Knowledge
Guides
Plain explanations of the fundamentals — how dust explosions work, what ignites them, what a Dust Hazard Analysis involves, and how industrial vacuums differ from dust collectors.
- Identification7 minWhat is black dust?Black dust is a description, not a material, and the materials it describes behave very differently.Read the guide
- Operations6 minRecovered dust: reclaim or dispose?Most dust programmes stop thinking at the point of capture, which is a mistake — several of the worst outcomes happen after recovery, inside a container nobody has moved.Read the guide
- Equipment selection6 minToxic liquid recoveryWith liquids the usual questions invert.Read the guide
- Equipment comparison7 minVacuum vs dust collectorThese two machines get searched for interchangeably and they are not interchangeable.Read the guide
- Fundamentals8 minSources of ignitionA dust cloud is not dangerous on its own.Read the guide
- Fundamentals7 minDust explosion basicsDust explosions are not mysterious.Read the guide
- Compliance7 minDust hazard analysisThe Dust Hazard Analysis is where a facility's dust situation becomes a written, defensible programme instead of an accumulation of habits.Read the guide
- Equipment selection6 minESD & anti-static vacuumsAnti-static and ESD-safe get used as synonyms and they answer different questions.Read the guide
- Equipment selection7 minElectric vs pneumaticThis is usually the first question worth settling, because it changes everything downstream — where the unit can go, what utility it needs, how it is maintained, and how the ignition-source argument is made.Read the guide
- Terminology6 minExplosion proof vs dust ignition proofThese phrases are used interchangeably in purchasing conversations far more often than they should be.Read the guide
- Filtration6 minHEPA vs ULPABoth HEPA and ULPA are absolute filters — they retain a defined proportion of particles at their rated size rather than merely slowing them down.Read the guide
- Equipment selection6 minIndustrial vs shop vacuumThe question comes up constantly, usually phrased as whether the vacuum already in the maintenance cupboard will do.Read the guide
- System design6 minPortable vs centralThis is an architecture decision rather than a product decision, and it is usually settled by how often cleaning happens and where.Read the guide
- Equipment selection6 minWet vs dry recoveryLiquid and dust are recovered by the same basic principle and almost nothing else in common.Read the guide
- Buying guide8 minChoosing an explosion-proof vacuumMost specification problems come from doing this in the wrong order — starting with a product category, or with a budget, and working backwards to justify it.Read the guide
- Buying guide7 minChoosing a combustible dust vacuumCombustible dust changes the specification because the machine itself becomes part of the hazard analysis.Read the guide
- Buying guide7 minSizing an industrial vacuumSizing goes wrong in two directions, and undersizing is not the more common one.Read the guide
- Combustible dust8 minTypes of combustible dustCombustible dust is not one hazard.Read the guide
- Risk7 minThe cost of a dust explosionHousekeeping equipment competes for budget against things with an obvious return, and it usually loses until something happens.Read the guide
- Application7 minFlammable liquid recoveryRecovering a flammable liquid is a different problem from recovering a toxic one, and the difference is not severity — it is which phase carries the hazard.Read the guide
These guides are explanatory. They do not replace the applicable standard, your Dust Hazard Analysis, or advice from your own engineer. Dust properties are material- and particle-size-specific and are established by testing rather than inferred.
Talk to the manufacturer
Get the right explosion proof vacuum for your application.
Tell us what you need to vacuum and where. Our technical team will recommend the PrestiVac model best suited to your material, your classification and how hard you will work it — and because we build every unit ourselves, we can modify it to fit.
- Legally certified explosion proof
- Solid stainless steel construction
- Industry-best 3-year warranty
- Designed & manufactured in the USA
- 200+ vacuum versions