Wet vac

[JasetheMace]

So after having 4 wickes wet vacs and got fed up of them spraying water out all the time and having to open the filter to remove water each time. I am looking for a new one. Does anyone have a charles wet vac?
or any other type? What recommendations do people have? I know this has been posted many times but there seems to be a lot more available now then the last time I looked.

 

[Chuck]

I'm not sure much has changed since June:

Wet vacuum advice? Mid budget up to £100

 

[JasetheMace]

I'm not sure much has changed since June:

Wet vacuum advice? Mid budget up to £100

That one recommends the screwfix one, which looks the same as wickes and has a blow function. I find the wickes one blows water out all the time. Hence why I am looking for a different one. Plus my wickes one has died!

 

[rpm]

VacKing from machine mart, not the cheapest, just throw the foam water filter away, only time mine leaks is when customer has used bleach and doesn`t tell me.

 

[JasetheMace]

VacKing from machine mart, not the cheapest, just throw the foam water filter away, only time mine leaks is when customer has used bleach and doesn`t tell me.

This one? Vac King CVAC20P Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner (230V) - Machine Mart - Machine Mart
Looks exactly same as wickes one! Does it have blow function at back?

 

[Millsy 82]

I've had my wickes on for about 3-4 years now and never sprayed water anywhere. Maybe they have changed.

What I didnt like about the Charles was the lead doesnt roll up like my Henry but when one of my hoovers dies I will buy a charles as I'm carrying 2 hoovers at the moment.

 

[rpm]

I use this one with the S/Steel tank, it doesn`t have the blow function but it does have the more powerful 1400w motor.

Vac King CVAC25SS 25L Stainless Steel Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner (230V) - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

 

[Burger]

A mate who I work with has the Screwfix Titan one and his seems ok. Haven't tried these myself but Lidl do one and Karcher, or even Vax?

 

[JasetheMace]

A mate who I work with has the Screwfix Titan one and his seems ok. Haven't tried these myself but Lidl do one and Karcher, or even Vax?

Will have a look at Kercher, vax are heavy and very expensive.

 

[rpm]

Tried Karcher years ago found it to be a pile of poop. Leaked like a sieve.

 

[king of pipes]

Draper wet vac for me

 

[Leeb1987]

Not sure if it has been mentioned as I haven’t read all the posts but, have a look at nilfisk multi 30 wet vac, I spent 2 years emptying /servicing/ installing commercial grease traps and only went through 2 of them, their brilliant bits of kit for the money pretty bullet proof
[automerge]1567354132[/automerge]
Nilfisk Aero 26-21 PC 1250W 25Ltr Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner 240V
[automerge]1567354203[/automerge]
Their a couple quid dearer but honestly if you saw the £&@* we put them through, no filters to have to clean and they just kept going

 

[JasetheMace]

Not sure if it has been mentioned as I haven’t read all the posts but, have a look at nilfisk multi 30 wet vac, I spent 2 years emptying /servicing/ installing commercial grease traps and only went through 2 of them, their brilliant bits of kit for the money pretty bullet proof
[automerge]1567354132[/automerge]
Nilfisk Aero 26-21 PC 1250W 25Ltr Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner 240V
[automerge]1567354203[/automerge]
Their a couple quid dearer but honestly if you saw the £&@* we put them through, no filters to have to clean and they just kept going

They have some good reviews, do you not need to change the filter for wet and dry then?

 

[Leeb1987]

Yes sorry for dry you need a filter and u just take the filter out to use it wet but it’s a plastic corrugated filter so quick hose blast and it’s brand new again. I never used it dry as theres not many dry grease traps out there............ honestly can’t recommend them enough. Felt bad putting “old Sheila 1+2” through the horrors of grease traps

 

[JasetheMace]

Yes sorry for dry you need a filter and u just take the filter out to use it wet but it’s a plastic corrugated filter so quick hose blast and it’s brand new again. I never used it dry as theres not many dry grease traps out there... honestly can’t recommend them enough. Felt bad putting “old Sheila 1+2” through the horrors of grease traps

Only just issue is the reliability, £150 for 1 years use does not sound great! Other reviews say they have had issues after 18 months just using dust and warranty is only 1 year!

 

[Ben-gee]

Had a Charles for about 10 years, brilliant - only thing tank is a bit on the small side.

My advice is only use your wet vac for wet then they are no trouble.

I take a Henry with no bag for dry - that one is 26 years old.

 

[JasetheMace]

Had a Charles for about 10 years, brilliant - only thing tank is a bit on the small side.

My advice is only use your wet vac for wet then they are no trouble.

I take a Henry with no bag for dry - that one is 26 years old.

Brill, thanks. I already have a henry and that's why I am edging towards charles but a lot of reviews say charles is heavy, which may be a pain in lofts. Also can you always get in loft? My wickes vac fitted in every loft, even the smaller hatches

 

[Leeb1987]

Yeah I get what your saying but to be honest I emptied/serviced 5-10 units between 50-600 litres of waste each, 5-7 days/nights a week a for a year, in that time and if you’ve never seen one then its like half solid half slime water mix and it never missed a beat once, I only replaced it coz it got so compacted with $£*% that I didn't want try and clean the nasty gipping stuff off it for that money bought a new one. I have the bigger two motor version that I'm using I'm my house reno right now and that's 2+ yrs old and like brand new and its hovered everything from garden bonfire to blocked manhole at mine so far but obviously up to you bert. just sharing my experience, I tried plenty of different vacs over the time and they were by far the best in my opinion

 

[townfanjon]

Wickes vac with the wet/dry filter is just about unbeatable, chuck the filter is comes with it .

 

[Leeb1987]

but on the flip side I’ve never tried a Charles and he may be perfect for what your looking for

 

[JasetheMace]

Wickes vac with the wet/dry filter is just about unbeatable, chuck the filter is comes with it .

They are pants! I had filter and kept old filter and still the water gets in motor and then spits it out! It's ok for first 8 months and then starts spitting out every time it gets full and have to empty filter and leave outside for 10 minutes to remove water.

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Am I the only plumber that doesn't have a Wet Vac? Never really seen the benefit.....

 

[Leeb1987]

Think you must be the cleanest plumber that doesn't make mess to clean up with the wet vac lol

 

[JasetheMace]

Am I the only plumber that doesn't have a Wet Vac? Never really seen the benefit...

how do you empty toilet cisterns? Remove the last bit of water from the pipes? Empty loft tanks?

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

how do you empty toilet cisterns? Remove the last bit of water from the pipes? Empty loft tanks?

Sponge to soak up the last bit in bottom and wring out in pan. Tanks in loft, just disconnect them and tip them into a bucket, might take one or two depending on tank. Not had any issues so far...