Workshop vacuum, do I need Hepa?

[murdoch]

Hi, we're after a new vacuum for the workshop and spray shop instead of sweeping. I'm thinking of this Numatic NTD2003 Industrial Vacuum Cleaner - Dual Motor Industrial Vacuums - CleanStore

Does anyone know if this is suitable or does it need to have a hepa filter? The price gets crazy with hepa filters so trying to avoid it!

Thanks

 

[Bingy man]

I have the numatic nv 750 , twin inlets 32 mm and 100mm supplied with reducer , it’s designed for woodwork and woodworking machines and tools ,, an additional filter is available as a separate module ( if that’s what the heppa filter is ) I have it but only for the additional filtration as my workshop is a converted bedroom. This vac is cheaper than the one in your link and the additional module was about £170 + vat . Purchased from avern cleaning supplies in Worcester. They are made locally to order . It’s also a twin motor. hope this is useful to you. Mine is show connected to my planer .

 

[Jameshow]

How often are you in the workshop if like me 2 hours 2 times a week no....

If 8 hours a day 5 days a week yes...?

 

[Sideways]

Numatic should be a good brand to look at for your use. Access to spares and relatively low cost accessories.
I think you've picked out a higher spec machine than you need. It looks great for a factory but you'd be paying a premium for that big heavy duty drum and it will be a pain to move around. If it's too big, picking it up to empty it into your biffa will be a real chore, or you'll have to factor in the cost of bags.

The NV750 / NVD750 (same with two motors) are a bit smaller but still pretty solid machines. Quieter than a budget shop vac, and with two washable fabric filters that do a decent job and keep the cost down.
You can add a disposable hepa filter layer as well if you are cleaning up something nasty, but for general workshop sweep up, I don't think you'll need it. M and H class dust extraction is more important when you are handling hazardous dusts like silica during building construction and renovation.

Look at the NVD750 in Axminster colours - it's packaged with a wheeled trolley.

Hoovering up the shop rather than sweeping it is a good move A long (4 or 5 meter) wide hose may be a good accessory. That way you won't move the machine as often and the bigger bore will swallow small offcuts without getting blocked as often.

Also, these dual inlet machines work best if you connect the hose into the big 100mm inlet using a reducer. Ignore the smaller inlet in the middle of the can. Dust coming in at a tangent (through the big inlet) swirls around the drum like a built in cyclone and settles better.

 

[diyfiesta]

I read how a few hours in a badly designed dust extraction/filtration environment (ie my shed) can be more damaging than months in a pro shop.

I choose HEPA and an Axminster filter as I got scared reading how it’s the real small particals that do the damage (invisible) and regular shopvacs are basically venting them into the air.

 

[Sideways]

First priority - try to extract the fine stuff efficiently at source (saws, sanders, routers, spindles), especially if working with MDF and the bad hardwoods.
Then a properly sized ambient air filter to take the fine stuff that floats around out of the air within 5 to 10 minutes is going to help.
Good clean up is going to reduce the fire hazard and settled dust being kicked up again.
And there's always PPE (cheapest, but least pleasant to use).

I think this layer approach is the way to deal with it. You have to work with your budget and balance your spend. Don't put it all into one element unless you can only afford one.
In hifi terms, no point in fitting a £1000 cartridge in a cheap record deck plugged into a lousy amplifier.

 

[murdoch]

Thanks for the advice and recommendations. Our workshop is 5500 sqft with 5 of us and will get used daily. Our main dust extractor is housed outside the workshop and I’ve thought of simply adding an outlet with a blast gate and a coil of flexible hose to this, problem is that the hose would need to be 25m long to clean the whole workshop!

 

[Jameshow]

Thanks for the advice and recommendations. Our workshop is 5500 sqft with 5 of us and will get used daily. Our main dust extractor is housed outside the workshop and I’ve thought of simply adding an outlet with a blast gate and a coil of flexible hose to this, problem is that the hose would need to be 25m long to clean the whole workshop!

Definitely need decent filtration if only from a H&S point of view.

Outside DX is good idea too.

Do you have reasonable vents to allow your DX to suck?!

 

[Sideways]

Adding a hose to your existing DX wont work well enough to be useful. Those big systems don't make much suction (pressure) only big airflows. As soon as you attach a hose narrow enough to be manageable and long enough to be useful, you'll have no useful suction at the end and the hose will keep clogging.

A decent wheelable shop vac is a sound idea to complement the fixed setup.

 

[murdoch]

Adding a hose to your existing DX wont work well enough to be useful. Those big systems don't make much suction (pressure) only big airflows. As soon as you attach a hose narrow enough to be manageable and long enough to be useful, you'll have no useful suction at the end and the hose will keep clogging.

A decent wheelable shop vac is a sound idea to complement the fixed setup.

Great, thanks for this, I think I’ll go for the one in link or a big brute

 

[Recky33]

Do you have room for a vac in the place where your big extractor is (outside), if so just throw a cheaper vac in there and pipe it through, problem solved

 

[Sideways]

When you've used it for a couple of months, let us know what you picked and how it works out for you.
Cheers

 

[Seascaper]

I use a standard Numatic in my workshop, about £100 from Boltfix. Does the job, bags are cheap at £1 each, filtration excellent. This replaced a so called workshop dust extractor which overheated and had to end up in landfill. The Numatic is much better, sturdy and well made.