What does the CT-33 "angle piece" do ?

[NuggyBuggy]

I bought a CT-33 for what I thought was a pretty good price - $250 Canadian, including the floor sweep and metal extension tubes from the Tradesman cleaning set.  When I turned it on at the seller's house it spit dust everywhere, but I assumed this was because there was no bag  :, so I bought it anyways.

I took it home, took my leaf blower and blew all the dust out of it and the filters.  Then I found a little broken plastic piece amidst all the dust.  It's part of the assembly labeled "angle piece" (452874) in Festool's EKAT.  It's the flap that sits at the bottom of the vac.  It extends out and is caught by the top of the vacuum as it closes, opening the airway.

The piece was badly bent and broken so I couldn't glue it, but I was able to mold it with hardening putty so that it works like the flap on my other CT-33.  It looks awful but it works.

My question is, what exactly does this flap do ? I can't really figure out why it should open or close.  Why would it need to be closed when the vac is open, for instance ?

 

[mouppe]

It  looks like it redirects the airflow for some reason.

I would call Festool's support line, for $30 it may be worth getting the part replaced.

 

[mavrick1903]

Check your other 33, but I think that shute is to allow for airflow to be redirected to the exhaust hose port on the left side (as you face the unit). it's an option to allow you to direct airflow where it would not disturb air. For example if painting was going on in the same room you're working.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Richard - I don't think it's worth buying the replacement part because it now works exactly as the original does - opening and closing the vac closes and opens the flap. 

Check your other 33, but I think that shute is to allow for airflow to be redirected to the exhaust hose port on the left side (as you face the unit). it's an option to allow you to direct airflow where it would not disturb air. For example if painting was going on in the same room you're working.

Yes, I did study my other CT33, and it does appear to redirect airflow, but the mechanism suggests it only redirects flow when the vac is open, i.e. not on.  So what does it matter what the air flow pattern is when it's not running ?  That's what I can get my head around.

Also, while I haven't followed the ducting around completely, it sure didn't look like it lead to the filters - and if it didn't, it seems like one wouldn't want it to be open if it vented to the outside.