John Coghlan, president of Beam Industries, the leading manufacturer of central vacuum systems, says it is possible that as many as 75 percent of all new U.S. homes could have central vacuums or be primed (pre-piped) for central vacuum systems by 2010, allowing home buyers the option of completing their systems during construction or after they move in.

Eleven percent of homes built in 2004 were equipped with complete central vacuum systems. Industry experts estimate an additional 11 percent of new homes were primed for central vacuum systems. For builders, priming homes for central vacuum systems or installing complete systems makes their homes more attractive and more valuable to prospective buyers.

D.R. Horton, the nation's largest home builder, is among a growing number of residential developers that are constructing entire subdivisions of healthy homes. Seventy-one homes in the new Sierra Valley Oaks development in suburban Sacramento, Calif., have been built to stringent standards of the American Lung Association Health House(r) Program. Each home includes a central vacuum system, high-efficiency air filtration and other improvements to ensure healthy indoor air.

"Healthy homes are steadily growing in demand," says Rich Coyle, purchasing director for D.R. Horton Sacramento. "Prospective homebuyers frequently come into our sales office and want to know, in particular, how they can achieve improved indoor air quality. Our answer to the consumer: Install a central vacuum system."

The indoor air quality benefits of central vacuum systems were proven in a recent clinical study by the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of California Davis. The study found that allergic rhinitis patients experienced a 44 percent to 61 percent improvement in their symptoms when they used a Beam Central Vacuum System instead of a conventional vacuum to clean their homes. An improvement of only 5 percent is considered significant. The study results led to the inclusion of central vacuum systems in ALA Health House standards as well as in numerous green building programs.

Consumers also appear to be getting the message. Sixty-two percent of single-family homeowners recently surveyed by Beam said they were concerned about the quality of air in their homes. Seventy-four percent said they believed a central vacuum system would improve the quality of air inside their home and 75 percent said they believed using a central vacuum system would reduce allergies.

"In the past, consumers saw central vacuum systems as more of a convenience than as a product that would contribute to a healthier home, " says Coghlan. "But consumers and builders now are embracing central vacuums for both their indoor air quality and convenience benefits."

A complete system represents a relatively modest investment, starting at around $1,000 installed for a typical 2,000-square-foot home. Installation of a central vacuum system often can boost the value of the home by as much or more than the cost of the system.

Headquartered in Webster City, Iowa, Beam Industries is a division of Electrolux Home Care Products, Ltd., and is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of central vacuum systems. Beam products are sold in more than 45 countries around the world. For more information about Beam Central Vacuum Systems visit www.beamvac.com.