Wet Vac .

[quality]

Whats everyone using or recommend?

 

[gmartine]

Cheap as chips, Wickes jobby with the right filter.

Small therefore portable, don't expect to use anything but the hose (which is enough) as tools are Rubbish, seems to be bomb proof.

 

[townfanjon]

+1 for the Wickes with the wet/dry filter ( extra cost)

If you are looking at draining tanks and cylinders, look at the “shop vac” , it somehow drains through the vac .

 

[Harvest Fields]

Think there is a thread on this already mate.

 

[quality]

+1 for the Wickes with the wet/dry filter ( extra cost)

If you are looking at draining tanks and cylinders, look at the “shop vac” , it somehow drains through the vac .

is the shop vac a Wickes item?

 

[Harvest Fields]

Medium Titan I have

 

[rpm]

Think there is a thread on this already mate.

Think you will find more than one!

 

[Zippymark]

I have the Titan one too, about £35 from Screwfix. It's pretty small, you wouldn't want to do your whole house with it but for hoovering out boilers and little bits of dust it's great, pretty powerful. I'd never used it for wet stuff until the other week but it sucked some water out of a rad tail so i could solder on to extend it and worked a treat

 

[Harvest Fields]

I have the Titan one too, about £35 from Screwfix. It's pretty small, you wouldn't want to do your whole house with it but for hoovering out boilers and little bits of dust it's great, pretty powerful. I'd never used it for wet stuff until the other week but it sucked some water out of a rad tail so i could solder on to extend it and worked a treat

There are 3 sizes available from what I believe.

 

[quality]

I needed to suck the defrosted water from an evaporator as it defrosted to take a sample. I know it sounds simple but there were many quirks to this little task.

 

[WC1]

Spent a long time looking at wet vacs this weekend.
Checked out Nilfisk "buddy" - strong motor but bucket and motor seemed loose when not under load- maybe missing a gasket - passed on that.
Karcher - was advertised as 1600 watt but actuall is 1000 watt but they claim to get 1600 watt output from 1000 watt input - passed on that.
Went for Nilfisk "multi" 30 litre, solid construction mid price and pulls like a beast. And has auto power take off which will be useful in the workshop.
I think wet vacs may be starting to be affected by legislation reducing vacuum power which has affected home vacs for a while.
Machine mart is best place i found to look at the machines in the flesh.
- WC1

 

[SimonG]

Don't use one.

 

[WC1]

Been doing bit of macerator work so couldn't ever be without one. Why i took time to get a good'un. Horses for courses.

 

[SimonG]

Don't touch macerators, anymore.

 

[WC1]

Macerator were my entry in to plumbing. Working in general maintenance and then having to deal with them more regularly and then got qualified etc. etc.
Bit like most plumbing as long as you're careful and methodical there fine. imo.

 

[Allgoode]

I had to get a replacement wet vac quickly so got the Titan TTB430vac which i only used for wet work.
It sucks really well but it has an achilles heel which is the latching method for the motor section which sits on top of the bin section.
It is very loose when the motor is not switched on and i have had x4 occasions when i have bumped the unit when moving it or when getting it out of the van.
If you only have a couple of litres in the bin section and it gets bumped when moving of lifting then it usually detaches resulting in spillage.
x3 times either in van or on route to van & final time only 2 days ago when carrying down a customers stairs with other stuff.
Caught it with heel on hose/wheel i think and the top motor section separated from the bin section resulting in a couple of litres going over the customers stairs/floor.
Luckily it was clean water & not C/H water from a couple of day previous so customer got a cleaned stairs carpet.
Just something to be aware of as the motor section does not clamp tight to bin unit.
If bin unit about 1/2 full then it does not happen due to weight of fluid stopping the bounce & seperation,
Hope this helps,
Thanks.
Andy

 

[Best]

I had to get a replacement wet vac quickly so got the Titan TTB430vac which i only used for wet work.
It sucks really well but it has an achilles heel which is the latching method for the motor section which sits on top of the bin section.
It is very loose when the motor is not switched on and i have had x4 occasions when i have bumped the unit when moving it or when getting it out of the van.
If you only have a couple of litres in the bin section and it gets bumped when moving of lifting then it usually detaches resulting in spillage.
x3 times either in van or on route to van & final time only 2 days ago when carrying down a customers stairs with other stuff.
Caught it with heel on hose/wheel i think and the top motor section separated from the bin section resulting in a couple of litres going over the customers stairs/floor.
Luckily it was clean water & not C/H water from a couple of day previous so customer got a cleaned stairs carpet.
Just something to be aware of as the motor section does not clamp tight to bin unit.
If bin unit about 1/2 full then it does not happen due to weight of fluid stopping the bounce & seperation,
Hope this helps,
Thanks.
Andy

I have a cheaper Titan Wet Vac (only was about £35) and it also has same problem with motor part coming away from base.

 

[WC1]

Some of the stuff that goes in must never come out unwanted . is why I trekked to 2 x branches of machine mart to check the mating of the motor to the bucket. Seems a fairly common fault to leak when the motor suction isn't pulling the bucket on to the lid.

 

[johnduffell]

I think wet vacs may be starting to be affected by legislation reducing vacuum power which has affected home vacs for a while

Just to be clear the power that's limited is the power input, not the suction power.
Previously they were selling vacs based on the power input wattage ie how noisy and hot do they get, rather than on how good they are at suction. This meant that manufacturers completed to produce terrible heavy wasteful vacuums.
Now there is that standard label with the a to f rating for cleaning efficiency, they can complete on the thing people actually want. A bit like what they did with led light bulbs, you used to choose the wattage now you choose the lumens.
The"equivalent to 1600w" thing is probably like the fact they label led light bulbs in equivalent Watts, just so you can find what you wanted.

Hope that is helpful!

 

[Pickwickpick]

Just to be clear the power that's limited is the power input, not the suction power.
Previously they were selling vacs based on the power input wattage ie how noisy and hot do they get, rather than on how good they are at suction. This meant that manufacturers completed to produce terrible heavy wasteful vacuums.
Now there is that standard label with the a to f rating for cleaning efficiency, they can complete on the thing people actually want. A bit like what they did with led light bulbs, you used to choose the wattage now you choose the lumens.
The"equivalent to 1600w" thing is probably like the fact they label led light bulbs in equivalent Watts, just so you can find what you wanted.

Hope that is helpful!

Very true I'd take my 900w Miele over the old 1500w Vax I used to have any day!

 

[AWheating]

Nilfisk probably the best manufacturer of work vacs.

the cheap buddy is quite good at the price range. the more expensive ones are really good. they are way better than kartcher vacs, and they make many of the powertools manufacturers branded shop vacs like hilti, metabo etc....

make sure you use bags for dry and have a second filter for wet.

 

[WC1]

Think you're right, I must have had a duff buddy - missing gasket . Went for Nilfisk myself in end. Wc1