The 'real' DC-on-the-fritz question

[ironhat]

My HF has only seen light service in the past 3 years. I'm using the stock bags and have a separator in line. It's plumbed through the wall with plastic hose. OK, that's the setup. I hooked up to planer and noticed poor performance so I checked the bag and the separator. Not much there but I emptied them and slapped the top bag to break down the cake. No go. Next, I opened the end cap on the main run and could see a build up just downstream from the planer connector so I gave it a blast of air with the DC running and it cleared. Still no go. I started opening gates closer and closer to the DC and the performance was the same. Still suspecting a clog I opened all the joints and looked in as well as blew through but still nothing (come to think of it I did *not* blow in the last connector before the hose goes through the wall into the DC - Hmmm).

I guess I need to get to the impeller area of the DC but this unit is back in a corner and there's a lot of cherry piled in front of it. Before I get help to lift it over everything and then, back again, I'd like to know what the heck I'm looking for. Any ideas would be appreciated - if the impeller disintegrated or lost a fin I guess I'd recognize that but geez, it can't be all that complicated, could it. I'll stop rambling now. OK, so one more thing. While I'm in there is there anything that can be upgraded? I've done the neutral vane.

TIA,
Chiz

[Thom2]

My HF has only seen light service in the past 3 years. I'm using the stock bags and have a separator in line. It's plumbed through the wall with plastic hose. OK, that's the setup. I hooked up to planer and noticed poor performance so I checked the bag and the separator. Not much there but I emptied them and slapped the top bag to break down the cake. No go. Next, I opened the end cap on the main run and could see a build up just downstream from the planer connector so I gave it a blast of air with the DC running and it cleared. Still no go. I started opening gates closer and closer to the DC and the performance was the same. Still suspecting a clog I opened all the joints and looked in as well as blew through but still nothing (come to think of it I did *not* blow in the last connector before the hose goes through the wall into the DC - Hmmm).

I guess I need to get to the impeller area of the DC but this unit is back in a corner and there's a lot of cherry piled in front of it. Before I get help to lift it over everything and then, back again, I'd like to know what the heck I'm looking for. Any ideas would be appreciated - if the impeller disintegrated or lost a fin I guess I'd recognize that but geez, it can't be all that complicated, could it. I'll stop rambling now. OK, so one more thing. While I'm in there is there anything that can be upgraded? I've done the neutral vane.

TIA,
Chiz

I got a dollar that says you picked up a piece of plastic wrap or something that's stuck on the screen before the impeller.

[MilDoc]

I got a dollar that says you picked up a piece of plastic wrap or something that's stuck on the screen before the impeller.

Good bet. Mine got blocked while planing a lot of cedar and the massive amount of chips managed to jam against the screen. Hopefully it's not a broken impeller ...

[gerti]

I got a dollar that says you picked up a piece of plastic wrap or something that's stuck on the screen before the impeller.

Good bet, that's where mine clogs up frequently. Nice long shavings from turning or planing or the odd piece of sandpaper sucked in will clog it every time.

[TheRic]

...... Hopefully it's not a broken impeller ...

Wouldn't you hear the DC making strange noises, and vibrating from the unbalance??

[LCHIEN]

Can you check the screen by just reaching into the 4" to 6" "Y"?

[Popeye]

My money is with Thom. I had the same thing happen to my HF DC. Can happen to any of them the same way. A zip lock bag made it the whole way to the suction screen. Which by the way does a mighty fine job of protecting the impeller. Pat

[ironhat]

Can you check the screen by just reaching into the 4" to 6" "Y"?

If I stand on my head I can and that's still going to be easier than moving the unit. It's worth a try and I sure hope you folks are right. I'm guessing that, as TheRic said, an impellar issue would do just as he said. I'll get to it after work.
Thanks,
Chiz

[LarryG]

With my HF DC, I got so tired of planer and jointer shavings catching on the impeller inlet screen and clogging up the works that I finally took a Dremel to that sucker and cut it out of there. The holes were too big to keep most chunks of hard debris (like knots) from clanging into the impeller anyway.

[LCHIEN]

Need To Feed The Squirrels!

[ironhat]

I might try to blow air back thru the screen as a temp fix. OTOH, I have a scad of planing to do in the near future. It's funny that this hasn't happened up till now since I did a lot of planing in the spring of this year. Has anyone else eliminated the screen or, at least, opened it up?

[John Hunter]

I find that the cyclonic system I have in front of the HF dust collector catches the bigger stuff. Not a problem yet with the screen being plugged. But then I have not sucked up any plastic bags yet.

[ironhat]

I have an issue with the separator. When this thing is operating at full vacuum it will clear the drum and dump it in the bag. I installed a plate in front of the DC intake hose, about 1.5" from the elbow, but I noticed last night that long shavings are collected around the 'L' supports of the deflector. Maybe I should have made a divider down the center of the lid instead. Then again, I don't know if it's pulling shavings horizontally from the other pipe or if it's pulling them out of the midst of what is coming in - or both. I'm pretty disappointed that only half of the shavings are staying in the separator. Is this normal??

[LCHIEN]

I have an issue with the separator. When this thing is operating at full vacuum it will clear the drum and dump it in the bag. I installed a plate in front of the DC intake hose, about 1.5" from the elbow, but I noticed last night that long shavings are collected around the 'L' supports of the deflector. Maybe I should have made a divider down the center of the lid instead. Then again, I don't know if it's pulling shavings horizontally from the other pipe or if it's pulling them out of the midst of what is coming in - or both. I'm pretty disappointed that only half of the shavings are staying in the separator. Is this normal??

Yes it's normal and should be how it operates.
I have said quite a few times and this is also supported by the dust collector guy's site (Bill Pentz), that a properly operating and connected DC in the 1.5 to 2 HP range will suck one of those trash can separators dry; its not a properly designed cyclone. Anyone who says theirs works has got the air flow too choked off to know.

Between a sep and good flow you should choose good flow to keep your ducts clear and chips moving along.

what's you reason for the separator? If it because its easier to empty I would suggest a canister filter and a plastic bag on bottom. Discussed ad infinitum in previous posts on the topic.



If you want a true separator you should look at the cyclones at PSI (www.pennstateind.com) but they're really expensive.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...rator+canister
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ighlight=scour

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Did you get this figured out? Sounds to me like others have mentioned, the 6" to 4" wye needs to be removed and then you need to remove the "screen". I cut mine out with jigsaw and metal cutting blade.

My HF couldn't keep up with full face passes on 8" jointer with that screen on the intake. Without the screen it was no problem.

There should probably be some kind of disclaimer in my post, so here : I am not responsible for anything that passes the former site of the screen and damages the impeller!