iVAC Fill Level Meter for dust collector

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  • twistsol
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 2892
    • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
    • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

    iVAC Fill Level Meter for dust collector

    I forget to empty, or more accurately check on my dust collectors drum. Twice I have been stupid enough to let it fill the drum, cyclone, and pack the filters. That's about a 3-4 hour cleaning job.

    Yesterday I installed a iVAC Fill Level Meter and hopefully it will help remind me to empty it before a third round of stupidity. It's only around $60. It is an optical sensor that mounts to the inside of the drum lid and lights up a series of LED's based on how far away the dust is from the lid. Yesterday I was planing down drawer parts and got to 2 lights in about an hour which meant the drum was about half full. Alot easier to empty than when it is full also.


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    The only problem I've noticed so far is that it hangs down about an inch from the lid which makes rolling the drum out from under the dust collector a bit of a challenge since my lid only goes up about half an inch or so.
    Chr's
    __________
    An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
    A moral man does it.
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    That looks like a good addition to any dust collector. Thank you for posting it, I have printed it out and will order one as soon as I get through with my next dust collector project. My dust collector has only over filled the drum one time but luckily it didn’t fill up the filters.
    Is your collector located inside your shop? If so, have you noticed heat build up for operating the collector in motor for extended periods of time?

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    • twistsol
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2002
      • 2892
      • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
      • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

      #3
      I haven't noticed any heat buildup. The motor gets warm, but not what I would consider hot or even excessively warm. It is usually about 60 degrees in the shop in the winter and now that I have A/C, not more that 72 in the summer. My dust collector is in the shop, because I can't afford to blow 1250 CFM of conditioned air outside.
      Chr's
      __________
      An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
      A moral man does it.

      Comment

      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #4
        My, 5 hp clearview creates quite a bit of heat, in the winter I notice that the window heat pump cycles off when I start using the dust collector. Last spring the ac started not keeping up with the dust collector heat, I blamed hurricane Michael’s damage to the shop ceiling and had the attic insulation removed and spray foam installed. Fast forward to now the ac is icing up, and on its last leg.. it’s new replacement is on order. After installing the new ac the next project will be to build an enclosure around the motor and duct outside air in and out just for motor cooling. Ditto on not blowing 1700cfm conditioned air outside, emptying the shop air every 4 1/2 minutes.

        capncarl

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        • LCHIEN
          Internet Fact Checker
          • Dec 2002
          • 20913
          • Katy, TX, USA.
          • BT3000 vintage 1999

          #5
          Actually a plugged up dust collector uses less power and generates less heat than one that can run at its maximum CFM. Its moving air that uses power, a plugged up filter allows fewer CFM and uses less power. But you know whether its using 1200 W or 1800 watts its still going to get warm.

          ITS SOMEWHAT COUNTERINTUITIVE AS MOST fans tend to make a lot of noise when restricted causing you to think its using more power and doing more work. But usually its the interrupted airflow and turbulence that causes the noise.
          Last edited by LCHIEN; 07-29-2021, 01:14 PM.
          Loring in Katy, TX USA
          If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
          BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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