Bought a cheap soot vacuum off Amazon and it died on my first job

I figured I'd save some cash and grabbed a no-name soot vacuum for about $60 online. First big job last Tuesday in an old house downtown, I'm brushing out a flue and that vacuum just stops working after 20 minutes. Smelled like burning plastic inside the motor. I had to finish the job with a bucket and a dustpan, messing up the homeowner's living room floor with soot trails. Learned my lesson the hard way - you really do need a proper HEPA-rated unit for this work. Has anyone else had a cheap vac fail on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowan5934d ago

I saw a guy on YouTube who tested a bunch of those cheap soot vacs and he said the motors are basically the same ones they use in little shop vacs. They just aren't built for the fine dust and heat that comes with chimney work. The burning plastic smell you got is exactly what he warned about, the motor windings can't handle the load. Its a rough way to learn but at least the homeowner probably understood you were trying to do the right thing.

phoenixb664d ago

Bought a cheap one off Amazon when I first started doing chimney work. Lasted maybe three full cleanings before the smell hit and then it just died completely. Now I just use a dedicated ash vac with a metal canister and a washable filter. Costs more upfront but it pays for itself the first time you dont have to buy another one.