I made it and you are right the sides suck in, every time. I found the solution to it, I drilled small holes in the top in various spots while sucking up water from the sink until the sides stopped sucking in. It still draws water and no longer sucks the sides in. I have a 2 inch vacuum and a 1 inch hose for sucking up water, so i have twice as much vacuum as I need that is why the sides suck in.
good idea, how many holes and what diameter ? i assume the holes diminish the overall suction level, but probably not enough to make a big difference ?
Great job Rick. I have built a Thein Cyclone for my shop but I have never thought about using the same principles to vacuum water. Thanks for the idea and thanks for sharing it. Derek
This is probably the BEST solution I've been able to find for a ShopVac mod. I need to siphon water out of a 55 gallon water catch barrel. A full barrel weighs over 450lbs, 3/4 full weighs almost 350lbs (1 gallon water = 8.34lbs or 3.785kg). I have a hand bilge pump but you can't reach the bottom. 5 gallons at a time perfectly acceptable.
I was wondering, if you drill a couple of 1/4” holes in the top/side of the bucket, it will reduce the suction a little bit and bucket won’t cave in and you will still be able to suck up the water. I think a shop vac has ventilation holes at the top too, so it can release a little pressure from the bucket. I would try with one 1/4” hole, this may be all you need. If you drill the hole around the lid area, on the side, the water is heavier than air, so the air will go out the little holes but the water will fall into the bottom of the bucket.
Thanks for the tip, I will be using it at work!!!! The big advantage for my situation, is I have a small vac. my vac has a 2 gallon capacity, necessity for portability and storage space for my job, but I often need to suck up more than the vacs capacity. It is also good if you are not near somewhere to dump the vac out several times but can use several buckets by swapping the top.
saved my ass. genius idea. every diyer, contractor, and construction worker should know this trick. you should have a million views with this maybe change the video title to ...best wet dry vac trick ever for water... and watch the views start stacking up
This can also be used for cleaning out ashes from woodstove, fireplace etc when you do not want to clog up your filter in the shop vac ....ashes can be a bear to remove from a filter. Obviously, use a metal can if you remove any hot ashes. use fine screen to help keep the ash dust to a minimum at the out hole....it will need to be changed or cleaned, but it is better than paying for a new shop vac filter.
WTF? I have no trouble at all changing oil in cars and lawnmowers without getting a vac involved. Why try to make a mess out of it? Plus, the static vacuum a shop vac can develop isn't optimal for a thicker liquid through a narrower hose, might not work at all and might burn up the motor trying. They make real pumps for things like this!
Rick, If you are going to suck up water, use a smaller ID hose to do it. The water in the hose will not overload the vacuum suction of the motor, causing the the orange canister to collapse, With the large ID hose, notice that the water in the tub had to be sipped out. placing the hose ID at an angle. 1/2" - 5/8" is plenty ID to allow 2 gallons a minute removal. Just think of the flow rate in your home with city water flow. Bill
I have one with an outlet at the bottom it's a german garden vac. used for a small pond .the motor on top is detachable and is a leaf blower. Also I have an extra metal can to put in front like your bucket, supposedly to clean a fireplace, got it for free from my printer shop, you can also unclog your sink or toilet , a few attempts may be necessary, I will keep your solution in mind with perhaps more buckets, good vid. goedendag
Yes but need to be careful to not get water in hose so just need to watch water level or take an extra step or two and make cage/floater to prevent that from happening
Place that bucket inside another bucket and seal around top of second bucket to the first bucket. see if that helps the bucket cave in. Just and idea. i haven't tried it. Thanks for the tip Rick
To help stop the bucket from collapsing, buy another HD bucket and drill a bunch of small holes (1/8" or smaller) into the sides of it (make sure to put 2-3 near the bottom edge). Insert the wet bucket you made into the one filled with holes. Liquid Nail or silicone/glue the two buckets together at the surface where they both meet. You need to use something that actually bonds to the plastic and stays a bit flexible so it won't crack apart over time. Anyway, after the silicone/glue has cured, get some expanding foam (the kind that doesn't expand a whole lot, but does adhere well to the plastic the bucket is made from). Starting at the bottom holes and then slowly working up, proceed to completely fill the void between both buckets. After the foam has cured completely, trim away any excess that has come out of the holes. The new foam core should be strong enough to help keep the inner wall of the first bucket from collapsing inward. With that said though, my friend's industrial shop vac was eventually able to pull his inner bucket loose from the foam layer and deform it, so he redid the whole process, but this time added a bunch of nuts/bolts and large washers (that went through both bucket walls and the foam), and sealed it with the same semi flexible silicone. Five years later and it has yet to collapse.
Great vid, I'm researching because I want to turn a standard dry vac, into a vacuum suction mop, or floor squeegee with suctioning if you can tackle that diy let me know
reminds me of an attachment for a filter queen vacuum that we still have from 27 years ago. Was called aqua queen. worked great but broke it. was made of hard plastic.
Would that process work in reverse to distribute fine powder like Boric Acid for Termite Treatment .. trying to figure a way of using a it or a leaf blower which might be better since there is 2 or more speeds .. just dong want to ruin the motor with the fine dust.
this is genius because you could use ANY vacuum to provide the suction. you don't even need a wet/dry. such a great tip
I made it and you are right the sides suck in, every time. I found the solution to it, I drilled small holes in the top in various spots while sucking up water from the sink until the sides stopped sucking in. It still draws water and no longer sucks the sides in. I have a 2 inch vacuum and a 1 inch hose for sucking up water, so i have twice as much vacuum as I need that is why the sides suck in.
good idea, how many holes and what diameter ? i assume the holes diminish the overall suction level, but probably not enough to make a big difference ?
Great job Rick. I have built a Thein Cyclone for my shop but I have never thought about using the same principles to vacuum water. Thanks for the idea and thanks for sharing it.
Derek
This is probably the BEST solution I've been able to find for a ShopVac mod. I need to siphon water out of a 55 gallon water catch barrel. A full barrel weighs over 450lbs, 3/4 full weighs almost 350lbs (1 gallon water = 8.34lbs or 3.785kg). I have a hand bilge pump but you can't reach the bottom. 5 gallons at a time perfectly acceptable.
I hope it works for you
Very good idea and quite a savings in comparison to purchasing a sand vac for ponds. Thanks for sharing with us.
I was wondering, if you drill a couple of 1/4” holes in the top/side of the bucket, it will reduce the suction a little bit and bucket won’t cave in and you will still be able to suck up the water. I think a shop vac has ventilation holes at the top too, so it can release a little pressure from the bucket. I would try with one 1/4” hole, this may be all you need. If you drill the hole around the lid area, on the side, the water is heavier than air, so the air will go out the little holes but the water will fall into the bottom of the bucket.
Yea in the patent of the original designer he has an adjustable vent in his top
Thanks for the tip, I will be using it at work!!!!
The big advantage for my situation, is I have a small vac. my vac has a 2 gallon capacity, necessity for portability and storage space for my job, but I often need to suck up more than the vacs capacity. It is also good if you are not near somewhere to dump the vac out several times but can use several buckets by swapping the top.
Thanks for the great comment, hope this works out great for you... And thanks for watching!
saved my ass. genius idea. every diyer, contractor, and construction worker should know this trick. you should have a million views with this maybe change the video title to ...best wet dry vac trick ever for water... and watch the views start stacking up
hold down homie, he is not the discoverer of that trick..
This can also be used for cleaning out ashes from woodstove, fireplace etc when you do not want to clog up your filter in the shop vac ....ashes can be a bear to remove from a filter. Obviously, use a metal can if you remove any hot ashes. use fine screen to help keep the ash dust to a minimum at the out hole....it will need to be changed or cleaned, but it is better than paying for a new shop vac filter.
This is a great idea for changing oil in your car or lawnmower too. Just use a smaller suction hose! Thank you very much for a very useful video!
WTF? I have no trouble at all changing oil in cars and lawnmowers without getting a vac involved. Why try to make a mess out of it? Plus, the static vacuum a shop vac can develop isn't optimal for a thicker liquid through a narrower hose, might not work at all and might burn up the motor trying. They make real pumps for things like this!
As well as don't suck up flammable liquids with any vacuum, just buy the proper pump on Amazon
Haha. People can be cruel at times. If it is any consolation , you have a great southern voice.
Rick,
If you are going to suck up water,
use a smaller ID hose to do it.
The water in the hose will not overload
the vacuum suction of the motor, causing the
the orange canister to collapse,
With the large ID hose, notice that the
water in the tub had to be sipped out.
placing the hose ID at an angle.
1/2" - 5/8" is plenty ID to allow 2 gallons a
minute removal. Just think of the flow rate
in your home with city water flow.
Bill
I wonder if one was to punch a pin size like hole in the bucket would it stop the collapse of the bucket while still giving the 90 plus suction power?
Make one and try it... sounds like it would work. The original patent has an adjustable vent just for this purpose.
I have one with an outlet at the bottom it's a german garden vac. used for a small pond .the motor on top is detachable and is a leaf blower. Also I have an extra metal can to put in front like your bucket, supposedly to clean a fireplace, got it for free from my printer shop, you can also unclog your sink or toilet , a few attempts may be necessary, I will keep your solution in mind with perhaps more buckets, good vid. goedendag
If i was to add two vacuums to the bucket would i get double the suction?
Know this is extremely old but for anyone needing to know place the bucket into another bucket same kind and it won't collapse
I've got to try this out when I get home. Thanks for making this video!
***** You're totally welcome. :]
You just made a big ass mighty-vac!!
I will do this... Also I have buckets that are commercial grade with more strength thanks for the great idea.
you could use this bucket mod with a house vacuum that has a hose and turn it into a wet/dry vac
Yes but need to be careful to not get water in hose so just need to watch water level or take an extra step or two and make cage/floater to prevent that from happening
Place that bucket inside another bucket and seal around top of second bucket to the first bucket. see if that helps the bucket cave in. Just and idea. i haven't tried it. Thanks for the tip Rick
Interesting... I have been trying to think of other ways to keep it from happening. Needs more R&D I guess... Thanks for the tip
Excellent project. Can you are using this to clean heavy debris as small stones. broken glass ? Thanks for video
anhtuanvidi yes you can use it for any debris
This also works for dust and especially larger shavings. Its how I have my dust collection set up (basically)
Genius! Thanks for sharing!
That is a very cool trick! Thanks!
To help stop the bucket from collapsing, buy another HD bucket and drill a bunch of small holes (1/8" or smaller) into the sides of it (make sure to put 2-3 near the bottom edge). Insert the wet bucket you made into the one filled with holes. Liquid Nail or silicone/glue the two buckets together at the surface where they both meet. You need to use something that actually bonds to the plastic and stays a bit flexible so it won't crack apart over time. Anyway, after the silicone/glue has cured, get some expanding foam (the kind that doesn't expand a whole lot, but does adhere well to the plastic the bucket is made from). Starting at the bottom holes and then slowly working up, proceed to completely fill the void between both buckets. After the foam has cured completely, trim away any excess that has come out of the holes. The new foam core should be strong enough to help keep the inner wall of the first bucket from collapsing inward. With that said though, my friend's industrial shop vac was eventually able to pull his inner bucket loose from the foam layer and deform it, so he redid the whole process, but this time added a bunch of nuts/bolts and large washers (that went through both bucket walls and the foam), and sealed it with the same semi flexible silicone. Five years later and it has yet to collapse.
Great idea, the one I use in my shop now has some holes drilled in the top to reduce the vacuum slightly.
Great vid, I'm researching because I want to turn a standard dry vac, into a vacuum suction mop, or floor squeegee with suctioning if you can tackle that diy let me know
That's really clever! Nice tip!
reminds me of an attachment for a filter queen vacuum that we still have from 27 years ago. Was called aqua queen. worked great but broke it. was made of hard plastic.
Would that process work in reverse to distribute fine powder like Boric Acid for Termite Treatment .. trying to figure a way of using a it or a leaf blower which might be better since there is 2 or more speeds .. just dong want to ruin the motor with the fine dust.
Great idea. thanks for posting.
Thanks a million for this tip.Just what i need.
Thanks for the comment!
Very good job! Thank you!
You should install a dump valve near the bottom to drain it. A 3/4 ball valve.
That really sucked. I'm gonna make one today!
Thanks for the comment Barbara...
that's a neat and useful trick, call that using the noging for something besides a hat rack !
Great trick. Thanks
Most excellent! Thanks!
clever stuff rick / thumbs up man
Cool video.. thanks for the tip! Thumbs up! 👍🏼
Yep. It's really tight.
What if you double bucket. Will the buckets still collapse on themselves?
i would say yes another one doesent give it strength for sucking it in only out lol
very helpful, thanks
great idea
I don't know enough to know why this is a better idea than sucking water up in the wet vac. Please explain?
What if you don't have a wet vac?
ohh ok. I get it now! Brilliant
Brilliant!
The sound of a vac makes me clinch my jaw.
If you clean your filter more often and or even better use a paper filter they make for shop vacs to pick up the fine dust it will save your motor...
good work. Thank you
Roshan Thamoda Gunawardane we do bee's the same way
best goddamn video thanks rick youre a god
thank perry !
brilliant
What's a "ho saul?"
cool a non dust dust collector. if you want you can use the same bucket on your drier vent to filter out lent and heat a room to boot.
do you really think the hoses are the same size haha
Nice !
Why this trick will work of an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
what happens when the water fills up the bucket and the other hose starts sucking in the water?
+rickcperry Sorry I was just being facetious.
Ok how much water went to the vacuum cleaner?
None... Try it and you will see
Not sure what is accomplished here. Just use the shop vac and then empty it?
the idea is it can be done with any vac that isnt wet vac
did the filter got wet?
No because it was sucking all the water in the bucket, it didn't went through the vac deposit.
Drink every time he says "bucket".
Shot round every time he says "shop vac" or "vacuum"
I got wasted on chocolate milk, bro. My mom is not happy about it...
I passed out before the video was half over....
You're funny : - )
Thank for playing oyu guys. *Hiccup... #Bucket
I'm going to do this with an old 13 gallon grease can.
holy shit that drill. rip, my ears.
great!!! ::-))
Rick, you really sucked in that one debate...
lowes bucket wont work ;)
Far out.
Nice!