Shop vac filter tip!

[Sevenhills1952]

Maybe this will help someone.

I have a few Craftsman shop vacs I needed filters for, 8-17804 unavailable or expensive if I could even find one.
There are air filter sites you can look up by dimensions. I found Fram 232 was the same, so I ordered some at a really good price.
If anything they're better made than the original Craftsman filter and I just tried it. Works great. View attachment 1106843View attachment 1106844View attachment 1106845

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[Dandy1008]

That is a fantastic idea. With the wire cage, it will be stronger and many of these types of filters are designed so they can be blown out and not fall apart.

I will have to take a look to see if I can find one for mine. Thanks for the tip!

 

[kbs2244]

an you give a site address?
Or a search hint ?

 

[HalfTonTom]

https://www.fram.com/parts-search/CA232/

 

[jayoldschool]

How do you search by dimensions? I have a conical K&N on my car, and would like to swap it for paper.

 

[white6589]

https://wixfilters.com/Lookup/FilterBySize.aspx


https://www.spectreperformance.com/search/universal/round-air-filter

 

[whateg01]

How bad are the oem filters for Fram to be an improvement!?

 

[sweetk30]

Now thats a GREAT question!

 

[TTMotorsports]

I know it's not recommended but my mom for many many many years with her craftsman shop vacs would hose the filters clean and leave them out in the sun to dry out. Same filters she would use everyday in cleaning business for years and years. Yeah not hepa rated or anything like that but would keep the dust from blowing back out for sure.

 

[FTG-05]

I've got a pretty big shop vac in my shop, it's a Genie IRC. Genie no longer makes filters, so the last filter I had got trashed after using it to **** up some water. So I've been crutching it with paper towels andsteel screen material.

Anyone have a source for Genie filters?

 

[Sevenhills1952]

First picture is after I tried washing the "washable" original filter. You can see how much better make the Fram (or Wix, Perolator, etc) ones are. Wix as someone posted has a size lookup.

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[csp]

I have cleaned out filters for years by physically removing the majority of material with a brush or just banging it on the sides of the vac "bucket". Once most of it is out I'll toss them in the air and let them land in the yard or gravel drive until most of the remaining dust stops coming out.

Put the filter back in and fire it up outside so that any dust inside the filter gets removed by the vac.

Granted, you wouldn't ever consider to have HEPA type filtration, but in a garage it's more than adequate filtration after doing this. You're not damaging the actual filter media doing this.

 

[shawhite]

Use a bag and your filter will last a lot longer.

 

[mc4life27]

I know it's not recommended but my mom for many many many years with her craftsman shop vacs would hose the filters clean and leave them out in the sun to dry out. Same filters she would use everyday in cleaning business for years and years. Yeah not hepa rated or anything like that but would keep the dust from blowing back out for sure.

That’s what I do with mine. I have a 16 gallon ridgid shop vac I got in a Black Friday 15 years ago or so. I threw out the first two filters when they got dirty and bought 5 more maybe 12 years ago. Been using the same 5 and still going strong. I just wait till they get dirty. And keep throwing them in a plastic lined box until
I’m
Down to one clean one. The. I wash the 4 and let them air dry hanging in the garage. I don’t use any high pressure or anything because the paper will tear if super wet. But let them hang drying until I need them. They still work great to this day and the vacuum is still working awesome best vacuum I have ever owned. And I use the **** out of it daily with metal shavings, wood dust, dog hair, and whatever else it ***** up. Best 25 dollar Black Friday deal I have ever bought.


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[king nero]

https://9gag.com/gag/aWj13M2

 

[Sevenhills1952]

I use my shop vacs for water as well as dry.
I tried washing filter and it fell apart (post 11). I don't see how paper could be washed.

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[senlow]

https://9gag.com/gag/aWj13M2

The ******* comments were even funnier than the video.

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Some time ago I broke down and bought the gore-tex filter for my Ridgid vac.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gore-CleanStream-Hepa-Filter-for-Ridgid-and-Craftsman-Wet-Dry-Vacs-09093/100236884

I rinse it off periodically as needed.

I run a felt filter bag on my Fein vacuum but I run a Clearview Cyclone in front of it to keep the dust out.

https://waltertool.com/5-micron-cloth-filter-bag-913064aga6.html

Cheers

Jim

 

[deranged]

I've had excellent results using a combo of the above mentioned Gore filter and a pre-filter from Outerwears. Keeps the bulky stuff out of the filter.

Vacuum Cleaner Pre-Filters | Craftsman

 

[Mr_fixit]

That would have helped me 2 days ago, but instead yesterday, I cut the metal rods and rewelded them 2 " shorter so I can use a shorter filter. Bought the vac at a flea market for $5.00. I'm not sure that filter with the metal screen is going to be cleanable like the original...?

 

[dimichele]

I've seen a paper towel held in place with window screen and a bungee cord used as a filter on youtube.

I've been removing, shaking out and reusing my filter.

 

[Mallen]

Maybe this will help someone.

I have a few Craftsman shop vacs I needed filters for, 8-17804 unavailable or expensive if I could even find one.
There are air filter sites you can look up by dimensions. I found Fram 232 was the same, so I ordered some at a really good price.
If anything they're better made than the original Craftsman filter and I just tried it. Works great. View attachment 1106843View attachment 1106844View attachment 1106845

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk

Brilliant! Once you find the application you can get them dirt cheap from rock auto.

 

[MushCreek]

That's a good tip on getting filters. I have an odd problem- I have a nice stainless steel shop vac that doesn't seem to **** well any more. What wears out on a vacuum to make it lose it's ****?

 

[exmaxima1]

Maybe this will help someone.

I have a few Craftsman shop vacs I needed filters for, 8-17804 unavailable or expensive if I could even find one.
There are air filter sites you can look up by dimensions. I found Fram 232 was the same, so I ordered some at a really good price.
If anything they're better made than the original Craftsman filter and I just tried it. Works great. View attachment 1106843View attachment 1106844View attachment 1106845

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk

What is considered a "good price"? Most all the online sites list it for $46

 

[Mallen]

That's a good tip on getting filters. I have an odd problem- I have a nice stainless steel shop vac that doesn't seem to **** well any more. What wears out on a vacuum to make it lose it's ****?

If it's turning and the vanes or blades on the impeller ate ok then it should work. Could be crud obstructing it. There also usually a check ball. Lie when you overfill it and suddenly it stops sucking. That could be dirty and sticking. I'd suggest taking it apart and cleaning and inspecting it. I bet it's obvious once you have it apart.

 

[MushCreek]

It works, but it's weak, I guess I should tear it apart some day and see what's what.

 

[65ranchero]

I have a Shark Navigator upright vac. that is used in the house and it uses a system of a round felt type filter and stacked on top of that is 2) 1 inch thick round foam filters, And on the front is a exhaust port that has a felt HEPA type filter
All the filters can be washed and dried. How ever the exhaust filter over time will fall apart and no longer does the job and the only way to order at the time was to buy a complete filter package.
I was able to order https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007BGOJ6C/?tag=atomicindus08-20
double up on the Swisspers, the width is just right and all I had to do is and trim/shape top to fit the housing

 

[Mallen]

It works, but it's weak, I guess I should tear it apart some day and see what's what.

List to how it sounds. Clogged or blocked, has a different sound than running slow.

 

[Mr_fixit]

That's a good tip on getting filters. I have an odd problem- I have a nice stainless steel shop vac that doesn't seem to **** well any more. What wears out on a vacuum to make it lose it's ****?

The drum needs to be sealed, can't work if it can't create the vacuum. To prove this try opening the drain on a working wet dry vac. open the drain while it's running and it won't pick up anything.
Some vacuums have a thin weatherstripping to seal the drum to the top.

 

[PugetDude]

I've been using the same 3-4 filters for my Ridgid shop vac for 10+ years,
Shake them out in a trashcan, knock the dust off with a old paintbrush, and then hose them off. Air dry.
One of them Is a gore-tex filter, but not sure I can tell the difference in performance.

 

[bonneyman]

I converted my old Bissel Hot Water carpet cleaner/wet/dry vac to a Craftsman filter from the OEM plastic frame /cloth bag set-up. Works great!