Anyone know of a website that shows the decibel rating for vacuum cleaners? I would like to know. Here’s an IM conversation my brother and I had about this topic. Our solution was to turn my basement restroom into a restroom/recording studio/workshop.
erik: do you know how to measure decibals?
matt: how to measure decibels? i’d imagine you need some sort of tool
erik: nobody lists decibals when showing specs for a vacuum.
matt: how about how much energy it uses?
matt: the watts
matt: i wonder if that consumer reports does decibels on vacuums
matt: it’s funny how you spell it decibals
matt: it’s like you are from the south
matt: HOW MANY DECI-BALLS DO THIS SUCKER HAVE?
erik: Samsung claims to have “the world’s quiest vacuum” at 75 db. I found a review where the best vacuum was 75 (not the samsung). The loudest was around 90. i closed the window on that review
erik: i want a vacuum to use in the basement with my dremel, but i don’t want something too loud. I bought one last week at target for $20. The packaging said it was “quiet”. They had other vacuums by the same manufacturer that didn’t say “quiet” on the packaging so I figured this little guy was truly quiet. Well, it ain’t. It’s a tiny, tiny shop vac. It holds one gallon. It’s cute, but loud. I might try wrapping it in foam or something.
matt: you could make a sound proof room
matt: a little closet
matt: with foam all around
erik: i know someone who did that. He would take all the styrofoam from my office. He was like a wild dog every time he saw some form of foam.
matt: and then we could record podcasts in there
erik: ha
erik: where in the house do you propose to do this?
erik: the basement bathroom?
erik: that’d be funny
erik: though cleaning up might be a problem
erik: i’d tell people, “yea, it’s a workshop/recording studio/bathroom”
erik: lmao
matt: you could tell people you wanted your bathroom to be soundproof, so people couldn’t hear your atomic farts
erik: andrea never uses that bathroom. she won’t care.
erik: i might be crazy, but your idea is actually starting to make a lot of sense to me.
erik: There’s an outlet in that room, so I have power to run the vacuum.
erik: i could take a dump and use my dremel at the same time!
erik: Imagine all the time I would save!
matt: that sounds dangerous
erik: ooooooh
erik: eeeeeek
erik: uuuuuuuh
erik: ooooooouch
erik: too bad foam is so expensive
erik: this will be my blog post for today
wow. what a brilliant conversation.
Back when I made this post, I emailed Shop Vac to get the decibel specs for the Shop Vac HangUp Mini Wet/ Dry Vacuum. They emailed me back with the info. It is 80 dB.