RIDGID WD1450 User manual

Part No. SP6542 Printed in Canada
OWNERS MANUAL
WD1450
14 U.S. GALLONS/
12 CDN. GALLONS
PROFESSIONAL
WET/DRY VAC
For Your Safety:
Read all instructions carefully
Save this manual for future
reference
FOR QUESTIONS OR INFORMATION
CONTACT US AT
1-800-4-RIDGID (1-800-474-3443) OR
www.ridgid.com
VF5000
RECOMMENDED
VF5000
RECOMMENDED
Logon to . . .
www.ridgidvacs.com/filterclub
to Join Our Filter Club
and/or Enter Our
$500 Home Depot Gift
Card Sweepstakes.
MAXIMIZE VACUUM PERFORMANCE
WITH A NEW FILTER
$500
Gift Card
Sweepstakes
MAXIMIZE VACUUM PERFORMANCE
WITH A NEW FILTER
RI
D
G
I
D
SP6542 14 Gallon 9/7/04 1:31 PM Page 1

2
Table of Contents
Section Page
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Important Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . 2
Safety Signal Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unpacking and Checking
Carton Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tools Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Carton Contents List . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Replacement Filter Assembly . . . . . . . . 6
Drum/Caster Foot Assembly . . . . . . . . . 7
Accessory Storage Bag Assembly . . . . 8
Installing Accessory Storage Bag . . . 8
Removing Accessory Storage Bag . . 8
Wet/Dry Vac Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Insert Hose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Vacuuming Dry Materials . . . . . . . . . 10
Section Page
Vacuuming Liquids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Emptying the Drum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Moving the Wet/Dry Vac. . . . . . . . . . 11
Blowing Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Accessory Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cord Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cleaning a Dry Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Cleaning a Wet Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Wet/Dry Vac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Casters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Filter Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Repair Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
— IMPORTANT —
Read and understand this owner's manual
and all labels on the Wet/Dry Vac before
operating. Safety is a combination of
common sense, staying alert and knowing
how your vac works. Use only as described
in this manual. To reduce the risk of
personal injury or damage to your Wet/Dry
Vac, use only RIDGID recommended
accessories.
Safety Signal Words
DANGER: means if the safety information
is not followed someone will be seriously
injured or killed.
WARNING: means if the safety
information is not followed someone
could be seriously injured or killed.
CAUTION: means if the safety information
is not followed someone may be injured.
When using your Wet/Dry Vac, follow
basic safety precautions including the
following.
WARNING - To reduce the
risk of fire, electric shock, or injury:
• Do not run vac unattended.
• Do not expose to rain. Store indoors.
• Do not vacuum, or use this Wet/Dry
Vac, near flammable or combustible
liquids, gases, or explosive vapors like
gasoline or other fuels, lighter fluid,
cleaners, oil-based paints, natural gas,
hydrogen, or explosive dusts like coal
dust, magnesium dust, grain dust, or
gun powder. Sparks inside the motor
can ignite flammable vapors or dust.
If you require a French owner’s manual, call 1-800--4-RIDGID or E-mail us at
[email protected].
Si vous nécessient un mode d’emploi en françals, téléphonez au 1-800-4-RIDGID ou
contactez-nous par courrier électronique a [email protected].
SP6542 14 Gallon 9/7/04 1:31 PM Page 2

• Keep hair, loose clothing, fingers, and
all parts of body away from openings
and moving parts.
When using as blower:
• Direct air discharge only at work area.
• Do not direct air at bystanders.
• Keep children away when blowing.
• Do not use blower for any job except
blowing dirt and debris.
• Do not use Wet/Dry Vac as a sprayer.
This Wet/Dry Vac is double-insulated,
eliminating the need for a separate
grounding system. Use only identical
replacement parts. Read the instructions
for Servicing Double-Insulated Wet/Dry
Vacs before servicing.
CAUTION:
Observe the following warnings that
appear on the motor housing of your
Wet/Dry Vac.
• Do not vacuum drywall dust or cold
fireplace soot or ash with standard
wet/dry filter. This is a very fine dust
which will not be captured by the filter
and may cause damage. Refer to Filter
Replacement section for proper filter
selection.
3
• Do not vacuum anything that is burning
or smoking, such as cigarettes,
matches, or hot ashes.
• If your Wet/Dry Vac is not working as it
should, has missing parts, has been
dropped or damaged, left outdoors, or
dropped into water, return it to an
Authorized Service Center.
• To reduce the risk of health hazards
from vapors or dusts, do not vacuum
toxic materials.
• Do not use or store near hazardous
materials.
• To reduce the risk of falls, use extra care
when cleaning on stairs.
• Do not allow to be used as a toy. Close
attention is necessary when used by or
near children.
• Keep cord away from heated surfaces.
• Do not unplug by pulling on cord. To
unplug, grasp the plug, not the cord.
• Do not use with damaged cord, plug or
other parts.
• Do not pull or carry by cord, use cord as
handle, close a door on cord, or pull
cord around sharp edges or corners.
• Do not run Wet/Dry Vac over cord.
• Do not handle plug or the Wet/Dry Vac
with wet hands.
• Do not use this Wet/Dry Vac with a torn
filter or without the filter installed except
when vacuuming liquids as described in
the operation section of this manual.
• Do not leave Wet/Dry Vac when plugged
in. Unplug from outlet when not in use
and before servicing. Turn off Wet/Dry
Vac before unplugging.
• To reduce the risk of injury from
accidental starting, unplug power cord
before changing or cleaning filter.
• Do not put any object into ventilation
openings. Do not vacuum with any
ventilation openings blocked; keep free
of dust, lint, hair or anything that may
reduce air flow.
WARNING: For your own safety, read
and understand owner’s manual.
Do not run unattended. Do not pick
up hot ashes, coals, toxic, flammable
or other hazardous materials. Do not
use around explosive liquids or
vapors.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of
electric shock - do not expose to rain
- store indoors.
DOUBLE INSULATED
GROUNDING NOT REQUIRED.
WHEN SERVICING USE ONLY
IDENTICAL REPLACEMENT PARTS.
SP6542 14 Gallon 9/7/04 1:31 PM Page 3

4
Introduction
This Wet/Dry Vac is intended for house-
hold use only. This Wet/Dry vac is supplied
with a two stage/high efficiency filter. It can
be used not only to pick up materials like
sawdust and gravel but also ultra fine
material like drywall dust and cold
fireplace ash. Material that is so small it
would pass through traditional filters.
Refer to Filter Replacement section for
proper filter selection.
Refer to the assembly sketch for
positioning of parts.
Remove contents of carton. Check each
item against the Carton Contents List.
Call 1-800-4-RIDGID (1-800-474-3443) or
E-mail us at [email protected] if any
parts are damaged or missing.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Please Read Carefully
Static Shocks Are Common - In dry
areas or when the relative humidity of the
air is low. To reduce the frequency of static
shocks in your home the best remedy is to
add moisture to the air with a console
humidifier.
Unpacking and Checking Carton Contents
The operation of any utility vac or blower
can result in foreign objects being blown
into the eyes, which can result in severe
eye damage. Always wear safety goggles
complying with ANSI Z87.1 (or in Canada
CSA Z94.3-99) shown on package.
Everyday eyeglasses have only impact
resistant lenses. They are not safety
glasses. Safety Goggles are available at
many local retail stores. Glasses or
goggles not in compliance with ANSI or
CSA could seriously hurt you when they
break.
To reduce the risk of hearing damage,
wear ear protectors when using the vac for
extended hours or when using it in a noisy
area.
For dusty operations, wear dust mask.
Use only extension cords that are rated for
outdoor use. Extension cords in poor
condition or that are too small in wire size
can pose fire and shock hazards. When
using an extension cord, be sure it is in
good condition. Using any extension cord
will cause some loss of power. To keep the
loss to a minimum, use the following table
to choose the minimum wire size
extension cord.
Extension Cord Length Gauge A.W.G.
0-50 Ft. 14
50-100 Ft. 12
FORESIGHT IS
BETTER THAN
NO SIGHT
WEAR YOUR
Phillips Screwdriver
Tools Required
SP6542 14 Gallon 9/7/04 1:31 PM Page 4

PQ
RID
GI
N
5
Carton Contents List
Key Description Qty
A Wet/Dry Vac Assembly.................1
B* Filter Nut ......................................1
C* Filter Plate....................................1
D* VF5000 Filter ...............................1
E* Filter Cage ...................................1
F* Float .............................................1
G Tug-A-Long Hose.........................1
H Utility Nozzle ................................1
J Wet Nozzle...................................1
K Car Nozzle ...................................1
L Extension Wands .........................2
M Owner’s Manual...........................1
* These items may come preassembled.
If they are not present in the carton
check the vac power head to see if they
are preassembled.
Key Description Qty
Carton containing the following parts:
N Accessory Storage Bag ...............1
P Caster Foot, Front........................2
Q Caster Foot, Rear ........................2
Key Description Qty
Bag of Loose Parts -
Containing the following:
R 2” Caster ......................................4
S Screw, Type AB #10 x 1-3/4 ........4
A
M
L
E
K
F
C
D
B
GJ
H
N
J
K
L
B
C
D
E
F
H
G
J
L
KM
SR
SP6542 14 Gallon 9/7/04 1:31 PM Page 5