Open the door on any inlet in your house and look at the face. If you see two small metal contacts and nothing else, you have low-voltage inlets, the most common type. If you also see two small holes or slots, or a separate little receptacle, you have direct-connect electric inlets, and the exact pattern tells you which brand family of hose fits. If you see no contacts at all, it is an air-only inlet. A noticeably larger door with a hose coiled behind it is a retractable-hose inlet. Here is how to tell each apart and what hose each takes.
Why the inlet type matters
The inlet is where the hose gets its instructions and, on electric systems, its power. A hose that does not match the inlet either will not start the unit, will not power the powerhead, or will not seat at all. Nearly every “my new hose does not work” problem comes from this mismatch. Hose listings are organized by inlet type, so once you know yours, shopping is simple. The hose compatibility checker does the matching once you have identified the inlet.
How to look
- Open the inlet door fully.
- Look at the flat face around the round opening, and inside the first inch of the opening.
- Note: any metal contacts, their position, and any additional holes or slots.
- Note the brand name if one is molded into the plate.
- Photograph it with the door open. You will want the photo when shopping.
If different rooms have different inlets, which happens in homes with additions, identify each.
The inlet types
Low-voltage inlet
Two small metal contacts, usually visible as small pads, strips, or tabs inside the rim of the opening or on the face next to it. Nothing else electrical on the face. When a hose with a metal ring or contacts on its cuff is inserted, it bridges them and the unit starts. This is the standard inlet in most homes built or retrofitted in recent decades, and the one most hoses are made for.
Hoses that work: low-voltage hose (with or without a handle switch), pigtail electric hose, basic hose if you do not need the inlet to start the unit.
Direct-connect electric inlet
Everything a low-voltage inlet has, plus a 120V receptacle on the face for the prongs on a direct-connect hose. The receptacle is two small holes or slots, usually in a small molded block below or beside the round opening. The hose end has matching prongs so that plugging in the hose also connects power for an electric powerhead, with no cord.
The catch is that there is no single pattern. Direct-connect inlets come in brand families whose receptacles are different shapes, spacings, and positions, and a hose from one family does not fit another. The three you are most likely to meet:
- Beam and Electrolux style. The family used by Beam, its parent Electrolux, and systems sold under related names. Look for the Beam or Electrolux name on the plate and a compact receptacle block below the opening.
- Vacuflo and Hayden style. The family built around the Hayden SuperValve, used by H-P Products’ Vacuflo systems and many other brands that buy Hayden inlets. The 120V connection is two small round pin holes close together on the face. Canplas’s ElectraValve is a different inlet in the same general style but is not a drop-in replacement for the SuperValve.
- NuTone CI358 style. NuTone’s direct-connect inlet, with its own receptacle pattern. Look for the NuTone name on the plate. NuTone also sells a low-voltage inlet with the same outward appearance minus the receptacle.
Treat the family as a starting point, not a certainty. Retailers list direct-connect hoses by inlet style with a photo of the receptacle; match your photo to theirs. If the plate carries no brand name, the hose compatibility checker walks through the receptacle shape.
Hoses that work: a direct-connect electric hose in the matching family. Low-voltage, pigtail, and basic hoses also work in a direct-connect inlet, because the round opening and the low-voltage contacts are standard; you simply do not use the 120V receptacle.
Pigtail: not an inlet type, a hose type
You will see “pigtail” in hose listings next to inlet types, which confuses people. A pigtail hose is an electric hose with a short cord at the wall end that plugs into a regular 120V outlet near the inlet. It picks up its low-voltage signal from the inlet contacts like any other hose and its power from the wall outlet. It is the way to run an electric powerhead on low-voltage inlets without rewiring. Any home with low-voltage inlets and an outlet within reach of each inlet can use one.
Air-only inlet
A plain round opening with a door and no metal contacts anywhere. Inserting a hose does nothing electrically; the unit is turned on by a wall switch, a switch at the unit, a timer, or a hose with a radio-frequency remote in the handle. These are found in some older installations, in garage and shop inlets (utility valves), and in some systems that use remote-control hoses.
Hoses that work: basic hose, or a remote-control hose. A low-voltage hose will seat but its switch will do nothing.
Retractable-hose inlet (Hide-A-Hose style)
A larger face plate with a hinged door and, behind it, the end of a hose that lives inside the pipe. You pull out as much hose as you need, lock it, clean, then release the lock and let the unit’s suction draw the hose back into the wall. Retractable systems use their own hoses in lengths of 30, 40, 50, and 60 ft, and the inlet is not meant to accept a conventional hose. Powered carpet heads on these systems are typically battery-powered or air-driven, because the retracting hose has no 120V path. Best retractable hose systems covers the category.
Sweep inlet (kitchen baseboard)
Not a hose inlet, but you may find one. A slot at floor level in a kitchen toe-kick, opened with a toe tap, that you sweep dirt into. VacPan is NuTone’s brand name. It has its own switch and does not take a hose.
Comparison table
| Inlet type | What you see on the face | Hoses that work | How the unit starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-voltage | Round opening, two small metal contacts, nothing else | Low-voltage, pigtail electric, basic | Hose cuff bridges the contacts |
| Direct-connect electric | Contacts plus a 120V receptacle (two holes or slots) in a brand-family pattern | Direct-connect hose in the matching family; also low-voltage, pigtail, basic | Hose cuff bridges the contacts; prongs carry 120V to the powerhead |
| Air-only | Round opening, no contacts | Basic, remote-control | Wall switch, switch at unit, or remote handle |
| Retractable (Hide-A-Hose style) | Larger door, hose end stored inside | The system’s own hose only | Per the system; typically a switch at the handle or inlet |
| Sweep inlet (VacPan style) | Floor-level slot in a toe-kick | None; broom only | Its own toe-operated switch |
What this means for buying a hose
| You have | You want an electric powerhead | You want an air-driven turbine head or bare floors only |
|---|---|---|
| Low-voltage inlets | Pigtail electric hose | Low-voltage hose |
| Direct-connect electric inlets | Direct-connect hose in your family | Low-voltage hose (ignore the receptacle) |
| Air-only inlets | Pigtail hose plus a way to switch the unit | Basic or remote-control hose |
| Retractable inlets | The system’s hose with a battery or air-driven head | The system’s hose |
Hoses explained goes through lengths, cuffs, and handles once you know your type.
Common mistakes
- Buying a direct-connect hose for low-voltage inlets. The prongs have nothing to plug into; the powerhead never gets power.
- Assuming the brand on the power unit matches the inlets. Units get replaced; inlets stay. The inlet face is what matters.
- Buying a direct-connect hose by brand name rather than by receptacle pattern. Families overlap brands and generations.
- Identifying from the hose instead of the inlet. If the old hose is gone or was never right, you have nothing to compare.
- Ignoring that the garage inlet is different. Utility valves are often air-only.
What to do next
Photograph your inlet face with the door open and run the hose compatibility checker. Then read hoses explained for length and handle choices and powerheads explained to decide between electric and air-driven. If you are planning a new install and deciding which inlet type to put in, the buying guide covers the trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my central vacuum inlet is electric?
Open the door and look at the face around the round opening. A low-voltage inlet has two small metal contacts only. A direct-connect electric inlet has, in addition, two small holes or slots for the 120V prongs on the hose end, usually below or beside the opening. If you see a separate rectangular receptacle, it is electric.
Will any central vacuum hose fit my inlet?
The round hose end is a near-universal size, so almost any hose will physically seat in almost any standard inlet. Whether it works is another matter. A low-voltage hose needs contacts in the inlet to start the unit; a direct-connect hose needs the matching 120V receptacle pattern. A basic hose with no electrics works in any inlet that has a switch elsewhere.
What is a pigtail hose?
An electric hose that gets its 120V from a short cord at the wall end, which you plug into a regular outlet near the inlet. It works with low-voltage inlets and lets you run an electric powerhead without electric inlets. The low-voltage contacts on the hose end still start the unit.
Are Beam and Electrolux inlets the same?
Beam is owned by Electrolux and their direct-connect inlets and hoses are generally in the same family. Even so, check the receptacle pattern on your inlet against the hose listing; older and newer generations differ, and retailers list compatibility by inlet style rather than brand name.
Can I change a low-voltage inlet to an electric inlet?
Yes, but it means running 120V to each inlet you convert, which is line-voltage work for a licensed electrician, plus a new inlet body or cover with the electric receptacle. Many owners get an electric powerhead more simply with a pigtail hose and leave the inlets alone.
What is an air-only inlet?
An inlet with no electrical contacts at all. The unit is started some other way: a wall switch, a switch at the unit, or a remote-control hose handle. They appear in older systems, in garages and workshops, and alongside some retractable-hose systems.