A shop vac is very beneficial when it comes to the proper cleansing of your workplace. You can use a shop vac for many days with great performance if some cautions like cleaning filters frequently, changing filters, empty debris often, look after spills, etc are maintained.
What Causes Shop Vac to Lose Suction
Fan motor generates the suction of a vacuum as well as supplies power in it. The cleaner pulls debris through a hose or any chamber and gathers dirt in a bag. Some cleaners may have a spinning brush to pass dirt into the suction cell.
To get 100 percent output from your cleaner, these parts need to be obstacle-free. The causes of the shop vac losing suction are given below.
Ripped Bag
If your vacuum is not pulling the highest amount of debris in it, the first part you should check is the bag. When the bag is full or torn, the suction lessens equivalently.
Unclean or Damaged Filters
Shop vacs usually contain two filters. The pre-motor filter or the air filter snares the particles when air enters the vacuum cleaner. It can be washed. The other one is exhaust or post-motor milter. Take out both of the filters to examine them. Clean them properly following the instruction. If the filters look damaged, change them.
People ask a common question regarding the filter and that is – Can I use a shop vac without a filter?
Clog in The Hose
Detach the hose from the cleaner. Now straighten it and try to look through it. You can shine a flashlight into one edge of the hose to get e clear look if there’s anything stuck inside. If you see something, that clog may be the cause of low suction.
Bad Motor and Soiled Rotating Brush
If the rotating brush is full of dirt, it will result in poor functionality. Clean the brush to get proper output. If the brush is broken, replace it.
If your vacuum cleaner is very ancient, it’s normal to get less suction. It’s because your motor is losing its efficiency. If the motor is bad, your vacuum cleaner needs to change. But before replacing the cleaner check the fan blade on the motor. If the fan blade is broken, you can only replace it to get e better performance.
How to Make a Shop Vac Stronger and Improve Performance
Shop vac works as a cleaning assistant. As it takes in so much every day, it’s very normal that this dirt and debris will subtract the vacuum’s functionality day by day. Yet, by following the steps below you can make your shop vac stronger as well as a better performer.
Take Apart the Shop Vac and Check the Inside Often
By following the accurate instructions provided by the manual, you can detach the parts of your tool. If you examine the inside of your vac regularly, it will help in proper ventilation of the parts. By cleaning the inside and the parts regularly, there’ll be no extra clogs or dirt. Thus your device will get stronger.
Beware of The Spills
A shop vac is capable of cleaning spills such as oils, paints, and other hard liquids. But these spills can act like slow killers for a vacuum if not maintained rightly. You have to be very much cautious to avert any build-up inside the cleaner.
Don’t clean dry messes with the wet shop vac. After cleaning the spills, wipe up as much of the spills as you can with a dry towel or dry sheets. Then try to soak the remaining liquid with sands or sawdust. It’s better to clean the filter and hose as well with a power washer whenever you’ll clean liquids.
Empty The Bag Frequently
If you deal with heavy messes, it’s better to empty the canister regularly. It’s always secure to do works with an empty bag to get the best output and suction every time. Try to put on protective wear while cleaning or replacing the bag.
Be Careful with The Materials
A shop vac is a very efficient tool for cleaning heavy messes. But you have to remember it’s still a machine. So it has a capacity. If you want to use your cleaner for the long term, you should not use it to clean harmful chemicals. This can result in an accidental disclosure.
Clean The Filters
Filters are one of the most important parts of a shop vac. The cleaning of the filters depends on your usage. If you use your cleaner for a very long time and to clean large messes, try to clean your filter very often.
If you don’t use your vacuum so much, you can wash filters in gaps. You can blow a shop vac filter with low-pressure constricted air. Usually, the pre-motor filters can be washed with water and mild detergent.
Try to replace your filters every 3-6 months. Remember one important tip, always remove the filter before sucking up water. Water damages the filter.
How Do You Increase Vacuum Suction
As mentioned earlier, you can easily improve your shop vac’s performance by regularly checking on the filters, cleaning the vacuum, emptying the canister, etc. Improved performance means improved suction. Let’s dig deeper into more possible actions.
Step 1: Check if you have the right settings
Shop vac often comes with settings for suction power. Use the right setting for specific types of floor. If the floor is of tiles, woods, or any hard flooring materials, change the setting to the lowest to stamp the vacuum closest to the floor.
The foremost rule is the lower the rug, the nearer the setting should be to the barren floor setting. If your vacuum is already set to the lower power, maximize it, and see the difference.
Step 2: Ensure it’s airtight
The name itself declares that any air escape can make the tool unworthy. So check all the connections and attachments if they’re tightly attached. If not attach the screws as tight as possible. Swab the gaskets to make sure the airtight conjunction at any of the connections with gaskets.
Step 3: Search for leaks
A leak repair can increase your vacuum’s performance. Examine the whole vacuum. If you see leaks in any part, change that part immediately.
Step 4: Replace the belt
A right belt can make a huge change in suction power. If the vacuum brush is fine, clean it, and change the belt with a new one. In the case of rotating brushes, whenever hair gets stuck in the brush, always cut it at the time.
Shop Vac Hacks
There are some extra tips you can follow to get a better output. You can make a routine of your vacuum’s cleaning and maintenance. Besides, you can some extra tools like noise control equipment, wet spill attachments, and extra rotary vacuum power etc. But these can only add to your machine if you can implement them correctly.
FAQ
Q: How much is the lifespan of a shop vac filter?
Ans: Usually, a shop vac filter should be changed once a year. But it depends on the cleaning density. If you get any dank smell from the tool, you should change the HEPA filter as soon as possible.
Last Words
A shop vac is a big asset. But to make it an asset, not a headache, you need to know about the maintenance. You can use one single vacuum for many years with these cautions and deeds. Besides cleaning dust and dirt you can use the shop vac as a water pump too if you know how to use the shop vac as a water pump? Hopefully, this article provided you with every answer regarding the improvement and strength of your shop vac.
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