Shop Vac for cold ash

[dboone]

I just got a new shop vac for Christmas and it is a small (2 gallon) vac which I wanted so I could tuck it behind the couch. The only problem is that it blows ash out the exhaust. This has one of those thin paper filters that you rubber band on. Has anybody had good luck with a shop vac and filter like this? I am not sure if I should try to find a filter that would work with this and is able to remove smaller particles or if I should return it for one with a cartridge type. I do have a larger shop vac with the cylinder shaped thick cartridge and do not have a problem using it on ash. Of course I only use this on VERY cold ash and wood chips...ash that has been sitting outside the stove for a while and has plenty of time to cool.

 

[thinkxingu]

dboone,
I've got a Shop Vac Hang Up, which is a 1 gallon tiny little thing. It came with a cloth-like filter cover to go over the foam and it works unbelievably. The only issue is that, like plaster dust, the filter cover needs to be cleaned periodically. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8477890

S

 

[LLigetfa]

Some shop vacs offer special filter bags for drywall dust. They work better than the cloth over the foam.

 

[dboone]

Mine does not have the foam. A thin piece of cloth only.

 

[thinkxingu]

Mine has both the foam and cloth--what would be the benefit of the bags I wonder? I find that the ash sticks to the cloth easily, which is why I need to clean it periodically. I wonder if the bags, with a smooth side?, will shed the ash instead of sticking to it.

S

 

[Highbeam]

See if your shop vac can accept the optional paper cartridge filter that is round and looks just like an air filter on a car. I get no ash blown out the exhaust.

 

[thinkxingu]

High, I get no ash blown out either, but does the paper filter shed the particles better than the cloth?

S

 

[Highbeam]

By shedding the particles do you mean does the junk fall off of the filter inside the vac between uses? Not really, I find that I can easily fill the shop vac up with ash and/or dirt dust before the filter clogs but the filter does look pretty gross with caked on fine particles. What I do is to take the filter outside and use the leaf blower to blow all the caked on fine ash from the filter. This makes a mess but is pretty fun. I've washed the filter one time with a garden hose but I didn't think it was any cleaner than it was after a good blowing.

 

[thinkxingu]

OK, thanks. I just use a bigger shop vac every couple weeks to clean off the cloth while it's still on.