$4,636m in 2019. In relation to total population figures, per person revenues of US$14.09 are generated.  The population of the United States is 329m, the numbers of registered vehicles in 2018 is 276m. How many Auto Vacuum Cleaners are selling each year? It’s following up home vac and growing at an amazing speed.

Vacuuming is the key to keep a clean home so that every housewife has a powerful vacuum cleaner at home. The larger sales the home vacs are, the larger sales the vehicle vacs are going to be. 

How much do you know about the components and parts of a car vacuum cleaner?

Which technical data can show the function the most?

How to choose the supplier with good quality vac and best price?

Knowing about these 8 key points, you’re able to choose the best car vacuum cleaners and the suppliers. Here we aim to help you to expand the market share and make more money.

#1. Input Power

If you tried the big home vac for several times, you would like its big power like 1600W, it’s the Input Power. ( After 1 September 2014, due to EU rules, manufacture of vacuum cleaners with a power consumption greater than 1600 watts will be banned. From 2017 no vacuum cleaner with wattage greater than 900 watts will be permitted. )

The input power is the power consumption of a vacuum cleaner, in watts, is often the only figure stated. The rated input power does not state the effectiveness of the cleaner, only how much electricity it consumes.

Always have such kind of conversations with customers from Russia or North America. They are engaged in all heavy duty products. Input power is just one indirect factor. On the contrary, the lower the input power, the better of the auto vac.

Why? Four reasons as below:

  • Less consumption when it’s working
  • Less heat which it creates during the working
  • Less continuous working time. If the machine is overheated too hot especially in hot summer, there may be a fire hazard in the vehicles.
  • Less noise

#2. Suction Power

The priority data you need to focus on is not the input power, tt’s the Suction Power.

It describes as unit kPa or Air Watt.

A vacuum’s suction is caused by a difference in air pressure. A fan driven by an electric motor reduces the pressure inside the machine. Atmospheric pressure then pushes the air through the nozzle and into the tank. So suck the dust into the tank.

That’s the main function who decides the cost of a 12V vacuum cleaner.

Unlike a household vacuum cleaner which is highest to 20kPa, there’re 5 levels as below.

Suction Power Function
1.4kPa ~ 1.8kPa It can vacuums coins
2kPa ~ 2.5kPa It can vacuums coins, but can’t vacuum an iPhone
2.8kPa ~ 3.5kPa It can vacuum the iPhone easily
4kPa ~ 5kPa Strong power
6kPa ~ 7kPa New developed tech with improved spare parts, stronger power
Above 7kPa In the development

Which brands are the most popular in the market, Armor All, B & D, Dirt Devil?

Which models do Chinese manufacturers produce 2 x 40HQ every month? What’s the unit price?

Suction Power Remark Unit price
1.4kPa ~ 1.8kPa Promotion models $2 ~ $3
2kPa ~ 2.5kPa middle level with more attachments, functions $4 ~ $5
2.8kPa ~ 3.5kPa stronger power with more functions $6 ~ $10

#3. Attachment & Flex Hose

The useful attachments help the cleaning job a lot, vacuum the dust very easily. Save time, Save money.

Take a view of the images and you can easily understand what’s used for.

  • ① Crevice tools – reaching tight crevices and spaces like seat gap, brake pedal area, car door pocket
  • ② Round Brush – Rotate to the suitable angle and vacuum in tight space with the 360° Brush
  • ③ Floor brush – Sweeps up dirt and debris from car mat, trunk mat, clean up the surfaces quickly
  • ④ Static Fabric Brush – Removes Pet Hair, Lint, Fuzz and Debris from the surface of the car seat, mat
  • ⑤ Extension pipe – Light and durable plastic extension pipe enhance the cleaning experience
  • ⑥ Long and flexible hose – easily connect with the attachments, offer more flexibility

6 attachments vacuum cleaners

#4. Cord & cigarette lighter

Car Vac is an electric product which is powered by the car cigarette socket.

The rated output voltage is 12 Volt. When the engine is on, the voltage can reach to 13.5V.

Keep the mind that before using the electric machine, start the engine. Otherwise, the car battery will get damaged.

It’s very easy to use the auto vacuum cleaner. Insert the cigarette lighter into car 12V outlet, press the switch button and it creates the power. It transmits the current of 3A or 8A to the cleaner. Good quality cord ensures the safety of 12V vacuum cleaner.

When you test the samples of Auto Vacs, you find that some cords are very hot after working for a while. But the others are very good as if it’s not powered yet.  

That’s the key how to choose the correct cords, and not to waste any money.

Two factors – the thickness of the wire and the length of the cord

As you read this post, you should put the thickness of wire in ahead of the length, which is a little difficult to get this data. But it’s very easy to have the skill, only below two steps.

Step 1: cut the wire and count how many wires of the cord, 28 wires

Step 2: use a micrometer to measure how much the thickness and get a dia. As 0.132mm.

how many wires dia each wire

Then you can calculate via the formula: thickness= π x (0.132/2)²x 28 = 0.37mm²

An experienced Car Vac buyer is able to know the cost of a new vacuum cleaner only through the thickness of the wire.

Tips! That’s the secret that you never know from your supplier, but you can find it here.

If it’s 0.3mm², it must be unit cost below $3,  suction power is around 1.6kPA ~ 1.8kPa.

If it’s 0.5mm², it must be $3 ~ $4.5, suction power is 2.5kPa ~ 3.5kPa

If it’s 0.75mm², it must be over $6, suction power is over 3.5kPa and more.

Back to the length of the cord, big brands handheld vacuums feature too long cord to 18 feet. But it does increase the cost.

Long cords have to equip with thick wires to avoid getting heated during the working.

In the past, every customer requested the 3m/10 feet long cord. Because, with this length, the vacuum cleaner can reach every place, from the front seat to car trunk. And it’s much lighter than an 18-feet-cord machine. What’s more, it’s quite annoying to pull back the long cords and store them.

As we declare the first point in this chapter that, Electric Vacuum cleaner is powered by 12V outlet.

In the old vehicles, there’s only one outlet in the front seat. But the vehicles keeping improving the driving experience. Now you can see 12V outlets in the back seat, and also in the trunk.

That indicates long cords vacuum cleaner is no longer needed, the cords is getting short, or even no cord. That’s the trend, James Dyson said in March 2018 Dyson stopped to develop corded vacuums as V10 is the future.

There’s already one canister vacuum cleaner with only 6 feet cords. You can visit Online Walmart about their HYPER TOUGH vacuums.

As far as the cigarette lighter, there’re two kinds, common styles and American styles.

The common styles lighter usually don’t have a fuse inside. It’s only for below 50W vacuum cleaner since the machine takes a 4A current.

For big watts, the 12V vehicle cleaner uses the American Style with a 10A fuse inside. This fuse is to protect the car fuse being melting.

      12V cigarette lighter cigarette lighter with fuse American style

Tips! 99% of the melting cases happen at the first second when starting the vacuum. No worry about the fuse when it’s already starting the vacuuming job.

#5. Filter

When seeing this point, I can say you must import the whole line from basic and cheap model to a higher level. Following the improvements on home hoover, car vacuum manufacturers are developing the filters too. From Non-woven to HEPA filter; from simple system to dual system filter; from plastic to stainless filter.

The non-woven filter is a very good one already, it can do the cleaning job very well. And China factory can control its cost as low as $0.05.

( Click for more interesting history stories about the material development of the filter. )

Along with market request on larger suction power, it needs a HEPA  filter.

It’s a High-efficiency particulate air filter. It can filter at least 99.95% diameter is greater than or equal to 0.3 µm.

As you know, the HEPA filter is washable and reusable, it saves money. But it’s not convenient to clean the dust, pet hair or other debris onto HEPA filter itself.

       HEPA wash HEPA double system filter

Then we have a dual system filter which we can make a plastic or stainless filter outside of the HEPA filter. This design is really good, and it would be much great if the cost becomes cheaper and cheaper.

At the same time, you may see on some Car Vacs there is a piece of foam behind the filter or behind the air outlet. Actually, it’s no use in the function, but it gives a feeling that it’s a good product. Better to have it if to design a new Vacuum Cleaner.

#6. Fan

When you taking the filter and dustbin case out, you can see the part of the fan.

There’re two kinds of material for the fan, plastic, and aluminum.

Can’t go wrong, the plastic one is low cost. It’s the main and only material that the manufacturer produced over the past years. With the request of bigger suction power, the aluminum comes into use. it’s lightweight, the lowest cost among all the metal material like steel sheet, zinc sheet.

For those mini vacuum cleaners, the plastic fan is just good. It’s able to reach the requested suction power, and it has the best price. When a higher suction power is required, the best option is the aluminum fan. It can not only create strong and stable air flow but also lower noise.

plastic fan aluminum fan

Tips! The vacuum with an aluminum fan is 30% more effective in suction power, and 20% quieter than the plastic one.

#7. Motor

Behind the fan, it is DC 12V electric motor, which is the core part of a vacuum cleaner.

Used on the car vacuum cleaner, there’re two series of 3s and 5s. You can read the information through the printing on the motor itself. Usually, they’re 380 or 540.

For small handhold cleaner – below 2kPa suction power, it must feature a 380 motor.

For the wet and dry canister vacuum with big power, it is a 540 or 550 motor.

The quality of the motor is the most important. Besides technical data like Rotate Speed, Torque, Concentricity, you can see what material inside the motor.

It must be a Copper Coined Motor.

        12V 540 motor coppor coin motor

Some manufacturers may use CCA ( Copper Coated Aluminum ) coiled motor. It is much cheaper than a 100% copper motor. It’s a fake motor just for lower quality and lower cost.

What’s worse, it’s not safe because the aluminum gets burned easily when it’s overheated in a limited space.

Tips! It’s easy to test with a lighter, just fire the wires. The CCA will melt very soon.

#8. Noise

Noise data (dB) is a very important technical data for the home vacuum cleaner. Since it’s used at home, it can’t break the quiet atmosphere.

But we can’t ask for too much to a car vacuum cleaner, it’s a DIY product compared with a home hoover. It’s used in the car or in the garage, and most people think the loud dB equals the strong function.

Tips! No sharp noise is acceptable. That means the internal part like motor, fan or somewhere is becoming loose and going to be broken.

An easy way to test and find this problem by switch ON and OFF quickly and continually, see the video.                    

 

So you’ve got all these 8 knowledge points, no supplier is able to cheat you on car vacuum cleaners.

After keeping these small tips and secrets in mind, you become an expert in this area. It’s easy to make the car vac business a success. At the same time, you can also develop the other electric 12V items like Car Air Compressor and Car Heater.