Shop Vacs: How Do They Work So Well?
Some of you may be a bit puzzled and wonder how does a shop vac work. Many would also refer to these vacs as wet and dry vacuums that work on the same concept as a traditional vacuum. The only noticeable difference is in the design.
In terms of practicality, the shop vac does more than a regular household vacuum can as it will suck up much larger particles and effectively deal with liquid spills of all sorts.
The short and sweet of it all is that many folks make use of these types of vacuums in their garages or workshops.
Why a Shop Vac is Well Suited to Cleanups in a Workshop or Garage
The thing is that a workshop has all kinds of challenges that traditional vacuum cleaners have a hard time dealing with. What we are referring to is larger particles, liquid spills as we already mentioned, and also sawdust that cannot be adequately contained within a conventional bag system. Shop vacs are made in such a way that it can hold such elements without clogging the actual bags or interfering with the performance of the fan motor.
Furthermore, the fan motor gets mounted over what is perceived to be a bucket-like canister. The air itself is pulled in through the intake of the vacuum. The bucket is smartly designed to let the user take off the lid and empty the contents when necessary.
Let us go a step further and break down the various parts of the actual shop vac.
How the shop vac Motor works
At first glance, a shop vac appears to be like a trash can on wheels. One could say that it is quite a paradox to what most of us have gotten used to in how traditional vacuums look like.
The actual functioning of the shop vac is what sets it apart from regular vacuum cleaners. Do not be fooled by the cylindrical drum-like appearance as these machines quickly dispose of big messes without too much effort.
It starts with the heart of the wet and dry vacuum unit where the motor is situated towards the top end. Just like other vacuums, the motor will begin to spin once the device gets turned on. The fan blades that is adhered to the underside will spring into action and set off a low-pressure condition to present itself as a suction.
How The Intake Section of the Shop-Vac works
The hand-held, tubular wand does all the dirty work. The suction gets created lower air pressure on the inside of the vacuum that is then funneled via the open end of the wand. One may compare it to someone busy sucking their soda using a straw. Wherever the person aims the open end of the straw is where the suction will take place. The same principle is in place for your shop vacuum.
Why a Bucket Canister is so helpful with a shop vac
Traditional vacuums would simply collect dust or debris inside a bag that has to be replaced once it's full. Shop vacs work differently in that the air stream that carries the debris all around the vacuum would flow over the central reservoir, known as the bucket, where it will dump it right into bucket area. When it reached maximum capacity, it is just a case of releasing the clamps that hold the unit together and emptying the content.
What Are the most Useful shop vac Attachments?
Most vacuums are equipped with an array of attachments that would be placed at the end of the suction rod. Narrower attachments will allow the user to suck up heavier debris.
There are various features and specifications to give consideration to when contemplating buying a shop vac.
What comes to mind is the capacity of the cleaning system. The larger the mess you have to pick up, the large capacity shop vac you'll need. Furthermore, you do not have to stress too much about emptying the tank regularly.
In cases where your space is limited for storage purposes, you may want to think about acquiring a smaller shop vac.
Just as necessary is the output or performance of your shop vacuum that is often measured as CFM (Cubic feet per minute), which is a function of the suction action and airflow in at a given location. Paying attention to these readings will offer the user with a proper understanding of the overall power and performance of the vacuum.
Do not be fooled by the horsepower ratings of a shop vac as the airflow performance also plays a huge role in how good the shop vac is.
Resources— Shop-Vac, SFGATE, Hunker
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