Best hose size for shop vac when used to clean interior?

Eldorado2k said:
I believe this is true and is the reason these large Ridgid vacs see a loss in power when a smaller diameter hose is connected. I'm not the only 1 who's noticed this. There's a well put together vid on YouTube by a user named Ghostses [I believe that's his username] talking about the same exact experience with the 1.25" Orange hose.

Not only that, I even called Ridgid customer support and asked them this very same question: Does the 1.25" orange hose lose suction power and velocity compared to the original 2.5" black hose? Her honest reply? Yes it does. Ridgid gained a ton of respect from me for not only knowing their facts, but for not hesitating to be honest.
Bernoulli who? Pfft. Lol. Call Ridgids customer service.
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I'm with you on the loss of suction and I think anyone that owns the smaller hose will tell you it loses suction, and a lot of it. All professional carpet cleaners I know have switched from smaller diameter hoses to larger ones since they get better try times due to more water being pulled out of the carpet.
 
San Francisco? Lol...anyway doesn't matter I got what I need anyhow lol
 
Fast Eddie said:
I'm with you on the loss of suction and I think anyone that owns the smaller hose will tell you it loses suction, and a lot of it. All professional carpet cleaners I know have switched from smaller diameter hoses to larger ones since they get better try times due to more water being pulled out of the carpet.
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Can you please provide a list of manufacturers who have switched to larger hoses? I find this very, very hard to believe.

Your reasoning for their move to a larger hose makes no sense. First of all, there isn't nearly enough water passing through the spray nozzle and into the carpet to remotely reach the flow limits of even a 1" hose. Unless you're looking at machines meant to extract standing water after a flood, increasing hose diameter to pull more water out of the carpet is completely pointless, and indeed counter productive. Pulling the last little bit of water out of the carpet fibers to improve dry times requires velocity. Velocity comes from...I've already explained the laws of physics.

I have both a full size floor carpet wand and a small, hand held automotive detail nozzle for my extractor. The detail nozzle gets the carpet MUCH drier than the full size wand. Why? The surface area of the slot opening is considerably smaller on the detail nozzle, so velocity is much higher.

Another example that doesn't have anything to do with automotive detailing but the same goals apply:
Keith Monks – KMAL – Record Cleaning Machine – RCM – RecordCleaning – Vinyl LP
A conventional record cleaning machine uses a slot with felt "lips" that contact the record surface. Attached to the slot via a 1" hose is a standard vacuum motor. The system moves a lot of air at a relatively low velocity and the result is a record that is still wet after several passes, but because of the felt contacting the vinyl surface the number of passes has to be limited to avoid static buildup. The Keith Monks machine (and similar Loricraft) use a wand with a very small (about 1/32") opening attached to a professional medical grade vacuum pump via 1/8" tube. The volume of air moved by this system is minuscule, but the velocities are MASSIVE. As a result the record surface is bone dry after one pass, right down to the bottom of the grooves.

I have a Loricraft RCM, and I have a carpet extractor with two 3-stage vacuum motors breathing through 15 feet of 1.5" dia. hose. Both do an admirable job of getting their respective surfaces dry...or at least very close to it. I also have a Dirt Devil shop vac with a 3" hose and a very powerful (and obnoxiously loud) motor. It's designed mainly for woodworking applications where large volumes of waste need to be removed. It does a decent job with automotive carpets, but the Dyson (complete with its 1.25" hose) blows (sucks?) it away.
 
markiteight said:
I have a Loricraft RCM, and I have a carpet extractor with two 3-stage vacuum motors breathing through 15 feet of 1.5" dia. hose. Both do an admirable job of getting their respective surfaces dry...or at least very close to it. I also have a Dirt Devil shop vac with a 3" hose and a very powerful (and obnoxiously loud) motor. It's designed mainly for woodworking applications where large volumes of waste need to be removed. It does a decent job with automotive carpets, but the Dyson (complete with its 1.25" hose) blows (sucks?) it away.
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You realize you're comparing apples to oranges right? That science you keep bringing up may apply to a Loricraft or your carpet extractor, but unless you've got a vacuum like the ones we're discussing in this thread [and performed the same tests].. A vacuum like this:

View attachment 52023

...Then it doesn't matter what applies to those other kind of vacuums. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am confident enough to say those rules don't apply to these Ridgid vacs because they're not built with the same mechanics as your extractor, Dyson, etc.
 
This Kirby Blows the Ridgid out of the water if we put them side by side to try and vacuum a bedroom.. It's not even close.

View attachment 52024

But am I going to take the Kirby outside and try to vacuum cars with it? Heck no! I couldn't do it even if I tried, it's so heavy and bulky and just unable to do it... Different animals. I don't even compare them though.
 
markiteight said:
Can you please provide a list of manufacturers who have switched to larger hoses? I find this very, very hard to believe.

Your reasoning for their move to a larger hose makes no sense. First of all, there isn't nearly enough water passing through the spray nozzle and into the carpet to remotely reach the flow limits of even a 1" hose. Unless you're looking at machines meant to extract standing water after a flood, increasing hose diameter to pull more water out of the carpet is completely pointless, and indeed counter productive. Pulling the last little bit of water out of the carpet fibers to improve dry times requires velocity. Velocity comes from...I've already explained the laws of physics.

I have both a full size floor carpet wand and a small, hand held automotive detail nozzle for my extractor. The detail nozzle gets the carpet MUCH drier than the full size wand. Why? The surface area of the slot opening is considerably smaller on the detail nozzle, so velocity is much higher.

Another example that doesn't have anything to do with automotive detailing but the same goals apply:
Keith Monks – KMAL – Record Cleaning Machine – RCM – RecordCleaning – Vinyl LP
A conventional record cleaning machine uses a slot with felt "lips" that contact the record surface. Attached to the slot via a 1" hose is a standard vacuum motor. The system moves a lot of air at a relatively low velocity and the result is a record that is still wet after several passes, but because of the felt contacting the vinyl surface the number of passes has to be limited to avoid static buildup. The Keith Monks machine (and similar Loricraft) use a wand with a very small (about 1/32") opening attached to a professional medical grade vacuum pump via 1/8" tube. The volume of air moved by this system is minuscule, but the velocities are MASSIVE. As a result the record surface is bone dry after one pass, right down to the bottom of the grooves.

I have a Loricraft RCM, and I have a carpet extractor with two 3-stage vacuum motors breathing through 15 feet of 1.5" dia. hose. Both do an admirable job of getting their respective surfaces dry...or at least very close to it. I also have a Dirt Devil shop vac with a 3" hose and a very powerful (and obnoxiously loud) motor. It's designed mainly for woodworking applications where large volumes of waste need to be removed. It does a decent job with automotive carpets, but the Dyson (complete with its 1.25" hose) blows (sucks?) it away.
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It's not the manufacturers, it's the pro carpet cleaners themselves.
Head on over to any carpet cleaner forum and see how many still use 1.5" hoses, almost none. 2" is the way to go and Mytee now uses 2" internally on their extractors vs. the old 1.5" due to more flow. Just passing the info along that I know to be true, you don't have to believe it. I don't know the science behind it nor do I care, I care about real world results.
 
Eldorado2k said:
You realize you're comparing apples to oranges right? That science you meep bringing up may apply to a Loricraft or your carpet extractor, but unless you've got a vacuum like the ones we're discussing in this thread [and performed the same tests].. A vacuum like this:

View attachment 52023

...Then it doesn't matter what applies to those other kind of vacuums. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I am confident enough to say those rules don't apply to these Ridgid vacs because they're not built with the same mechanics as your extractor, Dyson, etc.
Click to expand...

You realize the laws of physics are universal, right? Home Depot did not go out and design a vacuum cleaner that defies the laws of the natural universe. I'm sure they have talented engineers, but they're not THAT talented.

This Kirby Blows the Ridgid out of the water if we put them side by side to try and vacuum a bedroom.. It's not even close.



But am I going to take the Kirby outside and try to vacuum cars with it? Heck no! I couldn't do it even if I tried, it's so heavy and bulky and just unable to do it... Different animals. I don't even compare them though.
Click to expand...

I take my Dyson upright out to vacuum the cars. Why? It does a better job.
 
markiteight said:
You realize the laws of physics are universal, right? Home Depot did not go out and design a vacuum cleaner that defies the laws of the natural universe. I'm sure they have talented engineers, but they're not THAT talented.
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Call Ridgid. 1-800-474-3443 Keep it real and unbiased. Ask them the simple question Model# WD1450 14 gallon 6hp. wet/dry vac w/original 7' 2.5" diameter hose vs. 10ft. 1.25" diameter orange hose [from the auto detailing kit. Or it can even be their 10ft pro orange hose, they'll both lose suction just the same] Ask them if there's a reduction in suction power [sucking not blowing] when you go from the 2.5" hose to the orange 1.25" hose.
 
Eldorado2k said:
Call Ridgid. 1-800-474-3443 Keep it real and unbiased. Ask them the simple question Model# WD1450 14 gallon 6hp. wet/dry vac w/original 7' 2.5" diameter hose vs. 10ft. 1.25" diameter orange hose [from the auto detailing kit. Or it can even be their 10ft pro orange hose, they'll both lose suction just the same] Ask them if there's a reduction in suction power [sucking not blowing] when you go from the 2.5" hose to the orange 1.25" hose.
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No need. I already addressed that here:

markiteight said:
Please note in my original post the statement "all else being equal." If the smaller diameter hose is not pulling greater suction than the larger hose, something is not equal. Most likely the Rigid doesn't have the power to deal with maintaining flow rate through a smaller hose.
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Lol love how this turned into a Fluid Dynamics course.
 
markiteight said:
Most likely the Rigid doesn't have the power to deal with maintaining flow rate through a smaller hose. There's a reason why higher end carpet extractors use multiple, powerful, multi stage vacuum motors and smaller diameter hoses. In order to do their job effectively they need LOTS of suction. That is accomplished by moving lots of air through a small space.
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Eldorado2k said:
I believe this is true and is the reason these large Ridgid vacs see a loss in power when a smaller diameter hose is connected. I'm not the only 1 who's noticed this. There's a well put together vid on YouTube by a user named Ghostses [I believe that's his username] talking about the same exact experience with the 1.25" Orange hose.
Click to expand...

Yea you said that.^^ And I was even willing to agree with you. But you still kept on arguing. Smh.
And at the end of the day, we both know you're wrong, that's why you don't want to call Ridgid, because they'll tell you you're wrong too. It's all good.:) No biggie.
 
I use a 1.5" hose. I find the 1.25" hoses too small with not enough velocity and the 2.5" hoses are too big/bulky to get into tight spaces in the interior
 
markiteight said:
...the laws of physics are universal...

Home Depot did not go out and design a
vacuum cleaner that defies the laws of
the natural universe.
Click to expand...
^^^ :iagree: ^^^


That's why, in this case: bigger is better.

Big hose = allows stuff to pass
Big power = properly-sized vacuum-
pump motor/fan = maintaining the
velocity and the volume.
Big pressure differentials = Inside vs Outside

Yep: "The fan does the sucking!"


Bob
 
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