Another advantage of outside venting my DC

[Jim Dwight]

I've started using my DC to clean the quasi HEPA filters of my two shop vacs (used for small tools). A little dust may collect in the 70 gallon box below the cyclone but basically I am sending the fine dust off the shop vac filter outside. It is contained in so much air I do not see a buildup. It doesn't take long to do and the filter doesn't even need to be removed from the vac. Best way to clean these filters I've come up with.

[Jeff Monson]

Good to know Jim! I recently moved to the country and built a new shop, I was able to vent outside and am loving it. I was warned about heat loss but honestly I open one gate at a time and dont notice any heat loss. The noise reduction is also a huge plus, venting outside is much quiter also. Cant say I would ever go back, unless I move back into town.

[Bill Dufour]

I have two HEPA vacs and I use them to clean each others filters with a brush attachment. Most of the dust ends up in the canister not on the filter.
Bil lD

[Jim Dwight]

I've been sanding drywall joints with the unpowered festool hand sander that hooks up to a vacuum. When I mud drywall, I always get too much on and have to sand quite a bit off. So today the Rigid vac I was using didn't have much suction. So I dumped out several pounds of very fine dust and vacuumed off the filter with the DC. It was totally caked in dust. Took very little time and the vacuum was restored to good suction.

[Bob Riefer]

Good to know Jim! I recently moved to the country and built a new shop, I was able to vent outside and am loving it. I was warned about heat loss but honestly I open one gate at a time and dont notice any heat loss. The noise reduction is also a huge plus, venting outside is much quiter also. Cant say I would ever go back, unless I move back into town.

Funny you say that because I recently went the opposite direction. I had been venting outside for the longest time, but when I upgraded both my HVAC and my dust collection, I switched back to venting inside. Now... I think my reasoning was two-fold... First, I think I'm turning into my dad (ever conscious of those heating bills!). Second, I found that with larger DC and ducting that I was dropping the temp of the shop MUCH more quickly than I did in the past.

But, I agree that if you aren't afflicted with the two issues I was facing, venting those nasty fine dust particles outside to dissipate on their own makes a ton of sense.

[Andrew More]

I've been sanding drywall joints with the unpowered festool hand sander that hooks up to a vacuum. When I mud drywall, I always get too much on and have to sand quite a bit off. So today the Rigid vac I was using didn't have much suction. So I dumped out several pounds of very fine dust and vacuumed off the filter with the DC. It was totally caked in dust. Took very little time and the vacuum was restored to good suction.

FWIW, the trick to drywall is not how you put it on, but how you take it off.

[Jeff Monson]

First, I think I'm turning into my dad (ever conscious of those heating bills!).

Haha that is too funny as my father was a thermostat nazi!! I had big concerns with heat loss, but honestly I"m surprised so far. I do find myself not letting my DC run when I have 15 minutes of prep work, so I"m a little more proactive about that also.

[Bob Riefer]

Haha that is too funny as my father was a thermostat nazi!! I had big concerns with heat loss, but honestly I"m surprised so far. I do find myself not letting my DC run when I have 15 minutes of prep work, so I"m a little more proactive about that also.

There's a series of commercials running on TV right now (maybe for an insurance company?) where people turn into their parents. They're very funny, but sort of unsettling too.... hitting a bit too close to home. Just yesterday, I found myself walking around the house, turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, and grumbling things like "Don't ya know electricity ain't freeeeeee?"

[George Yetka]

Ive been Venting my clearvue outside and do like it but the 2- 6" dryer vents I used have plastic swinging louvers that close when its turned off. That thing has so much power the louvers mostly have all jammed. What was your solution for this

[Andrew More]

Something like this is probably a better idea. Not sure the exact size you'd need for a clearvue, but you can find them in most sizes. I have a 7" version I use to vent my Grizzly DC outside.

https://www.amazon.com/Speedi-Produc...428720&sr=8-10

[Jim Dwight]

My 2hp HF has not had any trouble venting through a 6 inch dryer vent with hinged louvers. It stuck once but it was because a piece of debris was in the louvers.

My shop essentially isn't heated. I use a small resistance heater occasionally if it is really cold but usually it is warm enough I don't bother. It is insulated but the dog thinks I need to leave a door open for her. In the summer, I use a fan but no AC so far. I might get a window unit if it bothers me this summer.