A wet/dry vacuum isn't just for contractors needing to clean up their work space or job site. You know that dry cereal spill from your toddler in the living room or your teen dropped her soup bowl in the kitchen...
With the right attachment you can get every aspect of your home tidy from top to bottom. Baseboards, crown molding, hardwood, vinyl, carpet and even rugs...Yeah, it can be used for all of that.
An Overview of How Wet Dry Vacuums Work
A wet/dry vacuum, just like your ordinary household vacuum cleaner, consists of a large intake fan that is powered by a motor, which is usually of the electric kind. This fan would spin toward the exhaust port that would generate a wind flow that would pick up debris and dust – it’s that simple.
Combine that with a variety of cleaning attachments and filters, and you can clear up the dust, debris and even spills in the desired area, hence their description as dry and wet vacs.
Wet/dry vacuums are also called shop vacuums, or sometimes shop vacs – which may or may not refer to one popular brand of this tool. These are not your ordinary household vacuums that are meant for picking up dust, pet hair and lighter debris – these are power tools that provide heavy duty suction that will move dust, wood, water, and even metal debris.
These vacuums now come in a wide range of sizes and capacities, ranging from mini-sized vacuums to larger, more powerful models.
A wet/dry vacuum is a great investment for every homeowner, and a good model can save you from having to hire a professional to do your carpets and other surfaces. Of course, these vacuums are also a must for those who work in the cleaning industry because of their effectiveness.
In the workshop or jobsite, you will appreciate one of these vacuums for the way they can control the dust, with the proper filter. Having one of these handy tools makes clean-up a whole lot easier mainly due to the larger ports and hoses that can handle much larger debris than a standard vacuum.
Which Type of Wet Dry Vacuum Should You Get?
Your choice of a wet dry vacuum depends on the size of the mess you usually have to clean up after. If you are a hobbyist with a small shop, a smaller wet dry vacuum will serve you well. If you are cleaning up a job site, however, or if you are running a professional cleaning service, one of the larger, more powerful models will give you enough power and capacity to get the job done.
Shop vacs generally fall into four types, based on their power and capacity.
These types are mini sized models, small models, medium sized models and larger, more heavy-duty wet/dry vacuum models with the big canisters.
The Different Sizes Explained A Little More:
Of course there are large models that can quickly suck up everything from water to screws to wood and every toy in the vicinity but this won’t be one that is easily tucked away in your hall closet. And on that same hand, a smaller model won’t have the canister storage capacity to handle a flood in the garage.
A mini wet/dry vacuum is on that is under 5 gallons and due to its very small size it is ideal apartments as it is lightweight and easy to store. But due to its size it will not be able to accommodate large spills or large items.
The small wet/dry vacuum runs from 5 to 9 gallons. This too won’t have the muscle for bulky items but it can hold twice the amount as the mini and is still on the same level for storage.
For the medium sized wet/dry vacuum, they can hold between 10 to 14 gallons. This size can outperform the previous 2 smaller sizes with more suction, storage capacity and could possibly still be kept in the house in the closet.
The large wet/dry vacuums range at 15 to 20 gallons. These are pretty much a standard on job sites and garages. They are powerful and can hold a lot. They tend to be louder and can become very heavy depending on what you have put inside of them. At 8 lbs per gallon (water) a full canister would make for a quite heavy vacuum and not very easy to manage when it comes time to empty it.
Mini Wet Dry Vacuums
This type of wet dry vacuum is the most portable, mobile and lightest among the variants available in the market today. Their size makes them ideal for cars, small rooms, and spaces such as apartments, condominiums and similar areas. If you’re a homeowner looking for a wet dry vacuum that you can bring upstairs, or if you’re looking for a shop vac that you can easily store, these are the wet dry vacs for you.
These advantages in terms of portability, weight, and size come with trade-offs, of course. Mini sized wet dry vacuums are the least powerful of the bunch in terms of suction power, having the smallest fan sizes out of the available models on the market and the least amount of cfm produced.
Their storage capacity often leaves a lot to be desired, too. Don’t expect to perform heavy cleaning tasks with a mini model. For the occasional carpet spill, though, these vacs work great.
Features to Look For in Mini Wet Dry Vacuums
- Carry handles make it easy to take the vacuum in or out of your car, or upstairs.
- Plastic tank or dustbin for much easier portability and lighter body weight.
- Foam sleeve filter for wet and dry debris.
- Intermediate air power for versatile pickup of debris dirt and dust.
- Easy to attach features for nozzles and hose for much faster setup and easier storage.
- Wall bracket allow you to hang up the vacuum for out of the way storage in broom closets or tool lockers.
- A tool bag makes the tool extra-portable and protects it.
Small Wet/Dry Vacuums:
This type of wet dry vacuum offers somewhat average cleaning power while retaining portability and mobility at the same time. Models in this range are also some of the most ideal wet dry vacuums you can get for smaller household use type of cleanups. They are very common at hardware stores, giving you a wide range of options to choose from, plus they are also on the cheaper side still, in comparison
Small wet dry vacuums are easy to store, and most of them still come with a carry top handle in addition to wheels making them extra portable. These models also start coming with longer nozzles, so you can use them to clean up floors while standing, or to reach up to ceilings and overhead shelves.
Features to look for small wet dry vacuum
- More compatible nozzles, cleaning attachments and extension wands to use with the hose, making them just a bit more versatile for cleaning up after all sorts of debris and spills.
- Rollers or wheels for easy transport and portability.
- Easy to detach and collapse design for easier storage.
- Low to medium sealed pressure for water pickup.
- A rear blower port and reverse controls let you convert your wet dry vacuum into a blower as needed.
- Collection filter bags lets you collect any solid items you pick up, including nuts, screws, and pebbles.
Medium Sized Shop Vacs:
Medium wet/dry vacs start to feature suction power sufficient enough to clean any surface and pick up most kinds of solid debris fairly easily. Medium sized vacuums are the best pick for bigger households or for use in garages. Cleaning professionals can also appreciate the trade-off between portability and power that medium sized shop vacuums offer.
Medium sized units also offer a nice balance between portability and power, which makes them great for large properties or businesses. In the workshop, you will appreciate the larger capacity of the collection tank and the way these vacuums can be converted to a decent blower with a switch of the hose location.
Features to Look For In Medium Sized Wet Dry Vacuums
- Steel or aluminum tanks for added durability and low maintenance.
- Pump-ready features for easier cleaning.
- Heavy duty swivel casters for mobility while cleaning.
- Tool-less attachment of extension hoses, nozzles and cleaning attachments gives you extra cleaning reach by connecting multiple hoses and power cords.
- Blower ports and reverse switches let you convert the wet dry vacuum into a powerful blower.
- Energy saving features to minimize power use.
- Easy filter change features for easier filter replace depending on the task.
- Drain valve for much easier cleaning of the tank.
- Dust sealed motors, switches, and controls for maintenance-free operation.
Large Wet Dry Vacuums
Large wet dry vacuums are definitely a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to use a vac for their cleaning business or for jobs that require a lot of suction power. These are some of the most powerful wet dry vacuums you can get, and they are some of the bulkiest, as well.
They do come with heavy duty casters that let you wheel them around, but they can be very heavy, especially when their storage tanks are full of water. For all but the most expansive of households, a large wet dry vacuum can be an overkill.
In the workshop, the large wet dry vacuum is your best pick when it comes to cleaning up after a major project. From fine debris and sawdust to metal, a larger model will have the ability to pick up larger pieces of debris and these also have huge powerful motors and intake fans, which are a contributing factor as well. Large sturdy storage tanks help a lot and can store a lot of debris.
Larger vacuums sacrifice some portability and mobility for much more powerful motors and overall cleaning power. This makes them ideal for cleaning up places that get grubby on a daily basis - gig bars, event venues, gyms, sports arenas, and similar places are some facilities that can use a large wet dry vac or two.
Features to Look For In Large Wet Dry Vacuums
- Stainless steel tanks or dustbins for much easier cleanup and maintenance, protection against dents and for longer vacuum life.
- Large heavy duty casters wheels or rollers for easy transport and mobility even with a storage tank full of water.
- Drain valve compatible with pump ports for quick drainage of the tank and easier maintenance.
- Tool storage for nozzles to assure convenience to the user while using a vacuum.
Attachments And Accessories:
You will need to replace your filter every so often depending on how often you use it and what you use it for. If you have many pets as we do then you will need to replace the filter every couple of months or so as the pet dander and hair can build up making it not easy to clean out. .
Also depending on the job your wet/dry vacuum needs to do, there are options for different filter. There is large, medium, fine and wet debris filter which would be a foam filter..
A dust bag makes cleaning out your container incredibly convenient and easy. This bag fits inside of your canister and once its full you simply pull it out, close it up and toss it.
Extension wands, these can range in length but they can really make for easy cleaning and less of an achy back when you don’t have to bend over to clean up.
There are some wet/dry vacuums that come with a drain spout on the canister. You simply attach a garden hose when needing to drain it, no need to attempt to lug about a full canister of water or liquids. Some models also come with a pump which is incredibly convenient when needing to empty the kiddy pool or garden pond.
Optional diameter hoses are also available. Many of the smaller wet/dry vacuums come with a hose that is only 1 1/4 in diameter. You can upgrade to a hose that is 2½-inch which will have less issues with clogging and can also suck up the mess much more quickly without clogging.
The right nozzle for the right job. Most wet/dry vacuums come with a couple of standard nozzles like a utility nozzle (the large round one) this is for larger debris, and a crevice nozzle for areas along your baseboards or tight spots. You can find other attachments for other areas like your car interior, a dust attachment or a squeegee.
Power Specs To Keep An Eye Out For:
All vacuums are rated by their manufactures by numerous means and none of them may measure their own wet/dry vacuums in the same manner.
How much energy will your vacuum consume? They will all vary but generally nothing over 12 amps.
Maximum Power: All wet/dry vacuums have a horsepower ranging from the small ones at 1.5 to 2 and the large wet/dry vacuums coming in at around 3.5 horsepower.
Water Lift: This is also known as sealed suction and this measures how much water your unit can left. The higher the number the better, look for at least 50 inches of lift.
CFM of Air flow: Cubic feet per minute of airflow. This measurement tells you how much air can be drawn into your machine with restrictions such as filters, etc. You want to find one that is more than 90cfm because anything less than that isn't going to give you much in suction.
Decibels: The larger the machine the louder it will be. They range from 60 to 85(near the equivalent to a garbage disposal) decibels and at the higher end the manufacture may recommend ear protection.
Comparing Different Wet/Dry Vacuums...
Wet dry vacuums are relatively simple tools, and they come in just one form factor for the most part. A storage tank, wheels, carry handle, and vacuum hose describes pretty much every wet dry vac on the market, and in terms of looks, your choice often mostly comes down to the color.
When it comes to performance, the two things you have to look at when comparing different wet dry vacuum models are their capacity and power. Basically, you usually want the biggest, most powerful wet dry vacuum for your budget, then the features you want on top of that.
Capacity
Capacity, in this case, refers to the volume that the storage tank can hold, and this is often given in terms of gallons. The larger the capacity, the bigger the unit is in general – something to consider when looking at portability. Mini wet dry vacuums are typically in the 3-gallon range or smaller. On the other end of the spectrum, large wet dry vacs can have tanks holding 8 gallons or more.
Power and Airflow
The more power a wet dry vacuum has, the more effective it is at cleaning up your home or workshop. The power of a vac’s motor is usually cited in terms of horsepower or HP, and manufacturers will often cite a peak HP figure.
Like most electric tools, electrical ratings are also mentioned to describe the power of a wet dry vacuum. This is usually given in terms of amperage or amps.
Since wet dry vacuums can often function as blowers as well, manufacturers also cite air pressure to describe how powerful a wet dry vacuum can be. Some manufacturers specify pressure in terms of pounds per square inch, or psi, and others add airflow ratings in cubic feet per minute on top of that.
Filter Types
Wet dry vacuums usually come with filters included, but you’ll have to replace them after some time. Some models come with reusable foam filter sleeves in addition to standard cartridge filters. Smaller models also come with reusable disc filter bags as well.
Pleated cartridge filters of standard sizes work better than simple paper and foam filters in general – they last longer before getting too clogged up, and they are less prone to dust leaks as well. It’s often a good idea to check if there are aftermarket filters of the same size available, so you can be sure you have a source of cartridge filters ready.
Attachments
Cleaning attachments not only extend the range of your wet dry vacuum, it can also make certain clean-up tasks easier as well. The usual set comes with extension wands, crevice tool, floor nozzles, wet wide nozzles with squeegee, brush nozzles and an all-around utility nozzle. Some models also come with nozzles designed for blower use as well, which can be useful for clearing gutters and dusting decks.
