I finally stopped using a regular shop vac for clean up and it cut my time in half

For years, I would finish a sweep and then spend 45 minutes with my old shop vac, trying to get every bit of soot and creosote dust off the hearth and out of the firebox. It was loud, the filter clogged fast, and I was always worried about blowing fine ash back into the room. About six months ago, I bit the bullet and got a HEPA-rated dust extractor, the kind some woodworkers use. The difference is huge. It has way more suction, the filter system is sealed, and I can attach a wide floor brush. Now the same clean up takes me 20 minutes flat, and the client's living room is actually clean, not just kinda clean. Has anyone else made a switch like this, or found a better tool for the final tidy-up?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_murray491mo ago

Yeah I saw a video about those dust extractors for woodworking. Makes total sense it would work better for ash too, that fine stuff is the worst.

robinson.quinn1mo ago

Is it really that much of a difference though? I mean, we're talking about sweeping up some ash and soot, not like you're cleaning up a biohazard spill or something. My old shop vac does the job just fine if you take the filter out and give it a good whack on the curb every now and then. If you're spending 45 minutes on it, maybe you're just being too picky about things being spotless. Feels like a lot of money for a fancy vacuum when a little elbow grease and a cheaper filter would do the same thing.