The reason a central vacuum gets used twice a week instead of twice a day is friction: unspooling a 30 ft hose to pick up a spill of cereal is not worth it. A VacPan solves that. It mounts flush in a cabinet toe kick or a baseboard, you flip the lever with your foot, the door opens and the power unit starts, and you sweep the pile straight in. No hose, no bending, no dustpan, no line of dust left on the floor.
Built for
- Kitchen toe kicks, far and away the most common location: crumbs, pet food, floor grit.
- Laundry rooms, mudrooms and bathrooms for hair, lint and litter.
- Garages, workshops and salons, for sawdust, clippings and entry-door grit.
- Both new construction and retrofit. Installers rough it in; homeowners add it to a finished house.
What is involved in installing one
The VacPan needs a 6-3/4 inch long by 1-3/4 inch high slot cut in the toe kick or baseboard, plus an access hole roughly 2-3/4 by 3-1/2 inches through the cabinet floor or wall to reach the pipe connection. It connects to standard 2 inch central vacuum tubing, normally through a short 90 degree elbow. Leave that elbow joint unglued so the unit can be pulled later for service, and check the joint is airtight. The leading edge should finish flush with the floor, and it fastens with two #6 screws.
It also needs the low voltage pair run from the main line and landed on the terminals marked for low voltage. Flipping the toe lever closes that circuit and starts the power unit. There is no 110 V at the VacPan and it is not air-activated, so a system without a standard low-voltage start circuit is not a candidate.
It works with any central vacuum system using standard 2 inch pipe and a standard low-voltage start, regardless of the brand on the power unit.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Plastiflex. Finish: black
- Rough opening: 6-3/4 inch long by 1-3/4 inch high
- Access hole for pipe connection: approximately 2-3/4 by 3-1/2 inches
- Tubing: standard 2 inch central vacuum pipe
- Wiring: low voltage pair required; not air-activated
- Mounting: two #6 screws; installs in a toe kick, baseboard or between studs
Plastiflex does not publish overall dimensions or a shipping weight for this unit. Trim plates are catalogued separately by finish, so contact us to confirm what is included in the box before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add one to a house that is already finished?
Yes. It is designed for retrofit as well as new construction. You cut the toe-kick slot plus an access hole to reach the pipe connection, then cover the access hole.
Does it need electrical wiring?
It needs the low voltage pair from the main line landed on the terminals marked for low voltage. There is no line voltage at the VacPan.
Will it work with my brand of central vacuum?
Yes, provided your system uses standard 2 inch pipe and a standard low-voltage start circuit. The VacPan is brand-agnostic.
What pipe and fittings do I need?
Standard 2 inch central vacuum tubing and a short 90 degree elbow. Do not glue the VacPan-to-elbow joint, so the unit can be removed later.
Will my toe kick be tall enough?
Measure the toe-kick height and the clearance from cabinet floor to subfloor before ordering, since the elbow has to fit behind the opening. Send us the measurements and we will confirm.
Is a trim plate included?
Trim plates are catalogued separately by finish. Contact us to confirm what is in the box for this item.
Discount Cleaning Products carries central vacuum inlets, tubing, fittings and hoses together, so a VacPan and the elbow and pipe to install it come from one order. Our US-based team can talk through the install before you cut anything.
