Doyle vacuums with pleated cartridge filters

[Kimberly Berg]

I'm looking to replace my 40-year old Mark II Vacuums with newer, upright vacuums. I attended the recent ICA Show, looking at IVS and JE Adams. These vacuums use 4 long, fabric filters. Then, I stumbled upon the Doyle Vacuum booth. Instead of 4 vacuum filters, they use 2 pleated cartridge filters, and 5-gallon bucket. The filters are a thick fabric, similar to Goretex, with a coating. I spoke to Dave VanGorder, the President of Doyle Vacuums, and he said they're easier to clean than the long fabric filters. They can be brushed in place, or removed and washed. I'll have spares to quickly swap them out. This is a huge plus, as my vacuums are located in front of my wash bays, and the wind blows towards the bays. Also, I'm currently cleaning 5 filters a week. If I go with IVS or JE Adams, I'd be cleaning 20 filters a week! With the Doyle style, I'd only be cleaning 10 filters a week.

Anyone out there using Doyle vacuums, with these pleated cartridges? I asked IVS and JE Adams about these cartridges and they were intrigued. They said they've always used long fabric filters and see no reason to change.

 

[Keno]

5 gallon buckets seem like a nice touch. We have the fragramatics vacs with the 4 long fabric filters and don't have to clean them weekly, we deep clean them 2x per year, take them to a wash bay and pressure wash them off, let them dry and reinstall (some people have the extra set of filters like you a talking about, which we are probably going to do as well). We do use a dryer lint brush to brush the inside of the filters every time we empty the trash out of the vacs (every 2-3 weeks), works well for us.

 

[MEP001]

I've considered making an adaptor to put the pleated filters in a vac to see how they do. I feel like they will need more routine cleaning than the cloth bags. Right now I have the JE Adams bags with the spring-type ring that locks into the opening. The material is thinner than most, doesn't trap the debris and bits of plastic as bad. I empty the trash a couple times a week (I use the Hamel rubber bins) and shake the bags out each time. I don't ever take them out and wash them unless someone sucks up soapy water and turns the dirt on the bags to concrete. I feel like pleated filters will greatly increase my maintenance.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

Thank you for your feedback Keno & MEP001! I asked the guy who owns a SS car wash up the street from me how often he cleans his vacuum filters and he says "Never, the homeless do it!" He told me he leaves the debris door unlocked and the homeless clean it out. Yeah, right buddy.... Trust me, the homeless may be emptying the cannister and taking the change, but they're definitely NOT cleaning your vacuum filters! They're probably not closing the door either. LOL! Explains why your customers are now coming to my car wash to vacuum!

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

Those Doyle Filters look Very well made Sure beats cleaning out the 4 Bags Shoulder deep in vaccum Dust beating the bags making a Certified mess looks very thought out. Kimberly did they made any Pole mounted Arch Vacs like this. Did you take any more pictures at the show of them.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I'm with MEP, what the pres of doyle said is nice, but as they say I've heard it before. Show me. Or if they offered a 1 month money back guarantee I'd buy one today and try it.

I have not used the pleated filters so I cant comment on them other than the pleated filters in my shop vacs (car wash, garage, woodworking, etc) seem to clog up and reduce suction fairly easily. Bad enough that I generally use supplementary bags/filters in them & toss them regularly. Your comment about the *goretex*-ish material sounds interesting.

A long time ago I ran suction tests on my vacs. New filter bags, washed filter bags, dirty filter bags after shaking them out, and "never" cleaned filter bags after shaking them out. Yes there were measurable differences, but not noticeable to me without a suction gauge. Ever since then my routine is to shake them out as often as I can, and thats about it. (Long enough ago that I dont still have the spreadsheet of results.)

All of that said, I'd be very happy to make it better/easier/cleaner - vac cleaning is a nasty job.

 

[David Rolf]

I run the older Doyle vacs with the four cloth bags. I clean them every 6 months with monthly internal sweeping with a toilet brush. This works for us and the suction is great. Last month I had to buy 16 new bags. Brought the old ones home in a black garbage bag to clean and the wife threw them out thinking it was trash. I would think the pleated filters would clog quickly.

 

[Keno]

I run the older Doyle vacs with the four cloth bags. I clean them every 6 months with monthly internal sweeping with a toilet brush. This works for us and the suction is great. Last month I had to buy 16 new bags. Brought the old ones home in a black garbage bag to clean and the wife threw them out thinking it was trash. I would think the pleated filters would clog quickly.

Next time take them to the laundromat, no way I would run those through my home washer

 

[Kimberly Berg]

Those Doyle Filters look Very well made Sure beats cleaning out the 4 Bags Shoulder deep in vaccum Dust beating the bags making a Certified mess looks very thought out. Kimberly did they made any Pole mounted Arch Vacs like this. Did you take any more pictures at the show of them.

Yes, Doyle makes Arch Vacuums! Website is www.doylevacuum.com
No price, but here's a photo... Doyle's phone # is 616-554-9555.

 

[MEP001]

Next time take them to the laundromat, no way I would run those through my home washer

I did that once. Not only did it ruin the bags (the fine dust went right through them), I felt bad for the horribly nasty mess it left in the machine even after I ran it again empty to try and clean it.

 

[OurTown]

I'm looking to replace my 40-year old Mark II Vacuums with newer, upright vacuums. I attended the recent ICA Show, looking at IVS and JE Adams. These vacuums use 4 long, fabric filters. Then, I stumbled upon the Doyle Vacuum booth. Instead of 4 vacuum filters, they use 2 pleated cartridge filters, and 5-gallon bucket. The filters are a thick fabric, similar to Goretex, with a coating. I spoke to Dave VanGorder, the President of Doyle Vacuums, and he said they're easier to clean than the long fabric filters. They can be brushed in place, or removed and washed. I'll have spares to quickly swap them out. This is a huge plus, as my vacuums are located in front of my wash bays, and the wind blows towards the bays. Also, I'm currently cleaning 5 filters a week. If I go with IVS or JE Adams, I'd be cleaning 20 filters a week! With the Doyle style, I'd only be cleaning 10 filters a week.

Anyone out there using Doyle vacuums, with these pleated cartridges? I asked IVS and JE Adams about these cartridges and they were intrigued. They said they've always used long fabric filters and see no reason to change.

What museum are those old vacs going to?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Like MEP - Rarely remove bags to clean. I think the Cloth bags tend to shake out the dirt as bags flex during on / off cycles. I see the pleated ones needing cleaning regularly since they don't have that ability and if they are like my shop bac dirt gets stuck in the pleats.

 

[Keno]

I did that once. Not only did it ruin the bags (the fine dust went right through them), I felt bad for the horribly nasty mess it left in the machine even after I ran it again empty to try and clean it.

I have never tried it, we just HP rinse them in the bays about 2x a year. Good to know it would ruin the bags

 

[Kimberly Berg]

What museum are those old vacs going to?

LOL! I have 2 SS carwashes in the next town over that still use these Mark VII vacuums. I reached out to them, and they said they would like to keep for parts and spares. You can't buy replacement fiberglass cannister, lid or filter frames any more. These Mark VII vacuums have served me well the past 20 years. I had a local machinist make me custom metal frames, and my girlfriend sewed me filters. About 10 years ago, we stripped off the metal hardware, and took them to a local painter who did some fiberglass repair on them, and re-painted them a bright yellow. Customers thought they were brand new vacuums! These vacuums made by Livingston Cleaning Systems, but sold under the name of Doyle Vacuum Cleaners. The top and debris cannister are made of fiberglass. There is one large square filter inside that I clean and wash every week. Each vacuum uses 2 motors (220V), 2-stage. The motors cost about $350 each from Kleen-Rite, but last 12-15 years.

The only reason I'm looking to replace them, is that they only have 1 large filter inside. If someone vacuums up liquids, it kills the suction until the filter dries or gets replaced. Some young drivers today don't know what they are! Recently, I had a gal waiting to use a single IVS upright vacuum I have on the side of my car wash. She was waiting awhile and I thought they were together. When I asked her, she said she was waiting for my "only vacuum." Uh... So, I pointed to the 4 square yellow vacuums, and she admitted she didn't know what they were! What the hell!???

 

[New Washdog]

While in Vegas at the car wash show, stand alone vacs were high on our investigation list to replace or old D&H vacs. After looking at them all and talking to the owner/engineer at the Doyle booth we have pretty much decided Doyle is the one we are going to choose. He seemed up front honest and the pleated filter and bucket design appeals to me.

Anyone who has cleaned the debris that accumulates in the interior of socks knows its no fun and a very dirty job. Brushing the hair, debris and fine dust from the exterior of a filter seams like if will be much easier if you ask me. Time will tell, we should know more shortly after install which should be late September.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

While in Vegas at the car wash show, stand alone vacs were high on our investigation list to replace or old D&H vacs. After looking at them all and talking to the owner/engineer at the Doyle booth we have pretty much decided Doyle is the one we are going to choose. He seemed up front honest and the pleated filter and bucket design appeals to me.

Anyone who has cleaned the debris that accumulates in the interior of socks knows its no fun and a very dirty job. Brushing the hair, debris and fine dust from the exterior of a filter seams like if will be much easier if you ask me. Time will tell, we should know more shortly after install which should be late September.

New washdog, I appreciate your feedback & assessment. I agree that cleaning the OUTSIDE of 2 pleated cartridges has got to be easier than cleaning the INSIDE of 4. If you're looking for a referral to help you make a decision, ask Dave VanGorder, the President of Doyle Vacuums. When I spoke to him at the ICA show, he said he could provide a few local contacts.

 

[New Washdog]

New washdog, I appreciate your feedback & assessment. I agree that cleaning the OUTSIDE of 2 pleated cartridges has got to be easier than cleaning the INSIDE of 4. If you're looking for a referral to help you make a decision, ask Dave VanGorder, the President of Doyle Vacuums. When I spoke to him at the ICA show, he said he could provide a few local contacts.

Dave is the one I spoke to in Vegas and at length. He seemed like a genuine forthright, honest great guy. Got to nail down dates for other projects so I can incorporate vacs into the same time period.

 

[Randy]

Kim, What’s the procedure for cleaning pleated vacuum filters? They look to me like they could be labor intensive.

I clean my vac’s 3 times a week, Monday, Thursday, dump the Hamel waste tubs, first thing in the morning. On Saturday morning I open the top door and I slap the 4 filter bags down, then open the lower clean out door, this prevents a lot of the dust escaping from a the lower section of vac. The whole process takes about 20 minutes to do all of the vac at the car wash. About once a year I install my spare vacuum bags and wash out the ones that are installed. I always wear rubber gloves, coveralls and a mask when I clean the vac's.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

Hi Randy, Dave from Doyle said you can use a brush to remove accumulated hair & debris from the pleats, or wipe with your gloved hand, knock them to dislodge loose, fine dust or remove and wash the filters. Even if I do it 2x/week, I think it would create LESS dust blowing towards the bays than cleaning the 4 long vacuum filters I clean every week on my IVS vacuum. I use the same method you use. I'm very thorough, using a toilet brush, to clean every filter. I go up & down, then around & around inside each filter to capture all the hair. I wear a mask, eye goggles as the process releases a lot of dust. Takes me about 15 minutes to clean 4 filters on 1 IVS vacuum. It's certainly the dirtiest job but one of the most important!

 

[MEP001]

Something to vibrate the pleated filters after each use might keep them clean.