I have the "Hide-a-hose" in my house. We built new contraction in 2018 and I have had zero problems. I love it and wouldn't even consider not having it in my next house. It is awesome to not have to haul a hose around or have to store a hose in a closet. Do it! You will not regret it!

I've had the hide-a-hose since 2008 with no issues. I will do it in my next house as well and it is already on the list.

Lots of HAH threads here. No problems. Great stuff. We added one in the garage for this house - great stuff.

We have the Cyclovac (https://cyclovac.com) system in our build (2019). Our builder has a sub-contractor they use for this stuff (he also does alarm and related pre-wiring for them, as well as garage door openers).

You want it designed in early, because there are caveats as to exactly how the pipe is run, and how many you'd need for coverage. Because it competes with plumbing & HVAC, you really want a specialist to get it done right.

It ain't cheap, but it works awesome and we have zero regrets.

I have always had traditional central vac systems and next house will have HAH. My parents had HAH in their last house and it worked great. No problems in the 3 years they owned that house.

I feel a little sad because I wanted one and the vac guy talked me out of it. Said that "the things come with lots of problems." However, I don't mind the hose being hung on a wall (I'll have one for each floor.)

I've had Hide a Hose since 2013 and haven't had any issues. Our cleaning lady regularly uses the standard inlets with the electric powerhead and hose but we tend to use the HAH outlets when we clean. If I were to build again I'd only install HAH outlets.

I may be one of the earliest adopters on this site, 2006 so 15 years. Absolutely NO problems. It is the first item on my list for my new house, I would not want a central vac without HAH. Your construction guy has obviously not taken the time to think through how the HAH actually works. His argument is illogical. It seems to me more likely that he is simply afraid of something “new” even though it could be a great asset for his client. Not an uncommon problem I am afraid. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

I've had and really like Hide a Hose since 2017. The one thing I wish I would've known was to really think about any turns the hose may have for ease of use. I have many different outlets/hoses but use one the most by far (kitchen/mudroom area). Of all the hoses in the whole house, that one has a turn that makes it not as responsive and or as powerful retraction. Still works fine, but putting the hose back in the wall could be a bit better. When they go around to do the rough in, really make sure the one you will use the most has the least amount of turns/resistance.

@jaimeeap do you have the newer blue sockless hose in your kitchen/mud room area? They retract much easier and so quickly that I have to slow mine down. One of these days my family will hear my muffled voice calling from somewhere inside the wall....dragged In there by my aggressive HAH! : )

Also if you have pets, the HAH salesperson recommended no sock on the hose. He said he noticed that people who didn't keep their dogs clean ended up with dog smells in the sock. My dogs are bathed regularly, but I wouldn't want dog hairs trapped in the sock and then sitting in the tube.

I did have a bit of a smell after years with a dog. The only one without a sock for me is in the garage and that does suck back hard - so hard that the drywall nearby is banged up. It is also my shortest and best laid out - not because of plumbing and HVAC - just a simpler roof line.

I've had the socked hose and the blue rapid flex hose. The blue hose certainly retracts much faster and I feel like it has better airflow than its socked predecessor. I too have to be careful when I'm retracting it because I've had some close encounters with it whipping towards the walls.

Like nhb I was talked out of it...twice, lol. Wish I had not given in.