Anyone ever seen a shop vac explode?

D

dcain

Titlist Junkie
Silver Member
I had a shop vac hooked up to a lexan dust collection box I had mounted to the cross slide to catch dust while tapering shafts.

I had been running the shop vac for probably 30 minutes on and off when it decided to go.

When it did go there was enough force to blow the hose out of the front of the canister and to blow the power head off the canister as well. Sawdust was blown everywhere and the internal parts of the power head fragged all inside the powerhead encasing.

I firgured it was a dust explosion of some sort.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Note: it was a smaller Shop Vac brand vaccum and was probably 4-5 years old.
 
If you're running a shop vac for dust collection, using plastic hose(s) and you DON'T have an uninsulated copper ground wire running inside the hose(s) full length (and out to a ground point, duh) then somebody didn't teach you right.

Things may not go bad today, and they may not go bad tomorrow, but someday...

TW
 
Thanks for the info. The shop vac was a temporary solution until I could put in true dust collection system. Looks like I'm going to be installing it sooner than later.
 
The system does not matter, the important part is some form of anti-static device is used and grounded.Dust explosions are a real thing, granted they do not happen all that often, but do occur.
Neil
 
Thanks for the input. The crazy part was we were talking about grain elevators exploding here in Texas in the Past just a few days before the shop vac popped.

I'll look into the anti-static and grounding issues.
 
conetip said:
The system does not matter, the important part is some form of anti-static device is used and grounded.[...]
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Hmmm... afraid I'd have to disagree; the system most definitely matters. The more plastic involved in a dust collection system the more likely a serious enough static spark will occur, resulting in a dust explosion. Also, a shop vac turns its plastic fan rotor at a much higher rpm than a typical dust collector, and that higher speed tends to generate more static. If the system has a commercial fan with a metal housing, metal fan blade, metal piping and metal blast gates - and is grounded in a few places - the likelihood of a dust explosion goes WAY down. So the system does matter.

But metal dust collection systems and related components are expensive. Thirty years ago you never would have seen plastic dust collection fittings; now the hardware suppliers have bins full of them and the metal parts are harder to find. In fact, I just looked at a couple of two-bag collectors a friend bought and the fan rotor is molded plastic (!) And 4-inch plastic drain pipe is super cheap compared to metal.

So you'll probably have to use mostly plastic parts, which means you'll have to run a bunch of ground wires. If you could afford metal it wouldn't be as much of an an issue.

TW
 
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Hi,

Thats also why you always put a plastic gas can on the ground when you fill them.

Osha approved gas cans are steel, they should ban plastic.

Rick
 
First shafts exploding....now this.... :confused:


But seriously, glad you are OK.

Dust of almost any sort is explosive. As soon as I read the title I figured what happened.

I read somewhere that vac parts are made with some kind of low static plastics, maybe Mr Wayne can comment on that. Personally I really wouldn't care....ground the heck out of everything. A pile of dust is a bomb.


.
 
Dave38 said:
Dcain, here is some good reading material...this is a page that will start at static, but scroll up and read the whole page. Some really good advice, rather than being preached too by others.....
Click to expand...

Yes, never consider the advise of someone who's been creating (and therefore dealing with) wood dust for over 40 years. Always search the internet instead. Or better yet, wait until "Dave38" gives you the final word... er, LINK on the matter.

TW
 
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Yes,

I had a filter on and the cloth filter that goes over the normal filter. The Shop Vac was pretty much empty as well.

Mr. Wayne, What guage wire do you recommend for a ground wire?

Thanks for the input from everyone.
 
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By system, I was referring to portable or fixed.
Antistatic hose and tubing is available as well as antistatic ground straps.
 
dcain said:
[...]
Mr. Wayne, What guage wire do you recommend for a ground wire?

[...]
Click to expand...

I like to use the type of multi-strand copper ground wire you can find inside most light fixtures, due to its highly flexible nature. I would guess its probably about 16 - 18 gauge. Easily connected with crimp fittings, and its flexibility makes it a cinch to run just about anywhere. I also think the multi-strand aspect makes it less vulnerable to friction wear from the grit & dust constantly blowing past it - though that may just be my imagination...

TW
 
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