Using a Ridgid shop vac without a bag or filter

[branimal]

I’ve been cleaning up my gut reno apartment by sweeping up the big stuff and vacuuming the small stuff. I find that I’m going through a lot of bags and some filters.

I’ve always used the the bags & filters b/c im afraid the smaller dust particles will get blown out exhaust port (blower port).

That got me thinking that I can rig up the shop vac’s exhaust port with an extension hose and then the fine dust will blow out of the window.

Will this mess up my vac?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[M_George]

I wouldn't. You'll likely get the dust sucked into the motor. Drywall dust it especially a killer.

 

[volleyball]

filters can be washed. Do not run it without a filter. Cheap upright vacuum bags can be attached over the stock filter if you have lots of fine dust.

 

[M_George]

filters can be washed. Do not run it without a filter. Cheap upright vacuum bags can be attached over the stock filter if you have lots of fine dust.

Good idea, never considered doing that.

 

[brooktre]

filters can be washed.

This.
Use the vac with filter and no bag. Get 2 filters. One in vac while the spare is drying. In some cases you may need a third filter if it takes too long to dry a filter. Usually you can just knock debris off a filter a few times and reuse before it needs washing.

 

[dogdog]

filters can be washed. Do not run it without a filter. Cheap upright vacuum bags can be attached over the stock filter if you have lots of fine dust.

^^^ basically this.

I have the ridgid from HD... and a few filter to rotate... wash them at the end of the day left them to dry... or if you don't have enough filter to rotate, consider a filter "Vacuum Cleaner Cloth Filter " that can sock over the current one, this will buy you some more time in between.... after a while fine dust will clog both, the motor and the filter, the whole vacuum gets a bath with greased lighten and dry in boiler room... If you run without a filter, those fine dust will clog the motor faster, pissed off the neighbors, fine dust in the air.

 

[M_George]

^^^ basically this.

I have the ridgid from HD... and a few filter to rotate... wash them at the end of the day left them to dry... or if you don't have enough filter to rotate, consider a filter "Vacuum Cleaner Cloth Filter " that can sock over the current one, this will buy you some more time in between.... after a while fine dust will clog both, the motor and the filter, the whole vacuum gets a bath with greased lighten and dry in boiler room... If you run without a filter, those fine dust will clog the motor faster, pissed off the neighbors, fine dust in the air.

Do it on a windy day, they'll never even notice.

 

[branimal]

Can I Just hose it off?

I have a second smaller ridgid shop vac. I’ve used one shop vac to clean off the other filter in the past.

One would think that would clog the other vacs filter but it has seemed to work.


Ok thanks.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dogdog]

Do it on a windy day, they'll never even notice.

yea, maybe on a raining day... , consider where the OP is living... not likely, it's a dense neighborhood... those dust venting out will be very visible.... especially when vacuum some fine dusts...

 

[jgromada]

I use my Ridgid vac for both sopping up small amounts of water during heavy rains and then also for construction debris (mostly sawdust and the like). I have a open foam filter for the water and a HEPA Dust filter for the other stuff. It is easy enough to swap them out depending on the task.

I recently got a second hand Shop Vac which i may soley purpose for the 2nd task.

 

[In The Doghouse]

I'm using these in my Ridgid shop vac with the cone filter in the center. It goes much longer between cleanings.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002ND4I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[branimal]

Hit the filter with the hose and left it in the boiler room. Great idea.

Thanks guys.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wamsutta]

I use my Ridgid vac all the time without a filter. The only time I use a filter is if I'm sucking up dust bunnies indoors; otherwise, the dust bunnies go out the exhaust port back into the room. But outside, never.

 

[2manytools]

First, get a better filter. Lowe's has several reusable filters that clean off with a small tap on the side of the garbage can, don't use high-pressure air. Then get a muffler/diffuser filter for the exhaust of the vacuum. This can act as a secondary filter, but also prevents your vac from blowing out a concentrated stream of air, which possibly can kick up other dust

 

[Wamsutta]

I use the exhaust port on the vac to blow off the filter.

The crevasse tool provides just the right amount of jet stream.

 

[Michael_in_DE]

I don't use a filter on my craftsman for car cleaning. Been doing it for years. It does occasionally spit a little dust out the exhaust port, but hasn't hurt the motor at all. Of all things shop-vacs are pretty common and pretty cheap at garage sales.

 

[BukitCase]

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=tools&field-keywords=dust+deputy

 

[taumac]

Only time I use without a filter is if sucking up water. I do what most people do and that’s 2 filters. One on vac and other drying or ready to go. I use a drywall filter and take a filter cloth and use it on the exhaust to keep dust down when working inside the house. I like the idea of using a hose on the exhaust vented to the outside. I will generally use the 2 filters ( one inside and one on exhaust) and put fan in window.

 

[M_George]

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=tools&field-keywords=dust+deputy

You just had to go and show me that... now I want one.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

If this is something you do often, consider rigging up a dust deputy set-up. I use mine in line with a shop vac that does not have a filter and it catches all of the drywall dust. Generic versions are cheap and readily available on eBay.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[MarlynOC]

Add a cyclone before it enters the vac. Filter will clean at end of day.

 

[dogdog]

Add a cyclone before it enters the vac. Filter will clean at end of day.

Nope it won't anything less than 5 micron will still bypass that cyclone and clogs the filters with very fine dust.. it does make emptying larger debris easier... as much as you would think, fine dust are harder to clean than larger dust especially at the filter.

BTW this is the setup I am using ...

 

[dogdog]

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=tools&field-keywords=dust+deputy

You just had to go and show me that... now I want one.

If this is something you do often, consider rigging up a dust deputy set-up. I use mine in line with a shop vac that does not have a filter and it catches all of the drywall dust. Generic versions are cheap and readily available on eBay.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

^^^^ doesn't work as well as what you imagine on fine dust...

Nope it won't anything less than 5 micron will still bypass that cyclone and clogs the filters with very fine dust.. it does make emptying larger debris easier... as much as you would think, fine dust are harder to clean than larger dust especially at the filter.

BTW this is the setup I am using ...

 

[branimal]

To those of you using 2 or more filters - are you also using bags? Or just filters?

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[u3b3rg33k]

It's so easy to set your vacuum up for OSHA compliant operation. I can't imagine that wouldn't suffice...

for example:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...r-select-RIDGID-Wet-Dry-Vacs-VF6500/304736564

 

[Negen]

To those of you using 2 or more filters - are you also using bags? Or just filters?

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use a filter and a cloth bag in my nilfisk.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rharman]

I used an old pair of (new, unused) ***** hose left from when my wife retired and quit using them. Cut a section of leg and slipped it over the filter.

Easy to toss & replace and keeps the filter pretty clean.

 

[Shadowdog500]

filters can be washed. Do not run it without a filter. Cheap upright vacuum bags can be attached over the stock filter if you have lots of fine dust.

+1!

About 20 years ago I helped my brother in law do some vacuuming in has crawl space (I forget why). The shop vacuum was in the laundry room with the hose running into the crawl space. Neither of us knew that the filter was removed. We came out of the crawl space and everything in the laundry roomwas covered with a thick layer of fine dust. My sister in law wanted to kill us!

I HIGHLY ADVISE KEEPING A FILTER IN THE VACUUM! .

Chris

 

[SilverDeck]

I just take my dirty filters outside and blow them out with the air compressor. No water and no drying time.

 

[Yamaguy]

I bought my big Ridgid shop vac the day I closed on my first house in 2003. I have remodeled 2 houses since then plus a ton of vacuuming in the shop and am still using my original filter. I just tap it on the ground when dumping the bin.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

I’ve got a Craftsmen that is likely 30+ years old. No bag, original paper filter. Every time I dump the debris I give the paper filter a quick tap. Every once in awhile I use my compressor and blow all the dust out of the filter. First on the outside and then from the inside out. When I’m vacuuming light dust like drywall I use the lower speed. I think it is just easier on the motor not trying to **** in the small particles and the low speed is sufficient anyway.

 

[TwoInch]

I plumbed a shop vac hose out a window many times in my younger days doing sheetrock..

Never in my life worn out a shop vac motor. Don't remember clogging the vanes either. Shopvacs seem VERY tolerant of particulates in the blower IME.

I used sheetrock specific bags later, and they worked okay. The vac still pulled air well until the bag was very dense and heavy. Seemed efficient enough. If I remember right, they were expensive... Still seemed to bypass very fine dust, but probably caught 95% or better.

Out in the sticks, in a pinch, I wouldn't hesitate plumbing a hose out the window again... I'm a sinner.

Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

 

[branimal]

bought an extra ridgid filter so i can rotate them. Also got the bags that In the Doghouse recommended.

Thanks guys

 

[metaldad]

i bought, and still have, a ridgid shop vac, many years ago. 8 gallon or so size.
they put the air exhaust in the bottom of the lid, on that particular model. seemed to blow the dirt on the floor up and away. i wound up punching a few holes into the top of the lid for air to escape, and sealed the downward exhaust vents.

 

[Fialaja]

Other than water pick up I wouldn’t use a vac without a filter. Fin abrasive dust can get into the motor and damage motor components.

 

[Jbullfrog]

Get yourself a cyclone bucket. They basically have an inlet and outlet on opposite sides of the lid, clocked in opposite directions perpendicular to each other. This creates a swirling air stream and let the chunks fall into the bucket.