So I was using the CT 15 as a wet vac today and...

[thisvacuumsucks]

more than once it shut off by itself and the suction power adjustment meter went red.

i opened it and noticed it was only about half full so i shut it off and turned it back on and continued.

at some point the canister must have gotten too full and water started spraying out of the exhaust opening.

1. what did i do wrong

2. what should i do next time when using it as a wet vac

3. did i do any lasting damage (seems to work fine...)

thanks

 

[chrisrosenb]

You should have emptied it when you saw it was half full.
Did you have a wet filter installed?

 

[thisvacuumsucks]

You should have emptied it when you saw it was half full.
Did you have a wet filter installed?

should have, yes.

i did have a wet filter installed.

 

[chrisrosenb]

This is from the owners manual.

8 Working
8.1 Extracting wet materials/liquids
Remove the filter bag!
Use a special wet filter.
The dust extractor stops automatically when
the maximum fill level is reached.
The bottom LED [1-12] lights up red.
► Switch off the mobile dust extractor [1-10].
► Open the locking clips [1-7] and remove the
top section of the machine.
► Empty the dirt trap [1-9].
After wet extraction, allow the main filter to dry!
Dry the mobile dust extractor before extracting
dry dust

 

[jonnyrocket]

Very timely topic as this I happened to use my midi for some water cleanup just this week as well. In my case I had the water exiting the exhaust port before the extractor shut off due to the water level. And yes, I did have the “blue foam-breaker” installed.  The worst part is that when I opened the vac to check the water level, I had water draining from every seam on the top half of the unit. I quickly unplugged it and set it out to dry for the next several days. It seems to work fine after a nice long drying out session.

I have also used my CT26 for water in the past and it never did anything similar to this. My conclusion is that if you need to use your CT for wet cleanup, the midi is not the best option.

 

[squall_line]

In this video, Sedge shows where the water level stop points are located on the CT26+ models:


The water level points on those larger models are in the canister, with contact points to the head to shut it off or generate a warning when the water level completes the circuit.  Be sure that there isn't anything blocking those ports or the metal strips on the dust container/head unit connection when using these larger models for wet extraction.

On the CT MINI, MIDI, MINI-I, MIDI-I, and CT 15, these contact points are directly on the head unit.  Pull off the head unit and flip it over and towards the front you will see metal contacts on either corner molded into the plastic.  When water reaches that level, the alarm will go off (MINI-I, MIDI-I, CT 15) and/or the unit will shut off (MINI and MIDI with manual controls).  Again, be sure that nothing is caked over or blocking these contact points to ensure that the water level will be sensed correctly during wet operation.

From the MINI/MIDI manual, Pg 8:
When the maximum fill level is reached, a level stop (3.4) will automatically interrupt extraction.

The image of where 3.4 is located is on Pg 7 of the manual (similar location for the MINI/MIDI and the MINI-I/MIDI-I/15, also as described above).

View attachment 1

 

[thisvacuumsucks]

well...this is a huge bummer as i was planning to use the vac over the next couple weeks:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Festool. The CT15 can be used for wet applications with the use of the wet applications foam filter. This would require the HEPA filter to be removed and replaced with the blue foam for liquid applications. The unit is designed to have liquid fill up to a certain level and stop when it gets to the liquid level that contacts the metal leads inside of the unit. If there is water in the internal components and the water has gone through the machine, the machine will have to be sent in to the service department for inspection and repair as water should not go through the unit. To send in the tool to the service department please follow the link below.

anyone know average turnaround time?

 

[tsmi243]

Take a look at the exhaust path on that machine.  I've never had one apart, but I can't imagine that exhausted water could have gotten into anywhere that matters.  I really doubt you need to have it serviced over something like this.

 

[Cheese]

If you need it for duty over the next several weeks, I’d separate the halves and let it dry out several days outside. I’m sure it will work, then after you’re done using it for the next few weeks, return it for service…or not.  [smile]

 

[Peter_C]

Simple...

Does dust extractor turn on and produce suction? Yes, go to work.

Does dust extractor turn on and produce suction? No, send it in.

So what does it do? I would never send a fully functional tool in for service.

 

[thisvacuumsucks]

It appears to me, for all intents and purposes, it works just fine. Immediately after the incident the vacuum was making a slightly different sound but now it seems to run just as it did prior.

My main worry is that I somehow compromised the integrity of the seal and that it’s no longer effective as a fully sealed HEPA unit. But that could just be my paranoia.

 

[Peter_C]

I can not envision a seal that would be damaged by accidentally sucking up a little too much water. If it works fine, put it to work and quite worrying about it

FWIW I have a traditional shop vac that has had water spitting out the top more times than I care to admit. It still pulls harder than a Festool dust collector.

 

[imdking]

It is possible that you had the dust collector open/apart for cleaning, and the seal is on upside-down. You'll be surprised.