Clark Foam Vac System problem

Hey guys has anyone had a problem with their shop vac, where the foam dust is being sucked inside the external air filter instead of being deposited into the shop vac itself. My vac system just started doing this and i cant figure it out. I cleaned both the inside filter and the external filter. Thanks for any help-josh

Anyone have the same issue before?

Almost sounds like you reversed the flow. If that’s the case,the system won’t be pulling on the vac end either,

So that would be my first question, is the system still pulling from your planer? And by ‘‘external filter’’, do you

mean the ‘‘filter’’ that sits on the top of the canister on the output hole? That’s not really there to filter, it’s just

a diffuser for the warm output air.

Thanks Mike for replying, That’s correct its the filter that site on top of the vac on the outside. Yes the vac is still pulling from the planer, But its pulling the foam into filter on the the top og the vac. So its is storing the foam inside the filter that outside of the vac instead of inside the vac where its suppose to go. And the vac is a original clark foam vac set up.

thanks -josh

I haven’t seen a system do what you’re describing. If you have pull on the planer end it would seem the

dust would be going into the hopper, that’s where the vac hose terminates. I’d suggest checking all the

plumbing, check the seal of the plate on the bottom of the hopper/canister, etc. Use an air hose to blow

through the hose and pipes. Have you planed through any big stringers lately? Wood will clog the choke

points (90 degree bends, also the entry to the canister).

On second thought I have seen a shop-vac blow stuff out the output (but not my planer vac). I can’t remember

the exact cause, but it was something clogged or the bag was full or something like that. I think you’ve got

something similar going on.

I remember your system, I think it was the last original Clark available in Florida. Larry Pope had bought it

after Clark closed and held on to it, unused, until you purchased it from him last year.

Yep thats the one, I’ll take a closer look at the bends and blow everything out. Thanks-josh

Josh,

It would seem that the dust is getting past your filter. Check that the filter is attached correctly and that the ends of the filter are sealing. Also check the end piece that secures the filter. You should see some sign of where the dust is getting past the filter. If dust is coming out the top you must be getting vacuum. Let us know what you find out.

dd

Thanks guys i found the problem. The acutal inside filter, the plastic plate that seals the filter fell into the abyss of foam and that was causing the foam to be shot out the exhuast area-josh

Dave called it, then. For dust to be coming out the ‘‘exhaust’’, it had to be bypassing the filter somehow.