I've been working on a couple projects in one room in my house. The room really needs to be vacuumed but there is aquarium gravel scattered around as well as a bunch of tiny screws. I have a shark vacuum. There's no threat of puncturing a bag because this vacuum doesn't use a bag - it uses a canister. I could easily empty the canister and then go over the floor with the hose. I'm wondering if it's an ok idea though because I don't want to damage anything in the vacuum. Occasionally, my battery powered aquarium vacuum will suck up a couple pieces of gravel, they'll get stuck, stop the vacuum, and I have to get them out for the vacuum to work again. I don't know how house vacuums work, but I don't want that to happen. If there aren't any mechanical components to be damaged, then I guess the only other worry would be the hose, but the hose on this vacuum feels pretty sturdy, and I would just be vacuuming tiny gravel and tiny, corroded screws - nothing sharp like tacks or nails. What do you guys think?
The problem with upright vacuum cleaners is the belt drive for the beater bar. The screws will do major damage to the rubber and you'll have to replace it. If you can use the hose without the bar and pick up all of the big stuff then you can vacuum the small gravel and dust as usual.
The aquarium vacuum cannot be compared to a regular vacuum cleaner. The motor is smaller as well as the vacuum pump. Also the particles flow through the aquarium vacuum pump where as the regular vacuum cleaners create a vacuum in the container that catches the dust and debris and there is usually a filter between the container and the intake of the vacuum pump that blocks most of the dust and debris. Make sure you check that filter before you start and when you have finished the vacuuming.
