Shop Vacs: Getting Them to Work Best at Home
To achieve the best results from your shop vac, so it may have a long life, involves finding out how to make proper use of the machine and not misuse its abilities. One of the first things that come to mind is to service your vac often.
Refer to the tips below to ensure your shop vac remains in pristine condition.
How to Be Careful When Dealing with Spills
Some spills, such as paint, oils, and other liquids can easily be sucked up using a shop vac. However, one needs to be vigilant and avoid clogging up your vacuum. It is better to wipe up as much of the spills as you can using old sheets and towels.
Once done, you can soak up the remaining liquid by first covering it with sand, kitty litter, or sawdust. The shop vac will be more than capable to deal with the remainder of the liquids.
Be sure to rinse your vacs inner bucket and hose using a power washer when done carrying out your cleaning duties. In cases where you do not already possess a power washer, you can always rent or buy one from your nearest depot.
Why To Get Rid of Debris Regularly
When you’re busy sucking up large messes like insulation pieces, glass, or anything else, you need to be sure the canister gets emptied quite often. The point is that the debris hardens on the inside over time and will reduce the effectiveness of the shop vac.
Whenever you are busy emptying the shop vac canister, ensure you wear protective eye-wear and gloves to minimize the effects from the dust particles on your skin,
Another very effective way to get the best results from your shop vac is to clean it often. Especially, once you notice there is debris stuck to the inside of the hose and canister. To give it a good clean, you can fill the bucket with water and mix it with bleach to kill bacteria and germs.
Rinse the hose out by running water through it until you notice clean water. Make use of a high-pressure hose or power washer to rinse out filters. Be sure to dry the shop vac using a clean rag to get it ready for the next shift.
What You Shouldn’t Pick Up with Your Shop Vac
Obtain the best results from your shop vac by not picking up hazardous materials like asbestos and pesticides. Doing so may lead to a situation where you expose yourself to these substances. Instead, get a hold of your local supply store that deals with such matters. They will advise you what needs to be used to clean up these types of chemicals.
How to Suction up Water the Right Way
Do not just go ahead and start sucking up water whenever the need arises. Be aware of the fact that not all shop vacs are designed as wet/dry vacuums. Even with the proper machine, if you do not treat your given shop the right way when picking up water, you will not experience the best results from your shop vac.
First of all, ensure the shop vac you have is rated accordingly to deal with all sorts of liquids. Certain models feature special attachments to help you with the sucking up of water. However, a regular hose will also do the job.
Most canister type vacuums utilize a bag, which you need to temporarily remove before going ahead to suck up the water or any other liquid. Water is the easiest liquid to suck up if you know how to handle your shop vac properly.
From the time you removed the bag, you need to ensure you take out any filter from your shop vac so these do not get drenched. Once done, you can just flip the switch and suck up the water before dumping it.
Should you decide to go straight back to sucking up dust and debris, then make it your mission to dry out your canister to prevent dealing with a mess afterward.
With a bit of tender loving care and regular maintenance, your shop vac will give you many years of service. You may have issues about how your vacuum is functioning. If it seems unsolvable, then get in touch with the professionals to get the best results from your shop vac.
Resources— The Spruce, Bens Cleaner Sales, Woodwork Boss
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