How to Reduce Shop Vac Noise by 50%

[@scottmarshall6766]

I don't get all the negative attitudes here, you've identified a problem we all have, and proposed a solution. Thanks for making the video. When I'm paying an engineer (I am one BTW) to solve a noise problem, I'll get snarky if he's off base. Since you made a video to try to help me, I'm going to say "Thank You" Your free proposed solution is more any naysayer have done to make my shop a better place. Her's my contribution to the project, for what it is worth. I spent a lot of my professional life building industrial equipment and factory equipment. Workplace safety and comfort play into much of creating a productive and pleasant place to work. Uncomfortable people don't do good work, and get hurt more than those that are happy at work. Here's a bit of what I learned through the years of designing machinery that people have to work with. I think it explains why your system works better than you would think, as it doesn't reduce motor noise etc. Db is complicated. I'd give you a pat answer, how much quieter your muffler makes the shop-vac, but I'm afraid there just isn't any. Suffice it to say your improvement is significant and will make working around a shop vac less unpleasant. Loudness is perceived and subjective. The qualities of the offending sound factor into it's level of irritation as much as the energy it contains (Sound Pressure Level - also expressed in db). The surroundings effect it's characteristics, so the shop-vac outdoors is less unpleasant outdoors than it is in a shop with objects reflecting the sound back at the listener. The total energy contained in the sound is the similar, but in the indoor case, the effect is much more annoying due to it's physiological and psychological effects on the listener. There is an entire field of study dedicated to the subject. Sorry for the wordy explanation, but there's a lot going on when it comes to industrial noise control. What it all boils down to, is that your solution is effective not necessarily because it reduces the sound energy (which it most certainly does), but because it reduces a lot of the high frequency air noise, a type of noise that is particularly unpleasant to most people. This is the noise that bounces around a lot indoors and thus contributes more than you would expect to the unpleasant character of shop-vac noise. For example, the old fingernails on a chalkboard noise carries very little energy, and is far from dangerous, but is very high on the irritation scale. Thanks for your work making this video, I enjoyed it, and it gives me a few ideas on how to improve my shop. Subbed.

[@sermexflomex1423]

Scott Marshall I hate noise when I’m working. Especially if I have to talk to people. I can’t understand how people let truck’s engine run in the job site for no apparent reason.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for that incredibly thoughtful comment and helping to improve our overall knowledge. Of course thanks for watching.

[@YannickRoy76]

I’m curious on how you’d go about to muffle even more the db?!? I’ve seen many attempts it with muffler type enclosure and put the shopvac inside and I founded that was the most effective way. But I’m a little afraid of overheating the motor! I’m still open to other ways of doing it!

[@grancito2]

You are not much of an engineer, I bet you would make a muffler for a car by stuffing rag up the exhaust pipe.

[@wrstew1272]

Thank you for giving a well thought out and informed response. I see far too many snarky reviews on videos of people who really do spend time passing along ideas for people who might have needs for them. We all have different experience as well as needs.

[@brianfoster7064]

Great job. Now, a correction concerning dBs. Every three units of measurement is either a 50% decrease, or a 100% increase. Going from 94 dB to 80 dB is 14 points. You reduced the volume by more than 87%. That's a massive improvement.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for the info and thanks for watching.

[@klave8511]

Your math might be a bit rusty, if 3dB were to reduce it by 50%, then it would have been halved about 5 times. So, in incremental steps of 3dB, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32. So 32x reduction BUT -3dB is 50% for power. Sound measurements are sound pressure level not sound intensity. So it takes -6dB to reduce the noise by half. -14dB means the sound was reduced to 20% of its initial value. As you said, a considerable improvement.

[@jonathanbetenbender307]

@@klave8511 But also there is percieved noise. A reduction of 10db sounds about half as loud, but it's also about frequency. Lower frequency doesn't sound as loud... the holes should actually change the frequency as well (not sure to what degree).

[@manuellorenzocasal6579]

This is really what happened, right? Did he really reduced by 87%?

[@michaelgriffith2954]

I love the idea behind this. I am sure some others have suggested a few improvements. My only concern is that while watching the video, I could not see about 80$ of what was being built. and I felt that the most critical stuff to see how it is built did not get shown. I learn best by seeing what is done, so I missed a lot of the meat and potatoes of this build. Can you consider to maybe make another video to show the process better? Thank you.

[@alexcurbelo3544]

I agree. A simple zoom-out would have improved the video greatly. It was frustrating not seeing what he was doing. I wonder how much further then noise can be reduced if sound-absorbing material were to be used inside the motor casing (without blocking vents and inner workings) and inside the container. Also, the material could be put inside the muffler itself. It doesn't have to be thick material; it could be thin sheets of Dynamat. There is room for improvement but this project is a great way to start.

[@maxz2433]

Thank you for the video. This is a great idea. I tried it on my Harbor Freight Bauer 6 gallon shop vac and it worked. The specifics of how I made it is a little different. I'll include them here for others who may try to duplicate what I have done. First, the exhaust hole of my shop vac was 2.25" ID, which was a bit smaller than the OD of standard 2" PVC pipe which is 2.375". So, I had to sand one end of the pipe to make it fit. In the end, I went a bit too far, so I added a couple of layers of blue painters tape and voila - perfect press fit without any screws. Doing the math like you did, the area of 2.25" hole is pi*2.25^2/4=3.976. The area of 0.5" holes on the inner pipe are: pi*0.5^2/4=0.196. So, one needs 3.976/0.196=20.286. holes. So I drilled 25 of them to be sure. I measured sound levels and I got 91-92 dbA without the 'muffler' and 85-86 dBA with the muffler, around 1 meter away, using an app on my phone. That's 5-6 dbA reduction with is about 50% like your case. I did run into one issue though - with the muffler and 25 holes, I noticed that suction power of the vacuum dropped significantly. So, I drilled a few more holes. In the end, I ended up with 41 holes (I just kept drilling and when I counted I had 41 total). This restored most of the suction power (I don't have a CFM meter to tell more accurately. Nevertheless, it looks like one needs more holes on the exhaust (like at least 50% more total area). I don't have a scientific explanation for it but I think it's because without the muffler, the air just exits the exhaust hole. With the muffler, the air needs to travel more torturous path and thru the little foam inserts. I'd love to hear a good explanation, if anyone has one.

[@shantinath1000]

Thank you for this- I now not only know how to quiet the vac but a basic ide of how to apply this to any situation. Well done.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching.

[@lorenworthington8739]

I may build one just because it’ll look cooler than my neighbors standard shop vac. I’m just curious if you measured the airflow before and after to confirm your calculations?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

I just picked up a meter and measured a drop from 14 m/s to 12 m/s input velocity. I do notice the difference but it still has plenty of suction to pick up the saw dust. Thanks for watching

[@retiredatforty]

Great idea and a great outcome. May I respectfully suggest-and this will require some non-linear editing-showing the finished project at the beginning, so people can anchor their brains in what you’re up to. Say, “Here’s what we’re building today,” THEN explain and demonstrate the build (as you did), then demonstrate the final product in action (as you did). Loved the real-time decibel readings, which added credibility to your presentation. Thanks for putting this together!

[@FreshAirRules]

Excellent suggestion!

[@ronjaybarnett]

Nicely Done! Brilliant! I plan on building one of your mufflers. I liked your solution and your cool low key attitude in the presentation and non threatening way you introduced the math. Also liked that you used easy to find materials and building techniques. I also liked what others below said about making more holes for less restriction since the array of small holes, though the same total area, will have more restriction. basic rule of thumb is the air restriction goes with the cube of the diameter difference. It's actually not that bad in this case since the formula only goes where the diameter is much less than the hole length. It would be complicated to calculate. However a good guess is that you would need twice the number of 1/2" holes to not measurably restrict the air flow. I like Scott Marshall below am a practicing engineer. one last note reducing the sound by 3dB is cutting the sound power in half. while reducing the sound by 10db reduces the sound power by 10dB reduces the sound power to 1/10. However that being said, the ear is logarithmic so it sounds like the sound is 1/2 is loud, so in the end you are right on and the sound you here is reduced by 50%. More importantly the hearing damange potential goes with the sound power, so as far as hearing damage over time your Brilliant muffler reduces that by the full 90%. Sorry for the long message I did not have time to make it any shorter. Thank you

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Fantastic feedback, I am planning a redo and will be using this feedback in my updated design. Thanks for watching.

[@stuartsherman5975]

Thank you very much for sharing this great idea. It's it possible to provide a list of the pvc pipping and fittings used for those of us not familiar with them? Amy light you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

[@poncho6784]

Thanks! Great idea. You are correct because the decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that each 10 dB difference represents a tenfold increase in intensity. By lowering the noise into the 70 decibel range you SUBSTANTIALLY lower the risk of hearing damage. And the hazard of an angry spouse when you run the shop vac at 7am on a Saturday morning! 🤣

[@rla1000]

Great information, thanks for putting this up. Question: I'm curious to know how much suction is reduced by adding the muffler. Any device that restricts air outflow - which a muffler would most certainly do - has to affect inflow as well. A simple measurement of air inflow with an anemometer with and without the muffler would be very telling.

[@catfishcave379]

Things I learned : how to apply math for the size of the holes I need on my spray bar on my aquariums’ filter outlets. No more trial and error. (Um... let’s try five 1/4” holes... nope, try again...) Decibels is a logarithmic scale. That made me go do a little research myself and I learned a lot. Thanks for the video; it’s not always about what you can use, but what you learned.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching. Let me know how the aquarium filter turns out.

[@hudzgh]

Is it possible to click thumbs up twice?

[@johnterdik4707]

Great video and instructions. What is the purpose of the window in the pipe body (see the video at 4:32)? Looks like you have covered it with clear plastic. What is the next step for greater sound reduction?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The window was actually just left over from another project that i salvaged the material from. Next step is an enclosure to really knock the sound down without impacting the airflow. I did this in another video and the sound reduction was significant. Thanks for watching.

[@johnterdik4707]

@@woodworkingyoutube I tried to find the other video you mentioned, please give me the link. Have you used any Central Vacuum motors such as www.lifesupplyusa.com/default/central-vacuum-3-stage-motor-compatible-with-ametek-116765-high-suction-tangential-bypass-discharge-blower-metal-horn-5-7-inch-with-wires.html I'd like to try one using a brushless motor. I'm still in the research phase.

[@steveforbes8287]

This is definitely one of the most useful and well presented shop videos that I have seen. I appreciate the basic math that you used to figure out the requirements for the construction of the muffler. I agree with several others that your demonstration of the construction was not very well presented since much of it was just out of the frame in the video. However, knowing what you were supposed to be doing helps to fill in the blanks. Also, others have noted that the way sound is measured and with the meager audio quality it is obvious that the reduction was very significant. Thank you for going to the trouble to present this video in a very educational manner.

[@kevin30179]

this was the single hardest video to watch on youtube.

[@j45002]

It literally put me to sleep

[@KuuipoleilaniKeaulan]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and in a way that any "rocket scientist will never wannabe", can easily learn ... you have a great way of captivating your audience, well you got me wanting more .

[@marbleman52]

Even if I made one of these mufflers for my shop Vac, I would still have to use my 'ears' because when I would have my vac running, it would be because I would also be using my loud mitre saw or my planer ( a real screecher) or maybe the table saw or my belt sander; although my table saw is not a screecher like the mitre saw and planer. Anyway...I applaud your creativity and using science to explain why & how it works.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for the comments.

[@commoncents456]

Nice video Question By baffling the exhaust does it reduce the suction

[@traceyhughes273]

i realize this is an old video but i just found it.. my question is: did you step the diameter up from 2.5" to 3" or 4"??? thanks

[@seangholipour3884]

Absolutely a genius creation

[@Stephenwp]

Ridgid makes a muffler for the shop vacuum. I have one. It plugs into the exhaust port like the muffler that you made. It does a good job of reducing the noise, but also reduces the suction and airflow of the vacuum. The one benefit is that it diffuses the exhaust so it doesn’t blow as much dust around. Ever been in a smaller room trying to vacuum up dust while the exhaust port is helping to blow it into a cloud?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

I am fortunate to have good size shop and have not noticed a dust cloud. I do have one of the mufflers you mentioned and I agree with your comments, i was just trying to take it up to the next level. Thanks for watching.

[@gvet47]

I have that little muffler and to be honest I see no difference to my ear with or without it.

[@conrat2000]

Thanks for the video. This should be pretty easy to put in place. Thank you.

[@philmeanor2638]

Thanks for the video. I watched it several times and then built a similar model with mods. I adapted a short 2” PVC pipe to the exhaust port (wrapped with a bike inner tube then screwed in place). This went to a PVC ‘U’ then the regular muffler. I put many holes in the 3” pipe. Then sliced the top of a 4” pipe & clamped it around the existing 2”-3” adapter. This 4” pipe seemed to cut the sound pretty well. I didn’t have a cap to check the sound of the original muffler, but without it it was too loud. Thanks again.

[@dstewart7470]

Would you be inclined to share a pic of your version? I was prepared to go buy the materials but your mods seems intriguing.

[@johannapoder2843]

Nice one, i made 1 also for my shopvac. Mine is way smaller, but it really works.

[@terryherrera5252]

IF you made it longer ? Would it make it quieter?? Or restrict the exhaust ?? GREAT VID. !!

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Theoretically yes, but I would run out of space to the floor before it really made a difference. Thanks for watching.

[@mbrown5494]

Pretty cool, but how badly did you restrict air flow suction?

[@John-NeverStopLearning]

Thank you for the video, it looks like the muffler is on the exhaust side. True? How much of a CFM reduction do you have W/ the cyclone on the input? How much more do you have with the muffler? What keeps the foam muddles from being sucked blown out of the muffler?

[@56thSPSk970]

Thanks, great job on the video, im putting it to work... Note: pi r square , No pie are round cake are squared.😅😅

[@MartinDolan]

That's a great video, thanks, now I know how to make a muffler. My recommendation is to do a few more holes than you think you need because the other thing that makes a difference on airflow is going around corners etc. So you might have the right surface area of the holes but it will still restrict it greatly. Pulling a figure out of my ass but 25% more than you think you need. Even without having a muffler and just the outlet either straight or at 90 degrees will make a big difference to outflow and therefore suction. Where there is room I always use 2x 45degree elbows with a little straight run in the middle instead of 1x 90deg bend. Thanks again for the video, this project is on my list 👍🏼

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Great input, thanks for watching.

[@stephenshepherd9090]

hi, I wasnt sure if you had a hole drilled in your larger outer pipe. it looked like a window. please explain if I am seeing right. it wasnt mentioned in the video. thanks. Great video and helpful information btw

[@rickenglish6962]

Noise canceling ear buds , u can take them anywhere ?

[@timw.5030]

Thanks! That was awesome I appreciate it

[@PandorasBox2]

good video specially science part explanation help to measure us for our sound dampening projects 👍

[@django02]

Cool idea. Thanks for posting this. I may just build one of these. Also, unlike the whining below about your presentation being "too technical", I appreciated your inclusion of your calculations for determining how many 1/2" holes to drill. It's clear from the comments that a lot of people are unaware that the decibel scale is non-linear. That's not your fault, but you could have headed off most of those comments by mentioning that in the video.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks, and you have a very good point, although I do enjoy interacting with anyone who uses their valuable time to watch my videos and comments.

[@drillguy300]

Wood Crafting Place Explaining JND would help people appreciate the improvement.

[@guyh.4553]

Most important thing about the construction "...move your coffee cup well away because PVC cement does not taste good. We don't want anything to get in the way of good coffee!" Good design and math. Yes, even though it sucks, math does matter in life.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@guyh.4553]

@@woodworkingyoutube when I get time (ha ha ha), I'm going to try it. Till then, ear muffs!

[@bobbybaldeagle702]

What about that hole in the side of the big pipe that's covered with some kind of plastic what size is that hole what's it for... I saw you talking about everything else but you never mentioned that hole on the side of the big pipe I take it that's for the exhaust to come out but what size is the hole

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Good catch, the material was repurposed from my sons science project which had a viewing window. In my muffler it has no function, it is sealed with plexiglass. Thanks for watching.

[@joshuatwhaley-novelist]

very creative solution.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@rikityrik]

Love the idea, any number of improvements could be made, with a bit of imagination. But you definitely made it quieter. Thanks!

[@lfrankow]

agreed. Van Halen stripes, FTW.

[@barbarianatgate2000]

I like the project and idea in general. Unfortunately, I've yet to find any "muffler" solution that didn't impede the draw to the point where I was dissatisfied with the performance. I solve my issue by throwing on a set of "Worktunes" and rocking out while I clean up.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I ended up more satisfied with the dust cart noise reduction featured in my later video kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWOZmJ2XftNloZo. Thanks for watching.

[@jamesnasmith984]

Nice use of available materials. How much did the added resistance cut the suction? More holes and less baffling might help airflow.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

There was a reduction but not to the extent that the vacuum wouldn't pick up everything I need to. I found a clogged filter had alot more impact than my little modification. I am planning on a redo which will have more holes and some other upgrades from many great recommendations provided from my viewers. Thanks for watching.

[@Rodoman2]

Thanks. Very good and smart comments and conclusions. Always is good to learn something new. 👍🇺🇸🙏

[@neilf4128]

Amazing and great idea. Thank you. May I ask, did you notice much reduction in suction?

[@ChrisBeardsley]

That's a great question. If I do this, maybe I'll test.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

I just picked up a meter and measured a drop from 14 m/s to 12 m/s input velocity. I do notice the difference but it still has plenty of suction to pick up the saw dust. Thanks for watching.

[@neilf4128]

@@woodworkingyoutube Hi. Thank you so much for your reply. I agree, the couple drops in m/s isn't too significant. I will be trying out your idea myself. Thanks again.

[@osu895]

Good idea. I need a diffuser more than a muffler, I hate the outflow blowing everything behind me into next Tuesday. For the sound, I just put on ear protection.

[@mauriceryton]

Thank you, great video. My SV is a noisy sucker too. I will be building one of these mufflers soon.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching.

[@NebulaM57]

That was awesome!! Thanks for sharing. My shop vac is very loud as well. I will certainly give this a try. Thanks!

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@randymcpherson4619]

Spray all your parts inside and out with Flex Seal might help absorb some of the sound and try using steel wool instead of foam noodles.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Interesting thought, I will have to experiment. Thanks for watching.

[@MrAtfenn]

im going to build this today. can you explain why steel wool is better than the foam?

[@georgedennis2719]

What size are the pipes you are using? 2 and 3 or 2 and 4 inch? Really want to try this. When might you be posting your next version? Thanks for the inspiration?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Outer pipe is 3" and the inner pipe is 2". Thanks for watching

[@ChrisJones-mw8cn]

If you suffer from insomnia...watch this video.

[@trumpking4874]

😂😂😂

[@clintlbrown2597]

😂😂😂😂

[@TheRoadDawg]

I was literally in the bed for 45 minutes unable to sleep (it’s now 1:38am), got up and looked up how to dampen my shop vac noise, lol. Great comment!

[@adelemartinez8235]

LOL

[@jayraysdiy852]

that is a significant reduction in noise. I am curious, how did it affect the airflow?

[@hanneliediedericks3025]

Serves its purpose well

[@joedance14]

Has the airflow (volume) been checked with and without muffler?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The app is Decibel X for Iphone. I didnt have an Anemometer when I filmed this but when I went back and checked there was really no change. The filter is the real limiting restriction unless you put a small crevice nozzle on the hose. Thanks for watching.

[@joedance14]

Wood Crafting Place Thanks! Enjoyed the video.

[@MisterDivineAdVenture]

I'm shocked by how well that worked. I would have thought most of the noise was coming from the motor head and not through the exhaust. Unlike an ICM where there are actual explosions going on upstream of the exhaust..

[@gvet47]

Very true! The fan in an uninsulated plastic housing sings.

[@TipToeingThroughTheTulips]

Ritchie Aprille is really knowledgeable

[@therach7841]

Sometimes I think God only had like 1000 different models to make all the humans that existed.

[@allanfischer9417]

What did constipating the outflow do the suction of the shop vacuum? In order for the suction to remain constant, the air you displace to create the vacuum must go somewhere. If you impede the air flow, ipso facto the suction must diminish.

[@jmidesigns]

Great video and great solution to lower the noise. If you or anyone here can answer this question. The large outer pvc pipe I see a large hole cut out but it looks like some plastic transparent film is covering it. I didn’t see you cutting that huge hole was it might to be there or did you just cover the hole up to use it for this project. Thank you to any one that answers.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The plexiglass was left over from my sons science project that I reused the material from. Thanks for watching.

[@mrx-in4xh]

Thanks for the video and the explanation of the theory behind it. I have a ShopVac Ultra and besides the hole for the suction hose, the only other hole it has is for using it as a blower, and of course it's closed with a threaded cap when using the vacuum port. So I'm not sure where to connect the muffler in my unit. Which port are you using to attach your muffler? thanks

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Here is another option: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWOZmJ2XftNloZo. Thanks for watching

[@deckmonkey1459]

The blower is just the exhaust port where you would attach this. If you have the cap tight, the vacuum doesn't work well.

[@nicholasaustin2717]

Thank you for the knowledge. I am unlikely to complete this specific project, but 5-10 years from now I will encounter another piece of knowledge in a seemingly unrelated field and this videos knowledge will click together with my future problem like a final missing puzzle piece you find under the couch. I don’t want to be immortal, except I occasionally wish I could live long enough for all my stray/loose ends of knowledge to be tied to something personally and physically relevant.

[@kellyrobison4648]

Is the muffler capped off .where is the air getting out

[@buffyarx]

I’m curious how much this muffler will affect the vacuum of the shop vac. ? If any 🤷‍♂️ Thanks for the video !!!

[@poncho6784]

I think that was the whole point of doing the math. So you dont restrict airflow and therefore dont change the vacuum's efficiency

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The airflow dropped from about 14 to 12 m/s. You can feel a difference but it still has plenty of suction for saw dust and normal debri. Thanks for watching.

[@jakesblotto7329]

Very nicely done. Thanks for the video. Gonna try it to see if I can get the same results.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching, did it work for you?

[@afterburner2869]

Would something like this work on a gun? Asking for a friend you understand!

[@mikegrok]

That muffler is interesting... I have a pool noodle with a 2.5 inch inside diameter which I think would be nearly as effective. Thank you for proposing this idea.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Sounds perfect for the application. Thanks for watching

[@MrMattDat]

Great video and simple, easy solution! Not sure where I missed it, but what did you use to make the observation window in the outside housing? Perhaps warmed up some plexiglass?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The plexiglass was left over from my sons science project that I reused the material from. But yes I did warm plexiglass when I did that. Thanks for watching.

[@jamescullins2709]

It looks like the foam stick would reduce the airflow a lot or am I missing something?

[@jamescampbell9156]

very cool great idea

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@walthodgson5780]

Benefits of a sweep 90 over a hard 90?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@jesusjcrrotary9271]

Thank you! I will be assembling one of these for my wife‘s vacuum cleaner! I hate that thing!

[@ralphmartini2863]

I appreciate the math and sharing ur experience. The math leaves nothing to chance or shade tree engineering!

[@ps.2]

Well, you'll notice he calculated 4.9 in² of cross section, but he did not calculate the cross section of the pipe after he stuffed it full of foam baffles. Something to think about.

[@papasmurf9146]

The video would be much more valuable if I could see the parts you're working on. Most of the time it's off the bottom of the screen. It would be interesting to know what the difference in the vacuum performance.

[@michaelovitch]

You cut the sound volume in half every 3 decibels. So if you have 100 dB and can get 97 dB you removed half the noise it made. You did cut way more than 50 % here.

[@CaseAgainstFaith1]

3 db is double the energy. 10 db is double the perceived volume.

[@michaelovitch]

@@CaseAgainstFaith1 I've searched a bit and it' not that simple,looks like it 's following the frequency also. They say around 6 to 10 dB to get that perception.

[@CaseAgainstFaith1]

michaelovitch Okay thanks

[@GregoryFeeney]

Good video my friend, never understood the noise was from air flow more than the motor.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Me neither, until I realized how much quieter the machine was without the exhaust blowing directly at me. There is still the noise from the intake which when I bring it up to the clean something high like the bandsaw table drowns out the motor. The enclosure I did in the follow up video ended up being the way to go ultimately. Thanks for watching/

[@jayspannerman9623]

When you assembled it all I saw was your head nothing else. Did I miss something?

[@twolery1514]

Yes, that was definitely a problem. The camera needed to be focused more on the muffler. I saw what was done to create the end of the muffler that was attached to the shop vac. I did not see what was done on the other end. That part is a mystery.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

The 3" outer pipe is open and the 2 inch inner pipe is capped. I appreciate the comments about improving the video. Thanks for watching.

[@AmbachtAle]

I've heard that most vacuums are noisy because people think a noisier vacuum is more powerful and so they actually design them to be noisier than they have to be. Thanks for the info. Have you made any improvements in the last couple of years?

[@kevrides5706]

I’ve heard that for years about household vacuums, but never about shop/ wet dry vacuums. I wonder what the truth is.

[@contessa.adella]

An additional measure would be to build a closed cabinet around the whole vac and line it with a sound absorption material like Rockwool. Great video thanks.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Funny you should mention that, here is my video of just that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWOZmJ2XftNloZo Thanks for watching

[@TheSquigy]

Is there a video where we can actually watch you put this together? I have no idea what you did for most of the assembly.

[@TheSquigy]

Having the camera on yourself while your work is out of frame renders this video completely useless

[@crackerjack3359]

I had been thinking of building a sound reduction cabinet, but was worried about the vac overheating on long runs. This seems like the way to go. Do yo think you would get additional reduction by putting more foam in the outer sleeve in addition to the center?

[@franciscomarin6493]

Hi. There is a large hole on the outer pvc. But its not mentioned. Pls explain

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Good catch! I re-purposed that PVC from another project so I glued a piece of plexiglass over it just to seal it. The hole serves no purpose for this project. Thanks for watching.

[@JS-xs5hq]

So what was that huge hole in the side of the outer pipe that he didn't explain?

[@joeyszalkiewicz8052]

He's right on point I'm a plumber and PVC cement does not taste good

[@gokblok]

I didn't see the part where you explain the larger outer pipe and what looks to be a sight glass in it?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Good catch. That was a sight port from my sons science project which the material was repurposed from. For this build it doesn't serve any purpose. Thanks for watching.

[@shelleyrightmyer6421]

Yes it is loud

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching.

[@nitrofreakmanho]

Well a 10dB drop( or rise in volume )is perceived as a 50% reduction( or gain )by the ear. Nice work!

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for that!

[@bryanm5233]

Thanks!

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@toddmcintyre4995]

thanks for this! Solved a problem for me.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Glad it helped!

[@haroldmeid7791]

What size is the pipe size

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Outside pipe is 3" and the inside pipe is 2". Thanks for watching

[@printme2010]

My rabbits say thank you! 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰

[@brianchv3661]

Really great!!

[@TeakillaSunrice]

Ear buds is my easy solution with any combination of noises from vacuum, table saw, air compressor etc

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@yeahthatshouldwork]

And wife

[@jsh3234]

@@yeahthatshouldwork 😂

[@orangecounty7144]

What you said is common sense. This is normally for the people around your vicinity. Good luck telling your neighbors to put on some ear plugs.😂 There are times when working in the garage late in the evening, we need or want to run a machine without pissing off the neighbors or waking up a baby somewhere.........😁

[@LaRoseDetails]

Thats a solution for you…not customers lmao

[@EmJayCD]

Awesome job. I love it. Its a problem that we all have and this is a great solution for it. May not be the best, but its still functional and thats the point. It works... thank you for this idea.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@celticviking2319]

Greasing the bearings helps too. I'm gonna give my vac a little tlc this weekend. Thanks for the tip! Now I'm thinking....what else can I muffle? 🤔

[@Jay-yy9ol]

If most of the sound is created by the motor, is there a way to sound proof the housing instead of the exhaust option? Maybe spray foam the whole vac on the outside (leaving the vents open). You could then change the shape of the vac this way also. Add some better accessory holder. A coffee thermos holder. Customize the finish color. Add racing stripes, etc.

[@TheDiverJim]

Great idea! Does your foam not decrease the volume of air through the muffler and thus impact airflow or did I miss something?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

I was also wondering about that and I did some testing and my non-scientific (hand of the inlet) measurement did not really make a noticeable difference, which gives me the impression there is some other restriction in the system which is even greater,

[@nealpedigo2842]

Better to wrap the outside of the perfarated tube with an expanded, woven, cloth like material (like a scotch pad.,.). Loosely wrapped, and zip-tied in three places. That would greatly reduce sound without compromised air flow.

[@onenikkione]

Why can I lower the dB's on my shop vac but if I want to do the same with my firearm the ATF wants $200 for a stamp and I have to wait and wait and wait (6 months) until they approve the purchase? makes no sense.

[@rodneyclark9252]

Wish I'd seen this sooner. I bought a long hose and put my vac outside, on a remote switch!

[@clips65]

I built a small shed for my compressor and vac outside of garage. Noise gone!

[@crackerjack3359]

The longer the hose , the more friction and flow loss.

[@mpikas]

You 're talking about not restricting flow... even a straight pipe the size of the outlet will restrict flow, the longer it is the more it restricts. Bends restrict more. Steps restrict more. Putting the foam in a 2.5" pipe is restricting it to less than the area of a 2.5" cross section. The holes in the tube that you are forcing the air to go through are basically acting like bends and steps at the same time. In the end I wouldn't be surprised if that muffler cuts airflow more than 1/3. OTOH, if it's still enough flow for what you're doing that is a significant change in volume, but I bet that most of it is actually caused by turning the exhaust down and towards the floor (up might also help, as long as it's not facing you), especially the way you're holding the phone in the tests. Thinking out loud, I wonder if a 2.5 or 3" automotive glass pack muffler might not kill more volume and affect airflow less. It's airflow path is basically straight, and the holes in the tube going up the middle just allow some of the sound to dissipate into the packing.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

I am planning on doing a re-do especially with all this great feedback I have received. I will tell you that the greatest impact I have experience in flow reduction was a clogged filter before I added the vortex. The vacuum does still have very good suction for cleaning the shop but I am planning a redo with alot the feedback I have received. Thanks for watching.

[@FredMiller]

Nicely executed muffler. I opted (since I could modify my basement casement window) to duct the exhaust of my system to the outdoors. That significantly reduces the noise plus you get the added benefit of ALL the dust that escapes the filters and any odors exiting the shop. That solved my noise, fine dust and shop odor problems.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Thanks for watching

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Most of the noise comes not from the air outlet but from the motor (brushed motors are noisy!). If it really came from the exhaust, think how much you could reduce it by just piping it outside the shop! Try it- makes little difference. What does, is putting the whole vac system outside. Plus you can then ditch the filter- the dust is outside. Want to prove it is the motor? Try blocking the inlet of your vac. This means there will be NO exhaust. Quieter? No, thought not... (Worried about damaging your vac? Don't- this reduces the work it is doing. Really.) Why does the meter reading drop? It is notoriously difficult to make sound readings in a room, especially when not using a purpose built instrument. Slight changes in position can affect it greatly. And the shape of the filter being used is important- check out Michelson-Dadson loudness contours.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Great comments, thanks for watching.

[@monteglover4133]

That was my thought. Placing the vac in an insulated box with fans to force air through the box, will greatly reduce the noise. Or just buy a very good vacuum, that is a one time investment, some have a noise level listed

[@bradley3549]

@@monteglover4133 Not sure you'd need fans, you could leverage the airflow from the shop vac itself to cool the motor.

[@Tensquaremetreworkshop]

@@monteglover4133 I did just that for my CNC extractor (not located in my workshop). This is in a double insulated sealed box. You need to choose a vacuum motor assembly that directs the extracted air through the motor- many domestic cleaners do this. Reduces the noise quite a bit. A 'very good vacuum' is not necessarily much quieter. There are two types of extractor; Induction motor types are much quieter, but are HVLP (high volume, low pressure) that are good for machines such as planer/thicknessers (joiner/planers in Americanese) but not e.g. sanders. HPLV devices (such as shop vacs) have to use a universal motor in order to get the RPM needed for high levels of vacuum in a feasible sized extractor. And they are noisy.

[@commentatron]

Ditch the filter!? Are you the one that's been raking their leaves into my yard?

[@paulmelanson1527]

I must of miss where you came out with the lenght of the muffler. could you please help .

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Mine is 18" but yours may vary depending on the height of your shop vac. Thanks for watching.

[@johnbauer3801]

would using steel wool filler as a baffle make it quieter???

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Great idea, it would probably do a great job.

[@bumstudios8817]

@@woodworkingyoutube or fiberglass insulation?

[@woodworkingyoutube]

@@bumstudios8817 fiberglass insulating a box would work but it would probably be too dense for the muffler.

[@marke2401]

Chris Sproles I wouldn’t want to risk blow by and putting micro fibers in the air I’m breathing. Just a thought.

[@carloduroni5629]

Steel wool is used in car mufflers because of the heated gas. No need to use metal where you have cool air (and dust).

[@kevinchappell3694]

Even that design is increasing the static pressure thereby reducing airflow. That said, if suction is still adequate, then great.

[@woodworkingyoutube]

Yup, everything you do to any airflow system decreases airflow. Its all a matter of compromise. I do most of the heavy clean up with a zero air loss mechanical debri transport shuttle (i.e. broom). Since the Fein is so quiet why did you feel the need for a sound enclosure?

[@kevinchappell3694]

Wood Crafting Place I do a lot of hand sanding for finishing pine pieces. I build a sanding box with perforated sheets that remove the fine dust. Since the hand sanding operation is noiseless, it is nice to be able to listen to the radio or music without the fatiguing roar of a shop vac. 66 dBa reduced to 58dBa means I sometimes have to check that it is actually on. I use a cyclone collector before the vac to keep the filter clean and effective. 🤗