I recently bought a new shop vacuum(Rigid) to replace the small underpowered vac I had used for several years. This machine has a 14 gallon tank and a pleated filter. I use it for collecting dust from the table saw and gerneral shop clean-up. It seems that the filter clogs up almost immediately and even after removing and cleaning, it sucks up dust from the tank and is clogged again as soon as it is turned on. Apparently the 14 gal. tank is only fully utilized when vacuuming water. Is this normal?
Yes, I would like to have a dedicated dust collection system but there is no room in my small shop. This vac got a high rating in its class. Overall, I like the vacuum but would like to maintain full efficiency for a longer time.
John
Replies
Always practice safe vacuuming
Place a protective layer between the pleated filter and the tank.
No. seriously though. Check into a paper filter that can go over the pleated one. Some times, often, the pleated filter is to trap the ultra fine particulates after the smooth paper filter has stopped the larger stuff and the larger stuff has sluffed off and is then in the bottom of the 14 gal part of the vac.
I have two Feins. They offer an optional pleated filter but one still used the paper bag or the cloth pre filter.
For example :
http://www.feintools.us/index.php?c=fs8&n=228319&i=B00005Q7CA&x=Fein_FBK_Filter_Bag_Kit
Some of the ShopVac brand small vacs come with a toss out paper bag collecor that fits over the intake port inside the canister. Extra expense but might be a fix for you if it will fit a Rigid vac.
ShopVac
John
If space is tight - have you considered adding a Wall Mounted Dust Collector - Search the - Rockler Catalog -
SA
I'm glad I don't have pleated paper filters in my vac. I used to and they clog quickly, especially in humid conditions. I have a Teflon bag I use in my vac. You can find them at shops that sell and service commercial vacs.
Use a filter bag
On the advice of a remodeler friend I replaced my center filter with a washable one and then added a large bag filter made for my shop vac. Amazingly effective! The bag has sufficient paper area that it doesn't clog to speak of unless I'm cleaning up plaster dust (then I use my Dust Deputy in front of everything). The bags aren't that expensive, and they last surprisingly long before they fill up. I use mine to capture sanding dust from my orbital and my 1/4 sheet sanders in conjunction with Merka Abranet.
Try it, you'll like it.
Mike D
I agree
A clean stream filter, (I have two so they can dry between uses), and dry wall bags in the shop vac. Keep things from clogging, and make disposal lots easier.
Isn't fine dust going to collect on whatever is used as a filter, whether pleated or not, and thus reduce air stream? Oneida's Dust Deputy is one example of a collector that goes in front of your shop vac to try to intercept material upstream from the filter. No experience with these products.
To your question "Isn't fine
To your question "Isn't fine dust going to collect on whatever is used as a filter" I certainly thought so, but the reality is that the big paper filter bags made specifically for the shop vacs have a huge amount of square inches of filter material. There's some other stuff going on as well, but the bottom line is that I fill one of the bags up completely with fine sanding dust before I start to see ANY diminished flow to the vac. It defies logic but it is what it is.
Now that is NOT true when I'm sanding away at my clumsly attempts at dry wall or plaster. Then they clog up pretty darn fast - however, I've learned to insert my dust deputy in line at that point and all is goodness once again. I don't use the DD all the time 'cause it's a royal pain to maneuver around both the shop vac AND the DD in a small shop. Plus don't need it with just sanding dust.
Mike D
Thanks for the followup Mike. Are you thinking of the paper bags used in my Festool sander, or something that surrounds the pleated filter my Sears shop vac?
The filters are large vacuum cleaner bags made specifically for shop vacs. When you take the top off your shop vac to empty it you will see a section of plastic pipe that extends an inch or so into the big tub. The bags have a cardboard through attachment point with a rubber gasket attached. You push the bag over the plastic pipe and you're set. Yes, they wind up wrapped around your pleatef filter, but only as they fill. If you go to Lowes or Home Depot and go to the shop vac section, they will have three bag sizes. Small for the smallest wet/dry shop vac like you'd take into a small closet or on a small job as instant site cleanup. The second is "medium" and the third is "large". They are typically labled for the gallon size of your shop vac. I can use either the medium or large in both of my shop vacs - one a Sears and one from Home Depot. I buy the same bags for both at Lowes since it's closer to my house and they work fine.
vacuums
good to see this discussion! it is really helpful for me.
vacuums
good to see this discussion! it is really helpful for me.
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Me too! That is really helpful
Thanks
Trying to add some more value to an old thread . . . Long ago someone recommended Clean Stream filters for my Ridgid vac. What a godsend. I started with two. I kept a clean one on standby and used the other. When dirty you can toss them on the lawn and hit them with the hose or wash them out in the sink. This increases the speed (and decreases the dust) of filter cleaning. I wash one and set it out to dry while I use the other.
As my work morphed I added Dust Deputy front ends to the vacs. This meant that nearly zero spoil hit the vac's barrel. I eventually ditched the barrels and built a small filter box to reduce the footprint. I use a long hose as opposed to rolling the vac around. I now clean my vac filter a few times a year(!?!).
P.s. Sorry about the bad pic rotation. Can't seem to fix that.
I would heartily second Geedubbee, get a dust deputy! I collect probably hundreds of gallons of dust, which I can direct deposit into our city composting bins, seldom replace a bag, clean the vac bin and filter twice a year, and suffer no noticeable loss of suction. I find it so effective that I bought a second for a dedicated sanding set up.
Shop Vac here. I use the internal bag as a prefilter and the pleated as a second filter. I then made a platform on top of the shop vac to hold the cyclone I bought on sale at Rockler. A bungee cord keeps the cyclone fixed to the platform. This setup keeps the foot print to a minimum and is quickly removable to clean or empty. I have only had to replace the bag once and that was because I let the cyclone overfill. Anyone using a shop vac I would highly recommend a cyclone in line. It will pay for itself quickly. Any oddball fittings you may need can be made with pvc pipe and a heat gun.
Another vote for the dust deputy - make the investment. Seems very expensive for what it is (fancy plastic bucket) but worth the money for what it does - very little debris ends up in vac. Will never again have a shop vac without one.
Another enthusiastic vote for the Dust Deputy (no affiliation or benefits from Oneida). I get almost no debris in my Rigid shop vac which has a pleated filter that likewise stays unclogged. Not sure how the cyclone action of the Dust Deputy filters out so much of the fine dust along with the coarser debris, but it does.
Another dust deputy vote!
Jay Bates has a cart design on his site that I copied, the vacuum and dust collector all sit vertically and the footprint is more or less the same as the vacuum.
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