I had to give in

After a week of playing with the central vac with no success in getting it to work, I gave in.

I called a professional.

I know, I know, I shoulda done it days ago but I'm a stubborn bugger. As it turns out, it wasn't working because the installers had buried a wire or two deep out of sight.
For a novice like me, that was enough to flummox me completely. It took a pro less than an hour to get it sorted.

Now all I have to do is put this bit back together. Easy peasy.

Ah well. Until tomorrow....