Recognizing years ago that to offer consistent cleaning performance a vacuum's spinning brush needed a better power transfer from the motor to the floor than the usual stretch-on rubber belt. The old style rubber belt was useful at slower speeds and offered protection for the system if a large object was inadvertently pulled into the spinning brush. Most everyone knows the dread of a burning rubber smell while vacuuming followed by the "pop" sound of your vacuum's belt breaking. This was often followed by a fruitless search through the closet for a spare belt before you had to drive to your local vacuum repair shop to guess at which belt would correctly fit your model of vacuum. This would invariably lead to the time honored struggle between man and machine to install the new belt.

The consumers dissatisfaction with old style rubber belts led to the innovation of the geared or cogged belt that provides a tensionless drive system that is not subject to breakage or stretching. The superior design of the cogged belt also gives a power brush increased performance with high speed drive systems that were not possible with flat rubber belts. Less time spent replacing worn or broken belts gives you more time cleaning without interruption. While many manufacturers soon outfitted their power brush with the cogged belt/ motor geared design Cen-Tec took the opportunity to advance the drive system even further.

The CT20DX is the first power brush to incorporate the ribbed belt design from the automotive industry using a kevlar reinforced drive belt. The single length ribbed belt does not require the stored tension of rubber stretch-on belts and offers more surface contact than the toothed belt.

The ribbed belt design also imparted a new quality to the Cen-Tec power brush for which it soon became known, the Quiet Drive. With the cogs and gears eliminated from the drive system the intermittent chatter noise of drive surfaces continually engaging and disengaging was eliminated resulting in a much quieter transfer of power from motor to brush. A power brush that is quiet with increased gripping power, the CT20DX is a noticeably better brush.

The engineers at Cen-Tec also recognized the importance of an all bristle roller with a wood core that will not warp. Fighting pressure from the sales-driven production side of the business who want to claim marketing points with a less reliable hollow core metal roller, Cen-Tec instead sided with the service and repair side of the industry. While a Metal Brush Roller sounds like a better component, service technicians will always point out that they often fail quickly when hit by a hard object or become out of round and out of balance. An unbalanced roller that could be spinning at thousands of rotations per minute suffers from uncontrollable vibration that can ultimately damage the rollers bearings, end caps and even the vacuum nozzle's chassis leading to costly repairs. Hollow metal core rollers are used in only a few vacuums these days, replaced by natural (solid wood core) or synthetic (solid plastic core) rollers that are high speed balanced for use with tensionless drives and designed to last years with little maintenance.

The CT20DX's brush roller features a double row of synthetic bristle in an auger arrangement that brings brushed debris to the center mounted suction intake. The roller is suspended within the nozzle's chassis by two permanently lubricated and sealed ball bearings. The bearings are connected to the chassis by the roller's molded end caps which are made from a high strength compound that resist heat and wear. While the bearings are operating in the "dirty side" of the vacuum's nozzle where dirt, dust, hair, lint and other debris are constantly moving from the carpet into the vacuum system, they are protected by a permanently mounted felt disc . Sealed away from the debris the brush roll bearings operates in a filtered environment provided by the felt protectors.

The CT20DX hood and chassis are made from rugged ABS+TPE plastics that are designed to protect the internal components and provide a stable mounting base. The nozzle's hood portion uses overmolded thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) to form the protective bumper that is permanently connected to the cover. The protective bumper is non-marring and protects both the vacuum nozzle and your furniture from damage when banged together while cleaning. The nozzle's rear wheels are also overmolded in the soft TPE compound to prevent scratches on wood or other soft flooring while cleaning.

The CT20 series nozzle is 14" wide for effective cleaning of large rooms and the all bristle brush roller features edge groomers on both sides with an indented belt channel that lets the bristles clean as close as possible to the edge on both sides which allows cleaning in all directions. The small airflow gaps in the front of the nozzle keep the air moving through the system that is critical for performance on carpeting of all types, particularly the thicker plush fibers. The CT20DX also features a step on height adjustment to ensure compatibility with all carpet types. While most other nozzles have moved to the less accurate "auto height adjustment" design, the CT20 continues to offer an adjustable nozzle with four fully independent settings. The height adjustment is another time saving feature that allows one tool to do the work of many.

Height adjustment is achieved by raising and lowering the front wheel set of the power brush which has two exceptionally wide 2" rollers. The front rollers ride on a steel axel and support the power brush on even the thickest of plush carpets where other power nozzles may ineffectively sink into the fibers. The wider rollers prevent the vacuum's suction from sealing the nozzle against the floor making it very hard to push. The back of the powerbrush holds a second foot pedal which locks the handle into the upright position for storage or parking.

At the heart of the CT20DX power brush is a high power 2.4 amp universal motor. With up to 30% more power than other nozzles the CT20 runs quietly with an internally fan cooled motor system that is wrapped in noise insulating foam. The higher power motor drives the brush at a faster speed that lets you clean faster in a one-pass cleaning method instead of the slower "fan pattern" cleaning method. Cooling air is drawn in from the back of the power brush away from dirt and dust and then pulled over the entire system before being pushed out of the nozzle. Like all great quality power brushes the CT20DXQS is controlled by a compact circuit with resettable breaker protection.

The control board checks the motor thousands of times per minute to evaluate load and voltage and should a problem occur such as a dish towel being pulled into the brush, the nozzle will activate the breaker and shut off the motor before damage can occur. After clearing the obstruction you need only push the top mounted reset button and continue cleaning. Also mounted on the top of the nozzle within easy visual reach is a window which shows the nozzle's current height indicated by "XLO, LO, MED or HI". The front of the nozzle also has a low profile headlight lens (only 2.75" at its highest point) that focuses the light just forward of the nozzle for cleaning in low light areas.

The connection of power brush to vacuum system is an area of constant improvement and the QDSP attachment group received an innovative upgrade. The swivel connector (often referred to as the power nozzle's neck) of the CT20 reclines from its upright locked position a full 90° to allow for steering of the nozzle. 30° rotation was added which lets you turn the grip and torque the nozzle direction left or right. A large and easy to use foot operated pedal gives the CT20 one of its two quick disconnects. By stepping on the release pedal and pulling the wand both suction and electrical connections are disconnected and the vacuum system's wand is ready to take on other tools. This lower wand quick disconnect is a later feature found in better quality power brushes that adds convenience and saves you time when moving from power brush to hard floor tool or above floor cleaning.

The QDSP's new telescopic power wand is a stunning leap forward in both quality and design. Unlike older central vacuum attachment kits that use external wires to connect the power brush to the grip, the new integrated power wand (i-Wand) from Cen-Tec features an entirely concealed power transmission from top to bottom. The new i-Wand system developed exclusively for Cen-Tec Systems is unlike any other powered wand available anywhere and uses solid rods to move power from the grip to the nozzle instead of flexing cables, wires or ribbons. Made from chromed steel the new i-Wand is one of the most sturdy we have seen in integrated wands. Power plugs at both ends are housed in sleek connectors that mate perfectly with both powerbrush and hose. Extension and retraction of the i-Wand exposes the full length power rod channel. The new wand operates reliably with the quality full ratchet mechanism from OMEC. Both the power i-Wand and the secondary telescopic aluminum wand included in the QDSP kit are manufacturer by OMEC of Italy who is world renowned for quality and dependability. All Cen-Tec locking wands also include another handy time saving feature that prevents many sore thumbs and fingers; the ButtonDown tab at the top gives you a large flat key that is easy to depress when disconnecting the wand from hose.

The top of the wand connects to the vacuum's hose and features the second quick disconnect of the system. By using the ButtonDown lock release both the electric and suction connections are easily disengaged without the normal tangle of wires, plugs and sockets. The new 3200SG series 4-wire (dual volt) hose (sold separately) features a recessed plug connector that mates with the power i-Wand and centers the plug before contact is made; this protects the connector from damage caused by misalignment. A premium dual volt central vacuum hose, the new 3200SG hose incorporates many features that give you both durability and efficiency. The patented crush-proof hose body has been reformulated from previous models to triple hose life, improve crush recovery and make coiling for storage easier. The full 1 3/8" inner diameter insures excellent airflow performance, even in longer lengths, which passes the cleaning airflow of newer high performance central vacuum power units directly to the surface being cleaned. Note: CT14DX, CT18DX & CT20DX power nozzles from Centec Systems are interchangeable. All three models use the same wand connection system and each model can replace the other in any system. All CT--DX models can also use the optional telescopic integrated wand.

CT20DX includes both powerbrush and wand. Hose, tools and other attachments not included. For a complete kit with hose & tools please check the similar items tab at the top of this page. CT20DX with I-Wand Requires either a Plastiflex CVEHS866 / CVESH868 gas pump style hose or Centec CVXZS866 / CVXZS868 stub grip hose (aka 3200 series hose) with a recessed connector. Both Plastiflex and Centec hoses with a flush mounted connection can be easily converted to recessed mount if needed. Does not fit Centec tear-drop style hoses unless used with the old wand set. Great replacement for Nutone CT600 or CT650 (must convert Nutone hose to recess mount). If you have questions about fit for your application please call Vacdepot for assistance.

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