No Filter in Shop-Vac for Dust Collection

[bad_idea]

Hello all. I have a 30x40 building I do some basic wood working in, along with auto repair/fabrication, and metal working. The building is not insulated or climate controlled. I have plans to install a proper dust collection system when time and money permit. In the meantime I am using a shop vac with a cyclone separator to capture dust at each tool. I have noticed the finer dust passes through the separator and plugs up the shop-vac filter.

I am considering removing the filter and attaching a hose to the outlet of the shop vac and tossing it out the window. My question is: has anyone done this? If so, did it burn the vacuum up? My thought is the dust passing through the vac and exhausting outside would be less wear on the vac than pulling air through a dirty filter.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Pulling air through a dirty filter results in fewer amps being drawn. Depending on whether or not the suction air is also the motor cooling air, you could destroy the vac in very short order pumping dust through the motor and pulling max amps.

 

[RKA]

Most shop vacs are disposable appliances anyway. Their spec’d run time on those motors is a couple hundred hours. As mentioned above, the airflow generated it used to cool the motor in inexpensive vacs. The fine debris may cause the motor to wear more, but if running it without a filter works better for you, do it. If you’re really concerned, read the owners manual and follow the guidance laid out there.

 

[JRC3]

Run a bag and a filter. The bag has greater surface area and keeps the filter cleaner way longer. This is from years of experience. I'm sick of preaching this all the time, so that's all I'm gonna say.

 

[kctyphoon]

Run a bag and a filter. The bag has greater surface area and keeps the filter cleaner way longer. This is from years of experience. I'm sick of preaching this all the time, so that's all I'm gonna say.

^ beat me to it..

 

[MACbox]

Run a bag and a filter. The bag has greater surface area and keeps the filter cleaner way longer. This is from years of experience. I'm sick of preaching this all the time, so that's all I'm gonna say.

Exactly. I’ve been grinding concrete, and even though I’m using a cyclone, the primary filter was still getting clogged every half hour to hour. The addition of a filter bag completely fixed that. Filter bags PLUS filter!!!

 

[JRC3]

Exactly. I’ve been grinding concrete, and even though I’m using a cyclone, the primary filter was still getting clogged every half hour to hour. The addition of a filter bag completely fixed that. Filter bags PLUS filter!!!

I have similar work sometimes when I rent a Hilti concrete saw to cut basement floors for plumbing. Works great for the drywall sander as well. Typically the only reason I change bags is because of the weight and not the loss of suction.

When I change the bag and put a new bag in, I pull the filter and clean it with the shop vac and brush attachment. I thoroughly get between every pleat and the bag catches it all, then I reinstall the filter. It really *****.