This article discusses why you should not do this and what you can do instead. You will also learn the difference between an ash vacuum and what we call ash dust collectors.
An ash vacuum is a machine designed explicitly for ash and small dust particles, containing filters to muster the task. However, a dust collector is an entrapment that filters dust before it enters the vacuum cleaner.
If you burn wood, wood chips or pellets, the inevitable step will be to clean the fireplace or pellet stove from ashes. Unfortunately, the mistake some make is to use a regular vacuum cleaner. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, the mistake some make is to use a regular vacuum cleaner. What could go wrong?
If you use an ordinary vacuum cleaner for ash or coarse dust, you risk destroying the engine; it can burn up in the worst case.
However, if you have a regular vacuum cleaner at home, you can enhance it by getting a dust collector.
There are a couple of different ash vacuum cleaners on the market that work similarly. They are often cheap and straightforward. They can be bought in the nearest hardware store or online and usually cost 50-80 USD or more if you have a built-in vacuum machine.
If you’ve done a little research and searched around for different solutions, you’ll quickly discover that many people find these solutions to fall rather flat on their face. Suppose you have done a little research and searched around for different solutions. In that case, you will quickly discover that many people think these solutions fall pretty flat. So the question has been asked in various forums and communities about how to vacuum ash without clogging filters or destroying the vacuum cleaner.
The big problem with filters is that they become clogged. So, suppose that you do not need any filters at all?
The filter only consists of centrifugal force by creating a so-called cyclone effect. One solution is Pellvac Whirlwind, available to buy in our shop.
It consists of a unique dust-collecting cyclone you connect to the vacuum cleaner (not bagless). When you start the vacuum, there is an immediate whirlwind effect inside the bucket. Particles are picked up and thrown into the top of the cyclone at high speed and circulate in the eddy current until they lose power and fall to the bottom of the bucket. The clean air exits through the eye of the hurricane and further into the vacuum cleaner. If you use Whirlwind correctly, you get more than 99% separation of ash.
Whirlwind ash cyclone can give you a degree of separation of as much as 99.7%. But if you should feel that you do not reach this degree of separation, there are some tips and advice to take with you.
Whirlwind works best with even airflow. Putting the nozzle in a pile of ash means no air enters, and the airspeed drops. In other words, the cyclone effect stops and ash will inevitably find its way to the vacuum cleaner bag instead.
Make sure to vacuum the ash correctly. Think 50% air and 50% ash; you will get more than 99% ash in the bucket.
Have you ever vacuumed the floor at home and noticed that it does not clean properly?
When you change the bag, you immediately notice that the vacuum cleaner works much better. The airflow drops if the bag is full, as there is too much resistance. So try a new filterbag and Whirlwind will give you full separation efficiency.
(Note: You do not have to have an empty bag to use Whirlwind, but make sure it is not full)
Bagless vacuum cleaners are becoming more common. However, we do not recommend using Whirlwind with this kind of machine. The reason is that the ash that continues into the vacuum cleaner immediately settles on the Hepa filter. A regular vacuum cleaner with a filter bag has a large textile surface that catches the ash, and only the finest particles reach the Hepa filter.
All Vacuum Cleaners need to be maintained from time to time. Whirlwind is filter-free; your vacuum machine is not. You probably use your vacuum cleaner for the household and not just to vacuum the ashes. Your Hepa filter may be washable; others are replaceable. The recommendation is to replace your HEPA filter twice a year, depending on how often you use the vacuum cleaner.
You can use Whirlwind for everything from sanding dust to smaller particles that have otherwise claimed to be impossible materials. But it has a limitation. If the particles are smaller than 5 µm (five-millionths of a meter), it will be too small for Whirlwind to handle. For example, this means that Whirlwind cannot filter viruses that are classified to be up to 1µm – but with future advancement, it may be a possibility.
The whirlwind dust collector is used in various industrial plants, such as smokehouses. It is available in three different sizes.
Whirlwind 20 litres are used for household use or workshops and are traditionally used as an ash vacuum connected to a regular household vacuum. Traditionally used as an ash vacuum together with a standard vacuum cleaner.
Whirlwind 64 litres are often associated with different industries, but we sometimes receive inquiries from private individuals. It is also possible to load it on a cart for better mobility.
Whirlwind 200 litres are used to a large extent in industry. The latest example is the smokehouses. We are continually receiving new notices from the industry where a high degree of separation is required.
Whirlwind Wood Dust Collector is our latest member of the family. The cyclone top is specially dimensioned to be connected to chip extractors and is developed for industries that handle sawdust.
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