Converting a Shop Vac to an Ash Vac...

[MarkSJohnson]

I have three (!) shop vacs. It doesn't seem to make sense for me to buy a 4th vac! One very good one is setup with a HEPA filter and a Dust Deputy: http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-AXD000...F8&qid=1383921940&sr=8-2&keywords=dust+deputy and I'd like that to remain in use for woodworking-only.

That leaves me with two that I could modify for use as an ash vac. It seems like a HEPA filter is a "given", but I think I also saw something somewhere about a paper filter OVER the HEPA filter so the HEPA filter doesn't constantly clog. I can't find it now.

Does anyone have any knowledge of this...or maybe at the least, a filter that could be put over the exhaust?

 

[dmmoss51]

I use a shop vac and after having the clogging problems you mentioned the best thing I found were the shopvac filter bags. They have a few different ones. Specifically I got the yellow ones that are meant for the finest particles. Might even say someting about ash on the package. Picked them up at Menards. I use the filter bag in conjunction with the filter cartridge and it seems to work well. It's nice to have a dedicated vac as the bags are more expensive so I don't want to fill it with household dirt or sawdust.

 

[Bioburner]

Fair # use a drywall bag.

 

[muss]

Been using a 2.5 gal shop-vac on my stove for 5 years. Works great, inexpensive & small enough to be placed on the side of the stove. No fine ash particles escape .

 

[SteveB]

I use a shop vac and after having the clogging problems you mentioned the best thing I found were the shopvac filter bags. They have a few different ones. Specifically I got the yellow ones that are meant for the finest particles. Might even say someting about ash on the package. Picked them up at Menards. I use the filter bag in conjunction with the filter cartridge and it seems to work well. It's nice to have a dedicated vac as the bags are more expensive so I don't want to fill it with household dirt or sawdust.

+1
Works great!

 

[mik_kane]

I use an old Dirt Devil upright vac that has a bag works great for me

 

[DneprDave]

I have an old Craftsman shop vac. I got a filter for it, at Home Depot, that can be washed off with a hose. It doesn't clog and no fines get out of the discharge.

Just wait for the stove to cool before vacuuming out the stove.

Dave

 

[moey]

I used a drywall bag but my vac has the option to use a bag or fliter. I also put the exhaust out the window.

Careful improvising I did that with a small little 2.5 craftsman vacuum I had I thought it worked great until I used it on a sunny day and apparently I was dumping crap back into the room.

 

[mass_burner]

I use a shop vac and after having the clogging problems you mentioned the best thing I found were the shopvac filter bags. They have a few different ones. Specifically I got the yellow ones that are meant for the finest particles. Might even say someting about ash on the package. Picked them up at Menards. I use the filter bag in conjunction with the filter cartridge and it seems to work well. It's nice to have a dedicated vac as the bags are more expensive so I don't want to fill it with household dirt or sawdust.

maybe i'm missing somrthing, but why would the hepa filter clog? and how would putting a filter over the hepa filter solve anything since the ashes go straight into the hepa filter?

 

[dmmoss51]

maybe i'm missing somrthing, but why would the hepa filter clog? and how would putting a filter over the hepa filter solve anything since the ashes go straight into the hepa filter?

The ash inside the vaccum becomes caked on the cartridge like cement and you lose suction, in my experience.

 

[mass_burner]

The ash inside the vaccum becomes caked on the cartridge like cement and you lose suction, in my experience.

is this different from sucking up drywall dust? i used the drywall dust hepa filter and had no issues.

 

[dmmoss51]

I've never had to vaccum up quanitities of drywall dust just ash so I can't be the judge there. I just know I would lose suction quickly with just the cartridge and have to go outside and beat it on the ground to loosen it up. With the bag installed great suction and no clogging.

 

[mass_burner]

wait..i think we're talking about the same thing. the drywall filter i'm talking about is a big rectangle bag that fits inside the vacuum and attached to the inlet.

 

[dmmoss51]

Yes the Bag I am refereing to is a yellow rectangle that inflates from the suction and goes on the inlet. The cartridge filter is the round one that goes over the outlet. The cartridge will clogg without the bag in place.

 

[mass_burner]

yes, the cart itself is useless for drywall dust. we're on the same page.

 

[skibumm100]

I use a Rigid shop vac with a Gore HEPA filter. I tried to get the drywall bags but they didn't fit my vac. I've not had a problem with the filter plugging or loss of suction when not using any kind of pre-filter or bag. It doesn't seem to emit any particulate that's noticable. Works great. Gore filter wasn't cheap so I take care of it and only use it when vacuuming ash.

 

[Micmann]

I used to use a shop vac but the filters clogged to fast. Even tried a Loveless Ash Cheetah vac. Same thing, clogged and didn't filter good enough - spit ash dust into the room. Now I use an older Kerby with HEPA bags. Works Great! Constant suction, clean. There are thousands of Kerby'a for sale on any given craigslist for short money.

 

[Ejectr]

I have an old Craftsman shop vac. I got a filter for it, at Home Depot, that can be washed off with a hose. It doesn't clog and no fines get out of the discharge.

Just wait for the stove to cool before vacuuming out the stove.

Dave

Can you elaborate on this filter that is washable from HD? Any item number or the like?

Thanks.

 

[Mpodesta]

I have the 6.5hp contractors shop vac, I use the yellow fine/drywall bags, works like a charm with no power loss or clogging

 

[mccabedoug]

As stated above, I use a yellow, drywall dust bag inside my Shop Vac. I get these at Lowes and they work great. I've tried other bags and they don't retain the ash particles.

 

[becasunshine]

We use a Shop Vac with the washable HEPA filter *and* the drywall bags as well. I can hold a white paper towel over the exhaust on my Shop Vac and the paper towel stays white. This is after a horrendous experience with a cheaper "ash vac" belching soot into the room. Never again. It was a mess. The drywall bags keep the fine ash from clogging up the HEPA filter. A quick rinse with the outside hose cleans off the HEPA filter and it's good to go for several more vacuums.

I'm going to say this and I expect that someone's going to tell me why it's a bad idea (and please do, if it is really a bad idea) but I extend the life of those expensive drywall bags by emptying them out about once a week. My logic is this: a Shop Vac can be operated *without* a bag... and I'm using a washable HEPA filter in the Shop Vac that protects both the Shop Vac motor *and* my house... so emptying and reusing the drywall bag is going to be bad for the vacuum/for my house, how...???

I know that eventually, the paper in the bag will "clog" with fine ash and that will restrict airflow through the system. My colloquial experience is that the bag will wear out and tear long before that happens. So far the suction on the Shop Vac has been fine and per above, I empty the bag about once a week, when I take the vacuum outside to vacuum out our direct vent.

If I'm making a big mistake here, someone please tell me about it!

 

[skibumm100]

I can't see a problem with that as long as it still has enough suction. You're only using the bag as a pre-filter. Carry on.......

I would use the drywall bags with mine but I'm too lazy to figure out the right one....I already have a bag of the wrong ones.

 

[becasunshine]

Can you elaborate on this filter that is washable from HD? Any item number or the like?

Thanks.

This is the one we use in our Shop Vac. It's a bit pricey but we've used it for a couple of seasons now without incident. We rinse it off with the garden hose when we empty the drywall filter bag- about once a week. That's during the high burn season, when we are using the stove 24/7, cleaning it regularly, and taking the Shop Vac outside anyway to vacuum out our direct vent. While it's out there I might as well empty the bag and rinse the filter.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_11357-20097...=?Ntt=shop+vac+washable+hepa+filter&facetInfo=

 

[becasunshine]

I can't see a problem with that as long as it still has enough suction. You're only using the bag as a pre-filter. Carry on.......

I would use the drywall bags with mine but I'm too lazy to figure out the right one....I already have a bag of the wrong ones.

I can't see a problem with that as long as it still has enough suction. You're only using the bag as a pre-filter. Carry on.......

I would use the drywall bags with mine but I'm too lazy to figure out the right one....I already have a bag of the wrong ones.

Thank you, Gregg!

You know what? I'll bet that the regular bags you are using work just fine along with the HEPA filter. IIRC, I *think* I bought the drywall filter bags *before* I bought the HEPA filter. I bought the HEPA filter when we switched back to using the Shop Vac for the pellet stove, after The Incident with The Cheap Ash Vacuum. OMG it was BAD. Really, really bad. After that incident, I wanted drywall filter bags and HEPA filters and a hermetically sealed vacuum system. =/

 

[jjk454ss]

Does everyone here just use a shop vac, not an ash vac? Is the only difference the ash vac is metal? I started using my shop vac because I had to order the ash vac and had to wait for it to arrive. Now I'm thinking I should just save the $80, return the ash vac, and just use my shop vac. So far I've hardly ever had any ashes, so anything I vacuum up will be easy to make sure it completely cool before I do. Plus I imagine the shop vac I more powerful anyway, and probably does a better job.