Shop Vac losing suction

[Doc]

I have a Shop Vac that suddenly lost most of its suction. I thought the
filter had gotten clogged but even with the filter off altogether, there's
barely any suction. While they're not obscenely expensive, I like to try and
keep something alive if possible. I wonder if there's a common cause of this
that's readily fixed?

Thanks for all input.

[Tim Fischer]

"Doc" <docsa...@xhotmail.xom> wrote in message
news:opZUg.7027$o71....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...

There's not much to a shop vac -- basically an impeller/fan and a motor.
Something's likely clogged somewhere. I assume you tried it without the
hose and aren't getting suction at the machine? If not, you probably have
something lodged in the hose. Otherwise, something may ahve got caught up
in the power head...

-Tim

[Jeff Wisnia]

You may find that the impeller itself has gotten filled with crud. They
often have several disks with vanes inside spaced rather closely together.

If you don't find any major blockages ahead or behind the impeller then
get down to where you can probe inside the impeller's segmentns with a
piece if wire and see if you can hook and push junk out of it, then take
it to a sink and wash it out well before reinstalling it.

YMMV,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?"

[lwas...@fellspt.charm.net]

In article <opZUg.7027$o71....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,

Of course you already checked the hose for obstructions, right...

If the motor sounds normal, see if you can get access to the impeller
and if anything is stuck to them. It's also possible the impeller has
loosened on the motor shaft, but usually this will noticeably affect
the sound the vac makes.

--
No dumb questions, just dumb answers.
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore, Maryland - lwas...@charm.net

[Joseph Meehan]

After you follow the prior instructions about cleaning possible
obstructions I will add the possibility that the motor may be going bad.
Likely it is not worth repair if that is the case as most shop vacs are not
worth the time.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

[Ether Jones]

Doc wrote:

> I have a Shop Vac that suddenly lost most of its suction.

You say it "suddenly" lost most of its suction. What were you doing
with the shop vac when this "suddenly" happened?

That might provide a clue to help diagnose the problem.

[Oren]

On 5 Oct 2006 06:40:41 -0700, "Ether Jones" <Ether...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>
>Doc wrote:
>
>> I have a Shop Vac that suddenly lost most of its suction.
>
>You say it "suddenly" lost most of its suction. What were you doing
>with the shop vac when this "suddenly" happened?

Vacuuming a cotton painter's cloth once? Who did It?

>That might provide a clue to help diagnose the problem.

Cotton cloth and debris clogged my vac up -- stop and clear.
--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

[goldenm...@yahoo.com]

Sounds like a bad motor.

If you have your receipt, I'd take it back

GM

[Tim Fischer]

<goldenm...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1160104381.4...@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
>

> Sounds like a bad motor.

If it was a bad motor, you'd almost certainly hear a different sound than
usual coming from the unit...

> If you have your receipt, I'd take it back

He never said anything about the age of it. It could be very old...

-Tim

[mm]

On Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:41:40 GMT, "Doc" <docsa...@xhotmail.xom>
wrote:

I find vacuum cleaners in the trash all the time. The problem is
always that the hose or the hose equivalent (for uprights and electric
brooms, the path from the floor to the dirt depository) is clogged.
I've never yet found one with a burned out motor or even a bad
impeller.

I bought some 12 inch tweezers at a hamfest once. Didn't know what I
would use them for, but they were cheap. They were great from
removing the clog from an upright. (also great for removing splinters
from the fin of a blue whale)

[Marty Sobel]

replying to goldenmike4393, Marty Sobel wrote:
maxavac system will solve all your problems

--
posted from
http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/shop-vac-losing-suction-153306-.htm
using HomeOwnersHub's Web, RSS and Social Media Interface
to home and garden related groups

[Bob F]

Marty Sobel wrote:
>

Just another low life SPAMMER

[Joypebble]

replying to Oren, Joypebble wrote:

> Oren wrote:
>
> On 5 Oct 2006 06:40:41 -0700, "Ether Jones" <Ether...@yahoo.com>

> Vacuuming a cotton painter's cloth once? Who did It?

> Cotton cloth and debris clogged my vac up -- stop and clear.
> --
> Oren
> "Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens
> constantly."

After two days of troubleshooting and replacing bags, filters and foam
shrouds, I finally checked the hose input connection hole (without the
hose in it) and guess what? It almost sucked off my finger prints! Yup, it
was the hose clog all this time. A few long pokes and shakes and it was
all clean and I could pick up marbles from six inches away!
*
*Why is it always the very last (and simplest) thing that you try?**

---joypebble


--

[Joypebble]

replying to Oren, Joypebble wrote:
> Oren wrote:
>

> On 5 Oct 2006 06:40:41 -0700, "Ether Jones" <Ether...@yahoo.com>

> Vacuuming a cotton painter's cloth once? Who did It?

> Cotton cloth and debris clogged my vac up -- stop and clear.
> --
> Oren
> "Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens
> constantly."

After two days of troubleshooting and replacing bags, filters and foam
shrouds, I finally checked the hose input connection hole (without the
hose in it) and guess what? It almost sucked off my finger prints! Yup, it
was the hose clog all this time. A few long pokes and shakes and it was

all clean and I could pick up marbles from sic inches away!

[bob haller]

i have pushed my garden hose with the water running thru the disconnecvted hose....... amazing all the crud that comes out..

i also one time ran the garden hose water thru the motor blower powerhead

amazing how much vacuumn power after this rather low tech service

[Oren]

Personally; I usually go back to the beginning of a problem, and start
over. Sort of like a problem solving flow chart:

PDF:

<http://plaza.ufl.edu/johnaris/PDFs/ProblemSolvingFlowChart.pdf>
--
"Sir, We’re Surrounded. Good, we can attack in any direction" -- Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller

[J Burns]

When my vacuum loses suction, it's usually not because it's plugged.
It's because it's unplugged.

[hrho...@sbcglobal.net]

On Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at 8:41:40 PM UTC-5, Doc wrote:
> I have a Shop Vac that suddenly lost most of its suction. I thought the
> filter had gotten clogged but even with the filter off altogether, there's
>

My god, all this crap from 2006!!!!!!!!!!

[Jerr...@spamblocked.com]

Just look at the poster name.

(This post is from:
Joypebble <caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com

The last one was:
Subject: Tecumseh governor
From: Drew <caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com>

(They skipped _8928 and _8929)

Prior to that

Subject: How to remove silicone spray?
From: Ronnie Cronin <caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com>

(Several number skipped again.....)

All of these posts appear to originate from FlashNewsgroups.com


The next "old post" on this newsgroup will probably be from
caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85_893*@example.com
Using yet another Nym.

(The * will be another number above 0)

[joypebble]

replying to Jerry.Tan , joypebble wrote:

> Jerry.Tan wrote:
>
> On Wed, 20 May 2015 20:53:02 -0700 (PDT), "hrho...@sbcglobal.net"

> Just look at the poster name.

>::]
*
OK, The idiots have arrived Time to change the dirtbags. Adios boneheads.

--

[Robert Green]

<Jerr...@spamblocked.com> wrote in message

> All of these posts appear to originate from FlashNewsgroups.com

I think this is actually Homeowner's Hub or something like it. Their web
posting software automatically assigns these names.

> The next "old post" on this newsgroup will probably be from
> caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85_893*@example.com
> Using yet another Nym.

Search for "caedfaa" (I think) and you'll probably run across my post from a
year or so ago that noted just what you have discovered. I went to
Homeowner's Hub and created an account and discovered they assigned ID's in
sequential order.

--
Bobby G.

[Jerr...@spamblocked.com]

I did the search and found nothing. As usual, google tried to divert me
to another spelling (casfaa).
But what you say, makes sense and I know that Homeowners Hub has been a
problem on this newsgrouop for years. What they have to gain from their
doing this "spamming" is what I dont understand.

This makes me wonder if FlashNewsgroups.com is the same company? I did
go to the FlashNewsgroups.com website and it appears to be a legitimate
usenet provider, but the internet is full of fraud, so why not them....
IU wonder if they are aware of their service even being used in this
manner?

I have saved these posts for weeks now, and watched the sequential order
numbers as well as noting every post uses a different nym. All of them
appear to originate from FlashNewsgroups.com.

I just wonder if they would continue posting, if EVERYONE ignored all
posts from caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85_ (plus 4 numbers)
@example.com

I have stopped posting comments to all of them. After all, the OP is not
likely to even read these resposes, so everyone who replies is just
wasting their time.

By the way, homeownershub.com has THIS POST on their homepage right now:

[Hats Off !!!
by Ivan Vegvary
What's with all the hats (men) that I see in restaurants? Where did
these people learn their manners? It doesn't surprise me to see this on
a 35 and under age gent. But gees, some of these guy... read more]

That was just posted on alt.home.repair today!!!

[Robert Green]

<Jerr...@spamblocked.com> wrote in message

<stuff snipped>

> But what you say, makes sense and I know that Homeowners Hub has been a
> problem on this newsgrouop for years. What they have to gain from their
> doing this "spamming" is what I dont understand.

They do it to boost their click counts. They get paid if people click on
pages with their ads attached.

> This makes me wonder if FlashNewsgroups.com is the same company? I did
> go to the FlashNewsgroups.com website and it appears to be a legitimate
> usenet provider, but the internet is full of fraud, so why not them....
> IU wonder if they are aware of their service even being used in this
> manner?

I just think Flash provides a web-to-Usenet interface that a number of
companies like HOH use.

> I have saved these posts for weeks now, and watched the sequential order
> numbers as well as noting every post uses a different nym. All of them
> appear to originate from FlashNewsgroups.com.

Go to HOH and make a post and you'll see why threads like the "hat" thread
from several years ago find new life here. Many of the group's trolls take
advantage of HOH to create sock puppets and reanimate old trolling threads.

> I just wonder if they would continue posting, if EVERYONE ignored all
> posts from caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85_ (plus 4 numbers)
> @example.com

The problem there is that some of the post at least *seem* to be very
legitmate requests for help. Don't want to throw out the baby with the bath
water. There's also no way on earth to get all AHR members to act in
concert on any single item, at least in my experience. (-:

> I have stopped posting comments to all of them. After all, the OP is not
> likely to even read these resposes, so everyone who replies is just
> wasting their time.

Especially the posts that aren't current. I can't remember if HOH is one of
them, but some websites like theirs will send you a notification via email
when someone responds to a post. I think that what we see is a process with
a person that starts with a question on Google which sends them to HOH to a
post that concerns their search. They reply to that old post and that gets
tranmitted here so even though a post may seem 5 years old, it may have been
reactivated by a real person using Google.

> By the way, homeownershub.com has THIS POST on their homepage right now:
>
> [Hats Off !!!
> by Ivan Vegvary
> What's with all the hats (men) that I see in restaurants? Where did
> these people learn their manners? It doesn't surprise me to see this on
> a 35 and under age gent. But gees, some of these guy... read more]
>
> That was just posted on alt.home.repair today!!!

It's at least a year old, if not more. The problem with AHR is that it
attracts SO DAMN MANY trolls. And not even good ones. My blocked sender
list gets two or three new names *every* time I read through the newsgroup.
You'd think people had more to do with their life than create an endless
number of new accounts, nym shift, sock puppet and cross-post nonsense all
day long. <sigh>

--
Bobby G.

>
>

[mike44]

replying to Doc, mike44 wrote:
My Rigid wet dry was making a lot of noise and low suction. I removed the
wet/dry cowl 6 screws and there was the impeller; a thin disc. turns out it
was plugged partially with two strips of plastic and some human hair. moral
of the story. Carefully re-seat the filter after each routine cleaning.,
clean out the exhaust filter. Total time of repair 15 minutes half of that
locating a Phillips head screwdriver that my kids continually scatter
throughout the house and garage. Oh and BTW if the motor is running at speed
it is not the motor start with the cowl first.

--
posted from
http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/shop-vac-losing-suction-153306-.htm

using HomeOwnersHub's Web, Mobile and Social Media Interface to
alt.home.repair and other home improvement groups

[kootenaykate]

replying to Doc, kootenaykate wrote:
Just amazing hammered out a tiny dent on lid rim et voila were back in
business, oh yea and clean filter


--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/shop-vac-losing-suction-153306-.htm

[pmase22]

replying to Doc, pmase22 wrote:
I have a little 2 HP armor all shop VACand it quit sucking with the intensity
that it did once I cleaned out the filter one time and what had happened, was
that the ball inside the motor compartment had come out of place a few good
giggles and bounces around to relocate it I didn't even take the cover off and
it worked like a charm! So check that

[Russell]

replying to Doc, Russell wrote:
Right out of the box I put the filter over the foam filter for dry vacuum and
after a few minutes no suction took off hose and no suction from unit. This is
my second machine. It will start suction again in a few minutes.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/shop-vac-losing-suction-153306-.htm

[ItsNotGoing2SukItself]

replying to Russell, ItsNotGoing2SukItself wrote:
My shop vac works excellent for 3-4 min and then the motor begins to rev
higher and I lose about 60%-70% of suction. Changed the filter, left it off
for awhile both had the same results works great and then na-da.

[gfre...@aol.com]

On Sat, 31 Mar 2018 23:44:02 GMT, ItsNotGoing2SukItself
<caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote:

>replying to Russell, ItsNotGoing2SukItself wrote:
>My shop vac works excellent for 3-4 min and then the motor begins to rev
>higher and I lose about 60%-70% of suction. Changed the filter, left it off
>for awhile both had the same results works great and then na-da.

Revving higher usually means the air flow is blocked. You may have
something that got up into the impeller.

[PezKat]

replying to ItsNotGoing2SukItself, PezKat wrote:
I just bought & assembled mine & used it fine for 10 minutes or so, then this
happened. The manual says this is a safety feature for wet vacuuming, that it
turns off suction when the liquid reaches a certain level so you dump it
before it gets to the motor. However, I was using it for dry things. Checked
hose, filter & bag & can't see any obstructions.

[Oren]

On Fri, 20 Apr 2018 20:14:03 GMT, PezKat
<caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote:

>replying to ItsNotGoing2SukItself, PezKat wrote:
>I just bought & assembled mine & used it fine for 10 minutes or so, then this
>happened. The manual says this is a safety feature for wet vacuuming, that it
>turns off suction when the liquid reaches a certain level so you dump it
>before it gets to the motor. However, I was using it for dry things. Checked
>hose, filter & bag & can't see any obstructions.

Dang! That is just terrrible, I'd say.
--
"Dumb is local...As soon as you go 15 miles away from your dumbness, you see how dumb you are." -- Sherrod Small

[metz...@gmail.com]

I have a Shop-Vac I just bought used but it's like brand new. But the suction is horrible there's no obstruction anywhere. Did I just purchase one that's not very good that doesn't have much suction. It's just called shop- vac

[metz...@gmail.com]

just bought a Shop-Vac used. But it's like brand new hardly been used. But it has very little suction. No obstructions. Does that mean I just got one that just cheap and doesn't work as well as others

[trader_4]

On Friday, June 21, 2019 at 11:59:21 AM UTC-4, metz...@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a Shop-Vac I just bought used but it's like brand new. But the suction is horrible there's no obstruction anywhere. Did I just purchase one that's not very good that doesn't have much suction. It's just called shop- vac

It does that with filter off too? As I recall, mine has some kind of ball
that's gravity based, and will cut off the flow under certain conditions,
not sure why, maybe if it's full of water. Try banging it up and down
a few times?

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 21 Jun 2019 08:57:32 -0700 (PDT),

metz...@gmail.com wrote:

>I have a Shop-Vac I just bought used but it's like brand new. But the suction is horrible there's no obstruction anywhere. Did I just purchase one that's not very good that doesn't have much suction. It's just called shop- vac

Does the motor make a lot of noise?

is there a lot of suction with the hose off?

If you put the hose so that it blows, does it do that well?

What model?

[joe....@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, October 4, 2006 at 8:41:40 PM UTC-5, Doc wrote:
> I have a Shop Vac that suddenly lost most of its suction. I thought the
> filter had gotten clogged but even with the filter off altogether, there's

> barely any suction. While they're not obscenely expensive, I like to try and
> keep something alive if possible. I wonder if there's a common cause of this
> that's readily fixed?
>
> Thanks for all input.

I have Bostich Wet/Dry Vac Quiet. The motor sounded fine but the suction was very anemic (worthless) at the unit (hose out of the equation). I dissembled (13 screws: 5 on the other cover, 3 holding an motor mount, then 5 on the inner cover). Removed dust around motor vents, they were somewhat clogged. Clean the motor mount rim filter. Reassembled and it worked fine. 30 minutes.

[Rebecca S]

And THIS is why the internet was created. Not able to fix my vacuum, I came here. Lo and behold! I also had a hose clog :-D

[kmpdx]

I found this thread useful. Mine lost suction. I pulled the housing apart and the housing that surrounds the impeller housing had lost a screw causing it to lose suction. I replaced the screw and have a powerful shop vac again!

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/shop-vac-losing-suction-153306-.htm