I was dead set on using a shop vac for every job until I spent 45 minutes trying to unclog a 4 inch flex hose full of wet soot

I was doing a full cleanup on a big masonry fireplace in a old house last Tuesday and the vac just kept jamming up on the damp creosote chunks. After banging it on the driveway for way too long I finally gave up and switched to a simple hand scoop and bucket method. Anyone else hit that wall where a power tool makes things worse instead of better?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse2901mo ago

Actually most shop vacs will handle wet soot fine if you use a filter bag inside the drum, that keeps the fine stuff from caking up in the hose. The real issue is flex hose has those ridges inside that grab onto wet debris.

angelas781mo ago

Yeah "those ridges inside grab onto wet debris" is basically the shop vac equivalent of a trash compactor eating your favorite sweater. I'm pretty sure mine has a secret personality just waiting to clog up at the worst possible moment. Honestly I've just started using a cheap shop vac for dry stuff and a different one for wet stuff so I don't have to play the guessing game.