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Central vacuum used for shop also?

sandalboy's picture

Central vacuum used for shop also? (post #75646)

sandalboy on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 02:02
in

I've been gradually remodeling our home, and while the walls have been open I've been putting in the tubing for a central vacuum system. I figured if I never put the vacuum in I'd at least have good channels to run extra cables through (speaker wires, phone, audio/video etc.

Anyway I wondered if a high end unit for central vacuuming could also do the shop if there were an extra canister added to catch the bigger stuff. It seems like it would work fine, but maybe there's a good reason not to. Has anybody done this? or at least have comments? Cyclonic or filtered models if exterior vented?

-A +A
CHRISINDIANA's picture

(post #75646, reply #1 of 9)

by CHRISINDIANA in reply to sandalboy [original] on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 02:50

I have one setup in my shop. It works fine.

jazzdogg's picture

(post #75646, reply #5 of 9)

by jazzdogg in reply to Anonymous [original] on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 22:09

Hi Chris,


If you don't mind my asking, what do you use it for, and how much does one cost?


Sure would make it more convenient to keep the car clean, and to keep the dust out of the tool boxes!


Thanks,


-Jazzdogg-


Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

-Jazzdogg-

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

CHRISINDIANA's picture

(post #75646, reply #6 of 9)

by CHRISINDIANA in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 04/28/2005 - 00:29

I use it just as I would a shop vac, except I can not vacuum up water. I vac the floor, fine dust around the shop, my 1" belt sander is hooked to it, I dust items before finishing & between coats & I clean my car. My central vacs are Electrolux. The one in the shop I got off of Ebay. If I remember it was $270.00 delivered. There are alot of central vacs to choose from on Ebay. I also had the cost of the piping. I used 2" pvc drain pipe because the regular vac pipe was not stocked around here. The drain pipe was also less expensive. Another big plus is that I have the unit mounted in the crawl space of my shop. All I hear in the shop when I am using it is the rush of air going in the hose.


 


 

jazzdogg's picture

(post #75646, reply #8 of 9)

by jazzdogg in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 04/28/2005 - 04:50

Thanks, Chris!

-Jazzdogg-


Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

-Jazzdogg-

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

nikkiwood's picture

(post #75646, reply #2 of 9)

by nikkiwood in reply to sandalboy [original] on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 12:44

You're taling about a conventional central vac system, like you would use for the house, right?

It's an interesting question, but I somehow suspect that a system designed for this purpose would not stand up to the rigors required for shop dust and shavings.

Before going too far, I would suggest a call to one or two manufacturers to get there opinion on the matter. Might work just fine.

"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell

******************************************************** "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts." John Wooden 1910-
CHRISINDIANA's picture

(post #75646, reply #3 of 9)

by CHRISINDIANA in reply to Anonymous [original] on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 15:46

I have a conventional central vac system in my shop. I have one just like it in my house. What I suck into the vacuum has no bearing on the life of the vacuum so long as it is not wet & I have the filters in place. A central vac is not any different than a shop vac except that the central vac is mounted on the wall & has alot more suction. I have a 35' hose for it. It is great not having to drag a shop vac around. The hose will even reach outside to vac out the car.

RandMCapozzi's picture

(post #75646, reply #4 of 9)

by RandMCapozzi in reply to sandalboy [original] on Wed, 04/27/2005 - 21:58

Well, here is the deal. A vacuum will collect dust. However, effective dust control in a Woodworking environment, generally requires large amounts of air movement (CFM). Vacuums move a little bit of air (normally around 100 CFM) at very high vellocities. This makes a vacuum ideal for small tool DC like ROS.


A TS, BS, planer, or jointer, however, generally require somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 - 800 CFM. A vacuum just doesn't come close to those numbers.


A central vacuum will not replace a DC for your woodshop. It will however augment it just fine since DCs move large amounts of air but at relatively low static pressure. This means that a DC doesn't work well on very small tools like the ROS.


--Rob

JohnSprung's picture

(post #75646, reply #7 of 9)

by JohnSprung in reply to sandalboy [original] on Thu, 04/28/2005 - 00:56

> could also do the shop ....


It depends on what "do the shop" means.  If it means functioning as a conventional shop vac, then yes.  If it means substituting for a dust collection system, probably not. 


Dust collection is a high volume/low vacuum application, like 800 CFM at 8 - 12" of vacuum.  The central vac will give you maybe a tenth of the volume at ten times the vacuum. 


I've looked into getting both high volume and high vacuum, but that turns out to mean very high horsepower, like 50 - 100 HP.  A monster shop vac would be fun, but not practical.  ;-)


As for filtration, a well made cyclone is a wonderful thing.  It can separate solids from air without losing suction or needing to be cleaned all the time.  Here's a place to start looking for dust collection cyclones:


http://clearvuecyclones.com/


 


-- J.S.

 

 

-- J.S.

 

waltamb's picture

I'm considering a workshop (post #75646, reply #9 of 9)

by waltamb in reply to sandalboy [original] on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 16:48

I'm considering a workshop central vac also, the one thing I will insist on is the highest CFM and Velocity I can afford plus... Dust Deputy Cyclone Separator to pull all the material I can out before the vacuum.  I might use a wal mount, or I might build it with a FEIN or a FESTOOL Shop Vav in order to have the vacuum available to take to job sites as well.

Everyone should spend more money on dust collection, vacuums and air filters that they think they can afford.  You only get one life and one set of lungs.