Following a harsh winter across the United States, the Mississippi river has been pushed to its limits; it’s waters overflowing into millions of acres of farmland and residential communities. In the coming weeks, millions of residents will soon return to their homes and businesses to begin the process of cleaning up after the worst flood in 40 years. Unfortunately, drying out their saturated structures is only one part of the battle. Residents will also have to deal with mold growth, a common post-flood enemy.

As recommended by the EPA, only vacuums with HEPA filters should be used during mold remediation to collect dangerous mold spores stirred up during the mold removal process. Surfaces where the mold was growing should also be HEPA vacuumed, if practical, to remove any residual mold particles. The HEPA filter ensures that no mold spores pass through the exhaust and back into the atmosphere.

Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums’ abatement HEPA vacuums are often used by homeowners and remediation contractors in mold clean-up efforts, and we’ve already seen a flurry of activity from our customers looking for help as they clean up from the floods that have devastated their homes. While our vacuums will help them get the job done right; we’ve also decided to donate a portion of all sales from these vacuums (through the summer) to the American Red Cross disaster relief fund, aiding both the flood and tornado-ravaged regions of the United States.

Vacuums recommended for mold remediation include the UZ 934, GD10 Back, UZ 964, Eliminator Series and GM 80. These models are sold through your local Nilfisk rep or authorized Nilfisk dealer.

This year, from booth 1658, we’ll be featuring several of our HEPA and ULPA filter vacuum cleaners for the pharmaceutical  industry. Of course, the iconic GM80CR will be there, but so will our newest vacuum, the Nilfisk CFM S3. In fact, it will be the first time the pharmaceutical industry gets to see the vacuum’s many features and benefits up close! (Longopac “endless” collection container, filter monitoring LED indicators, stainless steel construction, etc.).

So we hope to see you at the show. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so, on us! Click on the image below and you’ll be directed to FREE registration. See you at the show!

“Tell every contractor you know we’re out there enforcing. Tell your friends, your neighbors, contractors you know, suppliers and trades. We are here and we will enforce the new law.”

Wow.  

These words came from a Massacusetts DOS inspector during a Lead RRP inspection at a Rockport, Mass renovation project. (Read the full story  here). The inspector admitted that the state is taking the rule very serious…and we believe him. Ray McCarthy, our Mass sales rep has been very busy taking calls from contractors looking for good HEPA Filter Vacuums, and the above quote certainly explains why.

While still very similar to  the EPA’s 40 CFR, Subpart E, the Mass  Lead Law,  454 CMR 22, does contain some differences. I’m certainly not an expert on the legalese, but Andrea Goldman from the Massachusetts Builders Blog knows what she’s talking about; she has started to outline the key differences on her blog.

Don’t live in Massachusetts?  The EPA has also authorized these states to administer and enforce their own RRP programs.

Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, Rhode Island, Utah, and Oregon.

Equipped with the right hose and accessories, high-quality industrial vacuums are built to meet specific challenges like collecting crumbs in a hot oven or removing spider webs on overhead pipes, but despite all the advantages, many manufacturers still opt for the low cost alternative of shop-style vacuums. Take a walk-through any manufacturing plant and you’ll find dozens of these portable units scattered throughout the facility, stored in janitor closets or near machinery. They are to industrial plants what a household vacuum is to consumers, and while they may be a purchase of convenience, sold on the shelves of nearly every Home Depot, Sears, or Lowes, shop-style vacuums are by no means built for efficiency or reliability (go ahead, shake your head because you agree), and like mops, brooms and compressed air, ultimately cost more in the long run.

The most common problem with shop-style vacuums is frequent motor burn-up. Typically equipped with low-cost, unreliable motors that overheat quickly, these vacuums are normally short-lived, especially when used to collect fine dust and debris several times a day for a lengthy period of time. High-quality industrial vacuums are equipped with superior motors, specifically designed to handle longer run times and industrial applications.

Aside from motor burn-up, shop-style vacuums also do an inadequate job of retaining collected materials due to poor filtration. Quality industrial vacuums are equipped with oversized filters which allow the vacuum to filter more efficiently. The larger the filter, the more space there is to trap particles that would otherwise clog or “blind” the filter, reducing suction and performance.

Industrial vacuums also have graduated or multi-stage filtration systems. These systems require debris to pass through several steps of filtration, such as a paper bag, main cloth filter and/or HEPA, with each level acting as a barrier to the next. By the time the particles reach the last stage, the majority of debris has been trapped by previous filters. Shop-style vacuums are usually only equipped with single-stage filtration systems, allowing particles to pass through the motor and disperse back into the facility through the exhaust stream.

 Unlike most shop-style vacuums, i-vacs are also available with many different features that increase run time and help prolong the life of the vacuum, features like an automatic filter cleaning system, which frees the filter from caked on dust and debris before it can clog the filter and reduce vacuum suction. Industrial vacuums can also be customized for specific applications, such as machine integration or multiple users. 

Aside from contamination control and labor costs, mops, brooms, and compressed air do little in preventing a combustible dust explosion. In fact, shop-style vacuums can actually cause an explosion if used to collect hazardous materials. Although workplace blasts have been occurring for years, the issue became a national headline last year when the Imperial Sugar Factory near Savannah, GA went up in flames when finely ground motes of sugar combusted. If 14 fatalities weren’t enough, OSHA fined the company more than 8 million dollars in workplace safety violations. Blasts like these could be prevented if a certified Explosion-Proof Vacuum (EXP) is used consistently to clean the plant thoroughly. Certified by a nationally- recognized testing agency, these vacuums are tested from the ground up to insure they are safe to use in high-risk environments. An EXP might be priced higher than basic models, but the return on investment is immeasurable, saving not just money, but lives. 

Despite all the clear advantages, companies are still hesitant to invest the money in a quality industrial vacuum cleaner, thinking only of the short-term costs. But believe it or not, the investment can easily save you thousands in the first year alone.