Can one fireproof a shop-vac filter?

[pelletizer]

Check this out I was reading some threads on using a shop-vac and the issues people had.

I read about the nice ash vacs like the loveless I think they are called.

I found this web site http://www.frspray.com/ and checked it and was wondering if you could fireproof a shop vac HEPA filter.

Here is my question and answer.

Message: Could your Flamex PF Fire Retardant be sprayed on a shop vac filter (HEPA rated) to make it fire resistant for vacuuming up cold and warm ashes out of a wood stove.
Would your product wind up bonding with the filter material and thus clogging a shop vac brand HEPA filter?
Thx

Answer: We do have a client that uses Flamex PF on truck air filterswithout any problems. However, it has to by dry vac only Regards, National Fireproofing, Inc
(815) 634-8717
www.frspray.com

 

[slink]

Thats a good question. I carry the loveless ash vacs and they do work very well. We use one for cleaning customers stoves. I think its 6 or 7 years old. I have had to replace the filters and the hose but the motor is still factory. The ash can is metal but I still wouldn't recommend using it on a hot stove. I have seen the aftermath of stove pellets in regular shop vacs and it isn't pretty.

 

[pelletizer]

I Remember when shop-vacs used to be made out of metal and the bottom seam would rust out and the paint would peel after a year or two.
Not sure if the Flamex PF would coat the plastic and fireproof it.
I may experiment but place the vac outside just in case.

 

[peirhead]

How about putting some water in your shopvac first (aren't most wet/dry) then the hot coals, if there are any, will end up in the water...kind of like the old huka pipe?

 

[gpcollen1]

How about putting some water in your shopvac first (aren't most wet/dry) then the hot coals, if there are any, will end up in the water...kind of like the old huka pipe?

No - they will get sucked right over to the filter as well as some drop off into the water. The ones on the filter will then smolder on the HEPA filter for a few seconds as the air blowing by stoked them and eventually smokes up the room...and then you can carry it out of the house yelling...

 

[imacman]

duh, how about spraying the ashes wet first?

:question:

 

[pelletizer]

Putting water in the vac would make a mess when the ashes get sucked in so yo would want to keep evreything dry remember the answer was has to by dry vac only.
The company frspray sells a spray bottle and gives away free 1 oz samples, anyone willing to try it out?

 

[Red Sun]

There is an optional 5 1/4 gallon ash can attachment for shop vacs / vacuums, that can be used to clean out ash or debris.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200347880_200347880

 

[Ductape]

Does anyone have one of those rigs from Northern? How does it work? Do you hook your vac's hose to it so it acts as a "primary" filter/canister , as you would use the hose in the picture to suck up the ash???

 

[smoke show]

There is an optional 5 1/4 gallon ash can attachment for shop vacs / vacuums, that can be used to clean out ash or debris.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200347880_200347880

This 5 1/4-gallon ash can attaches to your wet/dry shop vacuum to safely remove cold ash from fireplaces, wood stoves, kitchen ranges and barbecues.

cold ash? can't you do that with your normal shop vac?

 

[rap69ri]

You can vaccuum with a normal shop vac, but make sure you have a fine dust filter on it. Otherwise you'll have dust all over your house.

 

[Hansson]

I have build a cyklone that i use to take out the ash.
It`s made like this one
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(broken link removed to http://www.swd.se/pellets/sug03.jpg)
(broken link removed to http://www.swd.se/pellets/sug4.jpg)

It works really good

 

[AndrewChurchill]

Just ignore Reese Eshun (AKA Pook, Koop, Sawdust Burner, and Michael Jackson.....) everyone else does.

 

[roadrat]

Call me crazy ( my wife does! ) but I use our normal household canister vac , I have a filter bag just for use with the stove, I remove the household bag and put in my ash bag, after the stove is clean I remove my ash bag and put it in a small metal trash can with a tight fitting lid (this can also has 6" of sand in the bottom) outside.
Works great and I don't have to drag my shop vac up from the basement.


bill

 

[fredarm]

I got one of those Northern Tool ash can vac attachments. I haven't used it yet. It was $20 or so on sale! I figure if it doesn't work, I can just use it as a regular ash can.

 

[Jester]

Dont engineer something that isnt designed to do the job.
Ive got a friend that uses a sheetrock vac, but he has to wait for the stove to be dead, 100% dead.

Wanna know how many times Ive been to someone's house thats having a really bad day secondary to improper ash disposal? Be careful with the ashes.

Ill second the let me know how the northern tool deal works motion.

 

[hossthehermit]

I just clicked that link for northern, sez the item is no longer available. Wonder if it's cuz they sold so many, or if somebody's house burned down?

 

[Jester]

I did same last night. I emailed them to ask if on the odd chance they had one sitting in a warehouse somewhere. Looks like it went on sale for 14 bucks.
Here's something similar I found
(broken link removed to http://www.govacuum.com/emashvacl.html)

 

[fredarm]

Well, I used the Northern Tool ash vac attachment this morning and it worked pretty well. I attached it to the house canister vac instead of a shop vac. Although the web site says it's for cold ash, I used it on slightly warm ash from the previous evening's fire. I surprised a few hot embers which were sucked into the ash attachment but did not go into the vacuum itself. There is a fine mesh screen on the ash attachment which prevents them from going into the vaccum. I will have to clean the screen periodically. I checked the house vacuum afterwards and there was no evidence of anything combustable in the bag. I kept it out for a while and made sure nothing was going to ignite. The attachment seems to do the job, perhaps not as well as a dedicated ash vac, but at a fraction of the cost. It will definitely require more care and supervision than an ash vac, but so far I'm satisified with it.

Fred