Vacuum Sweeper: How It's Different

A vacuum sweeper is a machine or appliance used to clean carpets, floors and upholstery. It's different from other household cleaning tools because it uses a suction action and air pressure to remove debris. Vacuum sweepers are also called vacuum cleaners and come in a variety of types including ones for outdoor use and street cleaning.

The Power of Air Pressure

The science behind the effectiveness of vacuum sweepers is simple. They work by creating air pressure inside the machine. An electric fan reduces the internal air pressure so that it's lower than the air pressure outside the machine, also called the atmospheric pressure. The difference between the two air pressures makes the air move to the lower inside pressure from the higher outside pressure. The moving air picks up dirt and debris and passes through a bag or cannister where the dirt becomes trapped. The air is then discharged.

Upright Vacuum Sweeper

The upright vacuum sweeper is the most common of all the types of vacuums. In it's most basic form, it has a cleaning head attached to a handle and a bag. The cleaning head usually has a brush roll or beater brush that vibrates and sweeps in order to loosen dirt from carpets.

One style of upright has a large fan located at the front of the bag very close to the suction opening. The fan creates air pressure which sucks dirt through the opening and into the bag or canister. The style is referred to as the direct air vacuum sweeper. The other type, known as the direct air vacuum system, has a large fan located behind the bag . This allows the dirt to be removed from the air before it goes through the fan.

Cylinder or Canister Sweepers

These types of sweepers have the motor, fan and bag in a separate unit. The cleaning head is connected to the unit with a hose. They create air pressure to remove dirt the same way that upright sweepers do, but tend not to have the deep cleaning power of uprights since canister sweepers usually don't have beaters in the cleaning head.

Suction Power

It's the suction power of a vacuum sweeper that makes it more effective and different than a broom or other manual, non-powered sweeper. Suction power, like motor power, is measured in watts and is a combination of the air flow efficiency and the overall power of the motor running the fan that moves the air.

Uprights require less suction power than cylinders to be effective because they're closer to the ground so the dust-laden air doesn't need to be sucked through tubes before reaching the bag. 100 watt upright cleaners will do a good job, but if you want a vacuum sweeper that does an exceptional job, choose a model with over 250 air watt power.

Broom-Like Sweepers

Those sweepers that look like a broom with a larger base are similar to vacuum sweepers in that they use the power of air pressure to pick up debris. The pressure is created by a fan. The difference between vacuum sweeper and broom-like sweepers in that the latter is powered by batteries instead of electricity and stores the debris in a removable dust tray instead of bag or canister.