Wet-Dry vacuums are incredibly powerful vacuums that serve many different functions, and offer a wide variety of different uses.
If you work in an industry where you need to clean up dry material, as well as wet material, then a wet-dry vacuum is an absolute necessity. No other vacuum gives you the same level of power and flexibility.
With that being said, though, this doesn’t mean that wet-dry vacuums are perfect, or even a necessary purchase for you. In this article, we’re going to be looking at five reasons why you should not purchase a wet-dry vacuum.
This doesn’t mean that wet-dry vacuums are bad, or anything of that sort, but like every other type of vacuum, they have their own flaws and disadvantages, and you’re going to learn what those are.
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What Are 5 Reasons To Not Purchase A Wet Dry Vacuum?
The Greater Capacity The Tank Is, The Heavier The Vacuum Is
When searching for a good wet-dry vacuum, you’ll notice that there are a wide range of different sizes and capacities that you will find.
Some wet-dry vacuums have tanks that can hold a great deal of weight. Others are much smaller and can’t hold nearly as many items/as much weight.
One thing to consider is that this is a wet-dry vacuum, so you can vacuum up all kinds of different dry items, as well as wet items and debris, such as water. In fact, many people use wet-dry vacuums to vacuum up water, after a small flood, and then they take the tank and empty the water out.
However, the tanks are already pretty heavy. For as small and unimposing as they may look, wet-dry vacuums aren’t exactly light. The bigger the tank, and the more capacity it has, the heavier the vacuum will be. If the vacuum is too heavy, this really affects your ability to move it around and to maneuver it through different spaces.
Wet-Dry Vacuums Get Very Dirty
Perhaps, this is a pretty obvious flaw, but nevertheless, wet-dry vacuums have a tendency to get very dirty. Much more dirty than other vacuums, such as upright vacuums or stick vacuums.
The reason for this is pretty self-explanatory. If you clean both dry material, and then wet material, not necessarily in that order, the dry material still in the vacuum’s holding tank will then become wet, and it might stick to the vacuum. Along with that, wet-dry vacuums are designed to clean up all kinds of different types of debris, including debris that is especially dirty and/or wet.
Because of this, you should make sure that you clean out the holding tank after every use. If you don’t, it will become really dirty, and it will be even more difficult to clean. One of the best ways to clean out the holding tank is to detach it from the main vacuum unit, if you can, and to use soap and water to scrub it down.
Wet-Dry Vacuums Are More Expensive Than Regular Upright Vacuums
Due to the power of a wet-dry vacuum, and the fact that they can vacuum up many other types of material, they are a bit more expensive than a regular upright vacuum. Of course, the advantages, for many people, are worth it.
However, if you want to purchase a really nice, really well-made, wet-dry vacuum, it might cost you a rather large chunk of change. There are many different wet-dry vacuums on the market, and many of them are quite good, but there are many that are made of low-quality parts, and that aren’t really that powerful or efficient. These tend to be the cheapest ones. If you want one that will last you a long time, and provide you the power and efficiency you need, you’ll need to spend some extra cash. More than you would need to spend on a regular upright vacuum.
Wet-Dry Vacuums Have A Tendency To Smell Really Bad After You Use Them
Water – or other wet material – mixed with dry material, isn’t always the best combination. And it certainly isn’t conducive to a nice smell. Because of this, after you use your wet-dry vacuum, there’s a very good chance that it’s not going to smell very nice. Even after you dump out the contents of what you have vacuumed, it still might smell really nasty.
Since it smells so bad, you’re going to want to clean out the holding tank every time you use the vacuum. Which can be annoying, since you’ll need to use soap and water to scrub it down, to get rid of the stench. So, if you use the wet-dry vacuum a lot, this kind of process will quickly become a bit tiresome.
If You Only Intend To Vacuum Up Dry Material, There’s No Need To Purchase A Wet-Dry Vacuum:
Wet-dry vacuums are intended for both wet material, and dry material. They are powerful vacuums that vacuum up both types of material in an efficient and thorough manner. Regardless of which type of material you intend to vacuum up the most, you won’t have any problems with the vacuum itself, or its performance.
However, here’s the thing, if you only intend to vacuum up dry material, and no wet material, you’re better off purchasing a decent upright vacuum, instead.
An upright vacuum will be a little cheaper, since they’re built differently and they don’t have the ability to vacuum up wet material. They’ll also be a bit easier to find, and you’ll have quite a few more options. Good options, that is, since there are so many brands manufacturing good upright vacuums.
Is There A Good Alternative?
In the end, there really isn’t. Wet-dry vacuums serve a very specific function, and they fulfill that function quite well. Right now, there really isn’t any good alternative to the standard wet-dry vacuum. In the future, there may be, but right now, if you want to vacuum both wet and dry material, your best choice is a good wet-dry vacuum.
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