# Please don't howl with laughter at my shop vac question



## clovis (May 13, 2002)

I have owned a shop vac for years, and find it useful to say the least.

It is a Wet/Dry vac.

What does it mean when they say....Wet ?????

Does that mean I can suck up the gallons of standing water on my basement floor?

Or does that mean 'damp'? Like damp sand, or mud, if it gets tracked in.

Sorry to fill HT with such dumb questions.
clove


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## TNHermit (Jul 14, 2005)

If its says wet/dry then you should be able to suck up gallons of water. If it has paper filters take them out first. If its pleated you can leave it in. DONT stand in the water while your running the thing. Just makes good "electrical"sense 
Soome have a screw-in petcock to drain them other wise you;ll have to be able to have a place to dump it. They can get heavy. If your gonna do a basement I would buy some extra hose and run it in from a window.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I use mine to clean/empty the kids pool. Suck water!
You need to read the "distructions" that came with it.
(Take off the paper/foam filter, first, as Tn said).


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Try to guage when you're 3/4 full, the ball float stop always seems to let a little water blow past the motor's fan before stopping, and for some reason the makers don't construct the tub strong enough to handle the amount of water it can hold so it's easier on everythign if you don't max out its capacity.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

I used mine to get the siphon going last time I had to drain my waterbed. Ran the house from the bed out the window (first floor so not much of a drop) then took the hose and held it in the end of the shopvac hose (just used my hand to seal) and once I heard water flowing, I took the hose and laid it out on the grass.

My shopvac came with a foam filter for use with wet vacuming. It goes on in place of the paper filter. If you have a large capacity, it can get REALLY heavy once full.

Cathy


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

I have one thats used for Bee removals. Just revamped the hoses. It cleans bees Out of walls ALIVE and lets them be used in hives. Shop Vacs are A great tool.


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## Yeti (Nov 3, 2006)

lets see I have used mine to suck down my water beds, clean cars, clean up wood shaving in the barn. and suck down the master cylinder in my old truck by creating a resvoir that just needed a vacuum source to fill. my best use i of a shop Vac is courtsy of my old friend Bob who told me about how to use it for removing Bees & Hornets from ones house & properties. I have the 5.5hp Crapsman and I used it with a length of PVC pipe to reach the little hole the bees were entering my attic through. I left it wedged next to the hole for about 2 days running the whole time during the day. I would guess I got close to 4000 bees and then used it to clean out the nest by adding the pipe to the vac and hooking the hose to the end of the pipe so I could work off a ladder. I stuck it into the nest and sucked out the pupa and other bits and when I was done I had to clean out the vac.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

nothin to laugh at really. Just time to become more versatal with your tool. BTW not all shop vac types are wet/dry - just make sure your model is rated for wet service. Great tools they are!


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Thank you for all the replies!!!

I have used my shop vac to suck up gallons and gallons of water that has seeped into my basement when it rains for days on end.

I got to talking to the neighbor about the water/basement problem, and told him of my remedy. I use a shop vac and then empty the water into the sump pump pit.

He quickly told me that a wet/dry vac was not intended for that purpose at all, and that it was for sucking up no more fluid than a spilled Coke. 

I replied, "now what?", and decided I would ask the pros here instead.

Again, thanks!
clove


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## rzrubek (May 13, 2004)

james dilley said:


> I have one thats used for Bee removals. Just revamped the hoses. It cleans bees Out of walls ALIVE and lets them be used in hives. Shop Vacs are A great tool.


James, would you elaborate on how you use the shop vac to get bees out of a wall? I have a hive in our rabbit barn and we are fixing to sell it and need to remove the bees so we can take it down. Thanks, Randy


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## Country Doc (Oct 26, 2005)

?Use mine also for ash removal of a wood fired oven I have.
Rule #1 Fire has been out at least a week and cold
Rule #2 it is hard on the filters


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## Herb (Jun 25, 2006)

Hurricane Rita (or what was left of it) left me with 14" of water in my basement. I got it all out with my Shop Vac.


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