Dyson blocked cyclones

[AJH]

My niece has asked me to "fix" her newish Dysaon DC54 which seems to be suffering from too high a pressure drop across the canister which is triggering some sort of shut off valve in the motor unit.

It was used to clean up some plaster, whether spilled fresh or sandings I don't know.

I'll drag a cmpressed air line out and back flush each cyclone I can see a spout for (42) but if that fails is there a chemical that will dissolve plaster (calcium sulphate). I don't think brick acid will work as it is weaker than sulphuric acid that would form the sulphate from chalk.

How soluble is set plaster?

AJH

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Take the hose off and remove the blockage.

[Tim+]

Plaster will have blocked the filters. Unless you?ve accidentally sucked up wet stuff, the cyclones are probably okay.

Wash/replace the filters.

Tim

[AJH]

I don't think so as it runs fine without the canister attached and I can hear the shut off valve operate when I replace the canister with no hoses attached.

The only filter appears to be a fine stainless steel mesh on the canister which I have cleaned.

So to re iterate; it seems the machine senses a depression across the canister and triggers the shut off.

I note Dyson clearly state this device should not be used to suck up fine dust, plaster, sawdust, soot or flour but too late for that and a new canister of cyclones is over 70 quid.

AJH

[Steve Walker]

Yes. So much for Dyson's adverts of no filters and no loss of suction!

My experience of a couple of Dysons over the years (at a rental cottage that we regularly use) has really put me off them. The filters clog extremely easily (ash spilt when clearing out the stove) and (in the case of the DC02) even the carboard disks and streamers from party poppers jamming in the bend entering the body - whereas our Henry takes plaster dust, ash or even the entire plastic bodies of part poppers in its stride.

Which is fine in this case, but if you are mid-way through vaccing, you can't carry on until the filter has dried.

SteveW

[dennis]

That is probably because they don't filter the fine stuff out so become a health hazard if you do suck up fine stuff.. its why they make toner vacs for cleaning laser printers.

I doubt if fine dust will block the cyclone but there may be other filters that it does.

Do you have a bottle brush to poke up the holes?

[tabbypurr]

IME if one bit of the system clogs, EVERY point in the system then clogs. So you'll need to clean out brush head, intake hose, cyclone, filter and of course the air output filter too.

What dissolves plaster? Water. Acid might do better, HCl should produce a soluble end product.

NT

[AJH]

If it were lime plaster I could see this, calcium chloride being soluble but HCc+CaSO4 gives what that is soluble? H2SO4 is out as a product, it is a stronger acid than the HCl.

Google only comes up with baking soda leading to precipitation of chalk which can wash out.

I think I'm just going to have to stick with the compressed air and patience.

AJH

[Roger Hayter]

I'm no chemist but does this not depend on concentration and the HCl being in excess? Any CaCl2 is washed away so the reaction may proceed despite CaS04 being more stable. A direct experiment may be in order.

[alan_m]

+1 for filters or if a hose has been used something tuck in the hose. Th

Even if it has set it likely will be a very weak bond on any plastic surface and can probably be dislodged by prodding with a blunt wooden stick.

[alan_m]

On 18/04/2019 22:48, Steve Walker wrote: - whereas our Henry takes

+1 Especially when using their Hepa Flo bags I had all my widows and doors replaced recently and most rooms ended up with 100+ years worth of dust/debris when the old frames were removed. Unfortunately some windows had to be removed during the near gale force winds the week the installers were here which didn't help matters. My Henry didn't bat an eyelid sucking up large volumes. Yes, the bags did start to clog up but only after they were around 50% full and virtually nothing got through to the filters protecting the motor.

[Chris Hogg]

My late wife used to repair porcelain dolls. On one occasion she was given a badly broken doll's head that had been filled with plaster to hold all the bits together. I soaked the head in a strong solution of EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) which slowly dissolved the plaster over a period of a few days. IIRC I changed the solution once during that time.

[Tim+]

There is another filter.

Are you *sure* the hose hasn?t got a blockage? Dust sticking in the cyclone will hurt its ability to ?spin out? dirt but shouldn?t significantly block flow.

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

+42^42 - when the going gets tough die-soons die. Henry's dont.

[Brian Gaff]

Normally on all these devices its the filters that get clogged, below a certain airflow, the cyclone will not, erm do what it does and hence it just overheats trying to make things work as more gunge blocks it up.

I do not know about Dysan, but my Bosch has a new lease of life when I wash all the filters, and I mean all including the one in the middle of the cyclone. I'm afraid I've yet to find aa vacuum immune to this kind of problem. Thank goodness it was not spilt laser printer toner, that is death to all motors as its so small it goes through the filters! Brian

[Brian Gaff]

As I say dismantle it and clean the filters. Everyone should do this regularly in any case. Brian

[Scott]

I have experienced the same problem after ambitiously trying to remove a lot of dust from wiring work. I took it to the 'Dyson Shop' yesterday and he reckons he can clean it out for £18.

[AJH]

Yes for home I use a Henry with hepa filter bags and discard them when full, small cost compared with ne price of a Dyson. I have never been impressed with Dysons.

AJH

[AJH]

Thanks for that, I'll do that as a last resort.

Yes I have put a flexible rod through the lot.

AJH

[dennis]

What you really want is a Bosch blue vac like the GAS25. Industrial rated so run continuously and they have filter bashers to unclog them without taking the machine apart.

They are also safety rated so can be used for dust that a Henery would not be suitable for.