How to Fix and Repair a Ridgid shop vac (switch, thermal fuse, troubleshooting, parts link)

Caution: unplug vac before servicing. This video shows how to repair a RIDGID shop vac (most shop vacs are made very similar). First make sure the switch (amzn.to/2CsSt6j) is not faulty and then check if the thermal fuse (amzn.to/2VRblED) is not blown. Sometimes both can go bad, but usually it's one or the other. You'll need a multimeter with ohm settings. This is a 12 gallon 5 hp vac but all (that I've seen) the RIDGID have the same motor and electronic parts. Thermal Fuse rating is 121C, 10 amp 250 Volt. Original fuse: Microtemp ZCBBNF G4A01 121C.

[@marcbaez5198]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MrCDA240]

Marc Baez Thanks!! Please subscribe to my channel for more content

[@jwbnscacpt]

My Ridged shop vac just died attaching it to a thickness planer. After many hours of use on my other shop tools, the thicknesser took it out in 15 minutes. This is going to save me a lot of money. Thank you very much for your helpful advice!

[@jwbnscacpt]

It seems my washer sitting between the 13mm hex is affixed. Unsure what to do now 😢

[@lorettaralph3954]

Just needed to know how to get the motor out of housing as a piece of copper wire was flailing around and vac wouldn't power on. Watched ur vid and fixed the darn thing all by myself on my 60th bday. Right proud of myself and thanks a heap for the housing dismantle instructions. I would have given up if I hadn't watched ur vid. I got it right the first time. I sure will be watching ur vids for future tips n tricks as a widow living in the woods. Thanks for sharing ur knowledge.😊

[@Rich32262]

Fantastic! Got my fuses next day from Amazon. I tried 2 different soldering irons and a torch and couldn't solder the pieces together. I noticed mine were originally connected by crimps. As luck would have it I had some that I use for offshore fishing rigs. Works like a champ. $6.00 and a few hours later back in business. Thanks for posting this.

[@jonjont320]

I wish I had found your video six months ago. I was driving home one day and saw a full size ratty looking shopvac sitting on a curb among a pile of debris. Brought it home - no power. I'm a bit of a hoarder(recovering pack rat!) but for some reason... I threw it out. I'll never know if it was the fuse or not. Thanks for the good description of what to do.

[@jayjayshaffer1046]

Thanks for the informative video. I got my problem solved. By the way you about gave me an a nervous breakdown with the vacuum being plugged in. Lol

[@MrCDA240]

Yeah you're right. ONLY do this work with the vac unplugged

[@bossdog1480]

Nice one boss. I have a similar model. Now I know where that fuse is located. 😁😁

[@kobolila-yt]

Interesting. Thanks for the post. My issue turned out to be a little different, I never took the motor apart, instead I found that one of the leads for the brushes had acted like a thermal fuse and melted where it goes into the carbon

[@djay62992]

Just found the same problem .. Trina figure out how to replace now

[@PamPeerceLanders]

How did you fix it?

[@justin_baker]

The part about the thermo fuse being under the cloth was super helpful. I just figured mine didn't have one until your video. Thanks!!!

[@bossdog1480]

Same here.

[@conejomalvado6280]

Hey, thanks to your video I just replaced my burned out thermal fuse and it works like new.

[@tammyvincent5142]

I use the size 1 and 1/0 Mustad hooks to freeline for snook kzbin.infoUgkxzXmlErSqVAEGWFEKO530BvTqFDw53QW3 and they have been fantastic. The points are super sharp, and the hook is small enough to blend with my baitfish, yet large enough to land fish 30" or more. I also use these hooks when I'm pier or surf fishing with my kids. They tend to catch tons of smaller snapper, whiting, and catfish, and we get far fewer gut hooks with these Mustad in-lines, which means more of them survive after release. I was actually using these hooks when I caught my friend too, but I think that had more to do with the bait I was using ;-)

[@bossdog1480]

Did you get lost? This is a vacuum channel. lol

[@Juba.996]

Thanks for making this video. You pointed me straight to my problem. Cheers!

[@neipas02]

Great video. Mine was indeed the thermal fuse also. Kids used it without a filter and it burnt itself out. Mine was a little too far gone.. rusted.. I had to send her off, wasn’t worth ordering a part. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@user-ic2jd1gj3g]

This Shop Vac has been pissing me off! THANK YOU!!!!!!

[@Mike-qo4kp]

Excellent tutorial, very accurate and detailed. Saved my friends 15 year old 16 gallon, not for the beginner DIYer though. Anyway, great job.

[@craigmines255]

Man great work you are smart so i got a new one and gave it to myfriend and he fix it😂

[@morokeiboethia6749]

If you have a air compressor / air nozzle and you vaccuum a lot of fine dust like drywall dust, does opening the motor up and blowing around in there help to increase longevity of the shop vac or is it not worth doing? I've had my Ridigd shop vac for about 5 months now and it's working great. Was just wondering if I should open it up periodicially and blow out the sealed up areas of the vaccuum near the motor.

[@MyChevySonic]

I'm almost there. My shaft washer is either pressed or glued on. Hammering away at it soaked in wd40 isn't working, so I either need heat or a puller, but both methods will destroy the plastic body. Why couldn't they move the fuse somewhere more accessible?

[@alexanderortiz2198]

Thank you for your video! Straight to the point!

[@jameslundy70]

A very good video, Thanks for sharing

[@dr.VladimirKorovkin]

Thanks for making this video!

[@dicko195]

my rigid 6 gal vac has an inline buss fuse on the black wire from the switch, easy access. , looks like 10 amp, I cut it out and will see if an auto parts store has them.

[@rsanchez7111]

Nice vid mate. Thx for sharing

[@Tinkercatnh]

Is it mandatory to do this procedure while the unit in plugged in or can you unplug it ?

[@jpguitaristcomposer]

You want to unplug it to not risk getting shocked. It’s a big safety practice to do.

[@MrCDA240]

Definitely unplug and only plug in to test but then unplug again

[@chrisreneau2150]

Works perfectly thank you for the video

[@KyleDelaney21]

I noticed in the background you have a Ridgid 4 gallon shop vac. I have the same exact model and I am trying to understand how to remove the motor. I have everything apart, but it seems the washer is part of the bolt and I can remove it to, so I can remove the motor. Help!?!

[@thingshappen9199]

Good stuff man. If had to work on the motor would it need grease/lubes and if so which type would I get?

[@thefinaldispatch]

If ridgid has a lifetime warranty why don’t they just install the fuse in an area that’s easily accessible and sell replacement fuses at Home Depot

[@vectionnoitcev2836]

That would make too much sense therefore they won't do it. But now that you mention it I want to see if I can set up such a thing for mine as it suffered the same problem.

[@warfarewar8206]

fantastic video sir thank you

[@amcsamcs7488]

Qual modelo de carvão é o desse aspirador aí ?? Preciso comprar pro meu e não sei qual é .

[@pamgrimm8850]

I can’t hear or understand you. I am in a terrible mess. I tried to use the shop vac vacuuming up dark grout from my tile and it blew it out of all of the top of the machine and it’s all over my house. What is that hole where the tile grout is coming out and what part am I missing?

[@hiltonsilva1547]

Muito obrigado nos ajudou muito

[@TheUofastudent]

I checked the switch and the thermal fuse and everything looks good ! One thing that confused me was should I check the white and black wire by putting one wire on the white and one of the opposite brush ? What else could it be !

[@MrCDA240]

The fuse is usually on the white wire. Only check the continuity (ohms) on the white wire (both ends of the multimeter go to the two white wire ends). Don't check for continuity with one end on the black and one on white -- that is not going to check what you are looking for. You could also have a bad switch if the fuse is good, so check the switch first

[@Z-Ack]

If she already let the smoke out, you could have already burned the windings to a short.. if windings all look and smell ok then could have a loose wire or not testing right., you just want to test continuity directly over the fuse and switch.. the Ω readings can screw you up if it reads something lower because of dirty contacts.. there should be a test where the meter beeps when you touch leads together.. if it beeps when touching over the fuse and switch than both are good.. would be loose connection or a dead short on motor..

[@PamPeerceLanders]

What made the fuse blow in the first place?

[@christopherberg2739]

GREAT! Thanks..

[@ammar0466]

can i use solder when replace it or must do like you do?

[@MrCDA240]

The fuse is sensitive to heat (thermal fuse)... if you're good (efficient, fast ) with soldering then it may work. Heating up the fuse can blow it

[@anonimoporsiempre6033]

@@MrCDA240 Make sense 👍👍👍

[@gillion2700]

Could I bypass the fuse and just connect the wires or copper together? Three weeks to wait for a part is murderous it would probably must likely send to much current threw lol

[@MrCDA240]

I would advise against bypassing the fuse. There is a risk of an electrical fire.

[@edsmith6504]

If at some point you want to do the "electrocution shuffle" but don't bypass the fuse.

[@cleytonguedes2630]

❤

[@tomwiggins1225]

What about the brushes

[@MadIndian315]

Have you had to repair the 4 Gallon Portable Vac?

[@MrCDA240]

Yes I have. The one in the background is a 4 gallon vac that has the same motor as the bigger vac.

[@jasonc4882]

Did you leave it plugged in while working on it?

[@tristenb7723]

That's what I was thinking. 😬

[@huha123]

@@tristenb7723 He did leave it plugged in, most of us that have dealt with electrical repair can leave stuff plugged in, but can disconnect wires internally (especially with electric motors), which he did after he checked for continuity in the coil winding and the white wire. Right after he did that you can see the video jumped to a later moment when he was getting the screws out of the motor cover, the wires were disconnected from the motor. The main power line for the vac was still plugged in, is it dangerous? Not really the chance of the two wires touching each other is minimal

[@soymunoz]

wd12701 I need brushes any idea where can I find the carbon brushes?

[@Ca31_Buff]

Amazon/eBay

[@thefinaldispatch]

I bypassed the thermal fuse and checked black and white and I still have open loop. What should I do now? Buy a new vac? Lol

[@nystagmus]

My vacuum works but it smells like its burning

[@mikelandry5769]

You rebuilt that bitch. Rigid wanted you to buy a new one. My fuse blew when i was slowly vacuuming up some water. I did not realize i needed to work in one minute bursts. I ran continuously for 4 minutes and overheated it. How was rigid expecting to keep the motor cool anyway? This is a money maker for them when people try to do sustained work with the vacuum.

[@WeMe83]

Never trust a guy that works in slides.

[@dominicbarreca9914]

DO NOT do what he is doing! He never unplugged the vacuum before he started taking it apart. VERY DANGEROUS!! ALWAYS unplug the unit BEFORE taking it apart.

[@LanceRobbins-gg5bm]

You are right to say that. Because of all the sheep.

[@michaelcase3429]

Yor volum is very bad