The dreaded shop-vac as a pond vac thread

[tbendl]

Sigh
I made a mistake, I bought a steam mop. Don't ask me why but it has kindled a desire to mop and vacuum EVERYTHING... Including the pond, (I know I'm sure this is a common indicator of a brain tumor but whatever, I digress).
Soooo, I always have a ton of snot hanging out in the bottom of the pond which when it gets super hot it floats up during the day to greet you before sinking to snooze at night.
And while I was steam mopping I thought about asking you fine upstanding pond folk about how/why/if I could modify a 10 gallon shop-vac to do some quick bottom and stream cleaning.
Yes yes I'd love an Oase Pondvac, I'm just looking at the $300 difference between that and my "on sale price reduced" shop vac.
So I guess I'm asking if it sucks or not?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

You might consider one of these. They do work. I have used the 5.5 HP model for several years. Great customer service and support from the company also.
https://www.shopvac.com/category/pump-series-wet-dry-vacs

 

[tbendl]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Shop-Vac-10-Gallon-4-Peak-HP-Shop-Vacuum/50159053
LOL that is what I was looking at the shop vac!
Hope you have been well Meyer! So this is a smaller version I assume than what you had. Did you need to do any modifications to it?

 

[bagsmom]

Pond snot! LOL!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Shop-Vac-10-Gallon-4-Peak-HP-Shop-Vacuum/50159053
LOL that is what I was looking at the shop vac!
Hope you have been well Meyer! So this is a smaller version I assume than what you had. Did you need to do any modifications to it?

Your link is to the standard wet/dry vacuum. It does not have a built-in pump. I believe that Walmart On-line carries the 10 gallon with the pump. Gonna cost more, but worth it.

 

[tbendl]

Oh... Hmm Ok I'll have to look at that again. It took me back to the Lowes page for a price and I assumed it was the same thing.
What is the difference between a standard one and one with a built in motor?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

They both have motors, but one is able to pump the water out of the canister where the standard model can not.

 

[peter hillman]

Funny, I bought my wife a steam mop and it did nothing to fuel her interest in house cleaning. Don't try it in the pond T.

 

[Lisak1]

OH MY GOSH! I love my steam mop! My kids got it for me for my birthday and I was thrilled! If you have dogs and mud, you need a steam mop. Or people and mud. Or just mud. Get a steam mop everyone! @tbendl did you get a Shark? I found I needed more than the two pads that came with the machine, so I bought extras on Amazon that I like SOOO much better than the ones that came with the machine. They are an off-brand of some kind, but boy do they work great!

Commercial over. I know nothing about the rest of this topic, so I'll be quiet now!

 

[addy1]

lol tbendl I don't get pond snot, but did at one time, ages ago, try to vacuum my pond with a shop vac. I added a pump thing to do so it would pump the water out, but the shop vac did not have the suck power to suck up from the bottom of my pond. So first and last attempt to vac the pond, I leave it be now, net the bottom now and then, like every few years, never much stuff in it.

 

[tbendl]

OH MY GOSH! I love my steam mop! My kids got it for me for my birthday and I was thrilled! If you have dogs and mud, you need a steam mop. Or people and mud. Or just mud. Get a steam mop everyone! @tbendl did you get a Shark? I found I needed more than the two pads that came with the machine, so I bought extras on Amazon that I like SOOO much better than the ones that came with the machine. They are an off-brand of some kind, but boy do they work great!

Commercial over. I know nothing about the rest of this topic, so I'll be quiet now!

Hahaha I LOVE mine! Between a dog, 2 cats, the hubs, and me tracking pond dirt in all the time I am freaking in love with it, (my family thinks I'm nuts) I got a Bissell.

 

[tbendl]

They both have motors, but one is able to pump the water out of the canister where the standard model can not.

Ahhhh so the standard one I'd have to empty all the time. Ok I will do some more research today. Thank you!

 

[tbendl]

lol tbendl I don't get pond snot, but did at one time, ages ago, try to vacuum my pond with a shop vac. I added a pump thing to do so it would pump the water out, but the shop vac did not have the suck power to suck up from the bottom of my pond. So first and last attempt to vac the pond, I leave it be now, net the bottom now and then, like every few years, never much stuff in it.

I just want your pond! I think because mine is so much smaller and we have the ridiculous heat that maybe that's why I get the snot. I can net up the big stuff but would really like to be able to hit that other stuff with a vacuum a few times a year.
@Meyer Jordan did you have any special attachments to make sure you didn't suck up the fish?

 

[tbendl]

https://www.shopvac.com/product/shop-vac-14-gallon-6-0-peak-hp-wet-dry-pump-vac-catnum:5825411
Ok so this one looks like it has a built in motor that will pump out. It's a 6 Hp model so it would work?

 

[MoonShadows]

Yupper...that the same make of vac Meyer mentioned up above and says he uses.