Hoover Commercial Elite Upright C1404

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Avg. consumer rating = 84/100 

This bagged upright is getting fairly good consumer ratings.  At the time of this writing, for example, some 65% of the Amazon customer reviews have given the Hoover C1404 5 stars out of 5.  However, it is important to understand what you are getting in this machine.  It is a no frills, very basic and somewhat loud commercial vacuum cleaner.  But for the consumer looking for a bare bones unit that simply does what it is supposed to do, it would appear this one delivers.  It is also popular with both commercial and residential users alike.

To set the tone for this overview lets quickly look at some popular vacuum features that the Hoover Commercial Elite does not have:

- No brushbar shutoff capability
- No headlight
- No indicator to tell you when the bag is full
- No hose
- No attachments (crevice tool, dusting brush, etc)
- No wand

Still interested? Then read on.

The Hoover C1404 is powered by a 7.1 amp commercial motor and is turned on and off via a fingertip switch easily accessible on the vacuum handle.  The vacuum body is built of ABS, a lightweight, impact resistant and tough thermoplastic. The machine does require some assembly but most owners report that it is quite easy to put together.  [REF Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Reviews]

Owner insights are often a valuable source of information to a potential buyer and as such we have reviewed consumer comments for the Hoover C1404.  They have yielded the following common vacuum likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Very lightweight
- No frills machine that works well
- Reasonably priced
- Powerful
- Capable on both carpet and bare floors
- Long power cord
- Easy to assemble
- Good at pulling up pet hair
- Large vacuum cleaner bags that are easy to change

CONS
- Looks a bit old fashioned
- A little loud

At the time this article was originally posted there were only 35 consumer ratings, however we have updated the table below and there are now 176 ratings.  Ratings for the vacuum indicate that owners are generally quite satisfied with their purchase.

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Highest Scoring Vacuums

#1 CORDLESS VACUUM:   Dyson V8 Absolute (94/100)

#1 UPRIGHT VACUUM:      Shark NV752 TruePet (94/100)     Also see Shark NV801 (94/100)

#1 CANISTER VACUUM:    Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor (93/100)

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A number of consumers highlight the fact that the vacuum is very light, and at 11.5 lbs it is indeed one of the lighter uprights we have looked at over the years.  The nozzle has a cleaning path width of 12 inches and is also bordered by a furniture guard to stop scuffs and scrapes to walls or furniture.

The Hoover Commercial Elite uses Hoover Type A Allergen filtration bags, although according to the vacuum manual regular Hoover Type A bags also fit the machine. These are top fill bags and they fit inside the larger zippered micro-tex triple-layered outer bag.  In addition, we note that there are actually three types of Hoover Type A vacuum bags – standard, allergen and HEPA – so in theory one should be able to use any of these and get the level of filtration they desire.

The power cord is 35 feet in length (although there is occasional reference to this machine having a 31 foot power cord) which is long for a residential vacuum but not particularly long for a commercial vac.  A number of owners have praised the long power cord and it is likely these are residential users.  The cord is SJT (Stranded Junior Thermoplastic) and is rated from -4F to 140F.

Hoover C1404 Handle Positions

It is possible to adjust nozzle height and there are 4 manual settings controlled by a sliding knob on the front of the nozzle. At the lowest setting the vacuum can be used effectively on bare floors and low pile carpet while the highest setting is best for deep pile carpet. The vacuum handle also has 3 position settings including a setting that allows it to lay horizontal which helps to get under low furniture. There is a “step-on” handle release lever at the base of the vacuum that allows one to adjust the handle position.

There is a maid’s cart hang-up hook built into the vacuum for convenience and the Hoover C1404 carries a 1 year commercial warranty.

Hoover C1404 Certifications & Standards
This vacuum is UL listed for commercial use. UL stands for Underwriters' Laboratories which is a nonprofit, independent product safety certification organization in the US.  They operate some ninety-five lab, testing and certification facilities worldwide.  You can read more about UL here.  Additionally the Hoover C1404 is cUL listed – cUL is the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada.

The Hoover Commercial Elite also meets OSHA requirements. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is a US federal agency (created by Congress) that sets and enforces standards to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for workers. It is part of the Department of Labor. Check out the OSHA website to learn more.

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has given the Hoover C1404 Green Label Silver Certification.  The CRI site claims that a certified vacuum cleaner must have passed stringent testing for soil removal, dust containment and carpet appearance retention. Depending on a vacuum cleaners performance the institute awards a gold, silver or bronze certification. You can read more about the CRI here if you wish.

In addition, the Hoover C1404 Commercial Elite has garnered CSA certification. CSA (Canadian Standards Association) is another testing group that issues certifications for qualified products.  The CSA website provides more information.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
Vacuum manuals can be useful for learning about vacuum features in detail and for maintenance tips, etc. The Hoover Commercial Elite C1404 vacuum cleaner manual can be found here.