Schedule a Meeting · Talk to a real woodworker: +1 937-890-5197 · 8:00AM – 4:30PM ET

Shop vac

wrmnfzy

As y’all can most probably tell I’m getting back in workshop after some extended time away. Trying to get gear back in shape. Here’s my latest query. I have a Rigid wet/dry vac and the foam in the muffler deteriorated. I can and did buy a replacement muffler BUT there must be some material I can put in the muffler that would replace the OEM. I’ve looked on line and in HD but noe for Rigid. I have also seen videos where they say it doesn’t muffle sound much, but it does stop as much dust from getting blown around until picked up. Any thought would be appreciated

JPG

Muffler???

edma194

Are you looking for paper filter that goes under the foam? That's the typical filter on Shop Vacs, the paper is usually removed and just the foam used in wet mode.

RFGuy

wrmnfzy wrote Any thought would be appreciated

I think this is the video that I came across a few years ago on this for building a DIY muffler to somewhat quieten an unruly ShopVac. I haven't gotten around to trying it, so I can't say how effective it would be, but the basic principles presented seem sound (unintentional pun :) ) at first glance. Worth a try. If nothing else, perhaps the dampening material he uses in his DIY muffler will be helpful for you to repair your existing muffler. Let us know what you go with and how well it works.

DLB

RFGuy wrote
wrmnfzy wrote Any thought would be appreciated
I think this is the video that I came across a few years ago on this for building a DIY muffler to somewhat quieten an unruly ShopVac . I haven't gotten around to trying it, so I can't say how effective it would be, but the basic principles presented seem sound at first glance. Worth a try. If nothing else, perhaps the dampening material he uses in his DIY muffler will be helpful for you to repair your existing muffler. Let us know what you go with and how well it works.

Cool. FWIW, kind of buried in the comments to the video the presenter acknowledges a reduction in input air velocity from 14 m/S to 12 m/S attributed to the muffler.

- David

BuckeyeDennis

I have one of those exhaust mufflers on my Rigid vac. It helps only a little with the noise, but it’s a pretty good exhaust-air diffuser. That’s some sort of open-cell foam inside the cage, but I have no clue where you could buy something comparable.

RFGuy

Re-reading the original post, it appears you already purchased a replacement muffler correct? Were you asking what additional can be done to help with sound attenuation? I originally thought you were asking how to repair the original muffler that had the foam material that had deteriorated. It doesn't look special - like the same type of foam material used in window AC filters and the like that you can usually find at big box stores like Home Depot. It can't be too restrictive because you still need significant airflow through the material - think of it more like a diffuser to redirect the airstream on exit out the exhaust. Not sure if that muffler opens up for doing this or not though. For those that haven't seen these vacuum mufflers and wonder if they work, the anecdotal video below may help. This was taken on a Ridgid shop vacuum using a handheld sound meter with the muffler on and off. He got about a 5dB drop in noise level using the muffler. Based on my own past experiments I would totally believe this. A ShopVac is NEVER going to be quiet unless you put it in a soundproof cabinet, which some have done and there are videos of them. However a 5dB drop is significant and noticeable and worth doing. A good portion of the noise of a ShopVac is the high speed, turbulent air exiting the exhaust port. I did some experiments with mine where I attached an 8' vacuum hose at the outlet (exhaust) and placed the end outside of my garage. I lowered the garage door down on the hose. Even with the garage door cracked open a few inches, simply directing the exhaust hose away from the shop outside resulted in a significant reduction in noise inside my shop. I don't remember the sound meter measurement, but I remember I could tell it was noticeably quieter and the resulting noise level was less harsh inside my shop so the quality of the noise changed as well. The hose had sufficient dampening to minimize noise transmission back into the shop. Hope this helps...

wrmnfzy

Buckeyedennis is what I have and yes I’m trying to find something I can use for the foam in the muffler, muffler is the terminology used by Rigid. It is what we are getting more use to having to buy an assembly instead of a much less expensive part.

wrmnfzy

Thx guys still trying to get everything back so I can get back in shop. Waxed tubes today.

rlkeeney

The open-cell foam is similar to the foam used for aquarium sponge filters. It is available from many sources, including Amazon. Cutting it to fit might be a challenge, but you should be able to find videos that demonstrate this.

wrmnfzy

Thx I’ll ck on that

CreekWood

Wrmnfzy, your Ridgid muffler looks identical to my 2 1/2" Craftsman one. I bought mine off Amazon separate from the shop vac. Speaking of which, I picked the Craftsman because my previous 16 Gal lasted 30 years ( ok, I did replace the switch a few years ago). But my surprise was how quiet the new one is, even though it's a 6.5 HP compared to the old 2 HP screamer. With the diffuser, I can clean shop without ear plugs. Now if the TS and router would simmer down a bit....

All that's to say that if you can't find or fit the suggested foam, I'll bet the Craftsman model will fit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HZWFLH2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title#

wrmnfzy

Thx