We’ve all seen the most esoteric of home theaters in magazines and on the Internet. Affluent people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment, architecture, furniture and cables that cost more than some cars. It is most certainly glamorous, but not within reach of most consumers. Many of us have other minor expenses like mortgages, food, auto payments and college funds to concern ourselves with.

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Everything these days is about reducing the carbon footprint on our world. ‘Green’ has become the byword of everything from household cleaners to appliances to vehicles. Energy-efficient electronics, LED lighting and advanced thermal insulation make our homes brighter, warmer or cooler as needed. But how many of our kids leave the lights on in their rooms, only to return hours later?

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As you fire up your upright vacuum, all current activities that require the absence of ambient noise (talking on the phone, watching television, sleeping etc) come to an abrupt end. You may as well be using a chainsaw in your living room relative to the disruption that it causes. With a central vacuum, the noisy motor is in the garage or basement, so all you will hear is the air flowing through the cleaning attachment on the hose itself. Life can continue without interruption, although sleeping while vacuuming is not recommended.

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