Anyone heard of this one?

The Cleansy water filtration vacuum is a type of machine known as a NON-SEPARATOR water filtration system. That means there is a small amount of water in the bucket, with a LARGE amount of space above, along with splash baffles. Instead of using an air-water separator to keep the water from the motor (like Rainbow and Hyla and Delphin and OceanBlue use) the splashing water hits the baffles and falls back down into the bucket. Since there's no separator, a much higher amount of moisture is entrained in the air stream going into the motor's fans. Rust, corrosion, etc. are common problems among machines of this type. Cleaners of this type are marketed as Big Power, Euro-Pro (Shark), CleanSy, Thermax, Oasis, HydroPUR, Karcher, etc. They are always very large, very bulky, and a REAL PAIN to clean out. Imagine wet cat hair stuck on five baffles that you must rinse out in the tub since it won't fit into the sink. A real disgusting mess, if you ask me. The only one I've seen that isn't so bad a mess is the thermax, but the thing is a monstrosity to pull around (it's like pulling a coffee table behind you) and cannot be picked up to go up stairs, as the machine MUST be held level or the water runs into the motor. NON-SEPARATOR machines cannot be pulled very fast because the water will splash into the motor and run onto the floor.

The brand name 'Polti' has a machine that is the spitting image to this. I believe they're an Italian company.

What about the H2O vac that is running a bunch of infomercials at the moment for something like $199 but wait if act now they throw in a second vac?

Re water vac I had a beautiful Water Matic last year but since canisters aren't my forte I gifted it to Doug in Moose Jaw, he has its pic on his website. Very well built machine with the seperator etc.

No, NO, NO! About the Water-Matic. A fine vacuum, but the name is misleading. It is not a water filtration vacuum (like a Rainbow) but a vacuum which can be adapted to pick up water by removing the filter and putting in a float valve which shuts off the suction when the container reaches capacity with water. (Others in this category include Fairfax.) The separator, originally patented by Rexair, Inc., the manufacturer of the Rainbow (patent now expired) is the spinning slotted cone on the end of the motor shaft, which allows air to pass thru, but the water to be retained.

The Water Matic, Silver King, and Fairfax are all machines with by-pass motors designed for wet pickup, but do NOT use water as a filter. Some (like Fairfax) use a bag, and some (Silver King) a disposable flat paper filter over the top of the tank. The silver king instruction manual states that, "if you pick up fine dust, change the paper filter every 3 or 4 minutes". Water Matic uses a non disposable filter (made of cloth) over the top of the tank, called "Filter Magic", which does indeed work well, doesn't clog very fast, and makes the machine only slightly more messy to empty than a bag cleaner. The Water Matic works properly, however, the Silver King does NOT. What a joke. You can hear the filter clog as the machine is run over the rug. Fairfax, with it's very large bag, does work effectively. I have 4 Fairfax cleaners, from the 1962 model S-1 through the 2005 model, in my collection. Love them all. Can't say the same for the Silver Kings in my collection. I LOVE the Water-Matic. That's an excellent cleaner. With a few minor 'upgrades' it would be in league with the very best.

I have a WaterMatic-got it from the WM delaer here that went out of business.Its a strong machine but a PAIN to empty.I would like to try it with the paper filter First-then the cloth ones.You need a BAGGED vac to take care of the WM.I slurp out my WM with my M1.You almost need one of those Hoover Bag cleners discussed here a while back to clean the WM cloth filters.I have been thinking of trying to clean the WM filters on an upended upright with a roller brush.-I don't have a Hoover bag cleaner-so I'll have to improvise.I also have a newer Fairfax that a Vac dealer gave me-he was cleaning out his warehouse-it was missing its wands and powernozzle.It too is a strong machine and has a bag-also a flat disposable filter like the WM one goes over the paper bag-then other filters and the powerdome.My WM is about 2003,2004,and all black in color.

The PROPER way to empty a Water Matic is:
Remove the power dome.
Remove the Filter Magic filter covering the top of the container.
Replace it with a Paper Filter and reassemble the machine.
Using the hose, vacuum off the Filter Magic filter.
Remove power dome, and holding paper filter to top of container, empty container and let the dirt and filter fall.
Wipe rim of container.
Replace Filter Magic filter, making sure it is seated all the way around.
Replace power dome.

Paper Filters come with the Water Matic. You can use FairFax paper filters, as they are the same size and shape.

The advantage to the Filter Magic cloth filter (as I demonstrated to the assembled Collector's Club about ten years ago) is that it retains its airflow even when filling with dirt. Paper bags (like used in FairFax) do not. Especially as used in FairFax, as ONLY the top of the paper bag can allow air to escape from the bag. Air cannot escape the bag from the bottom of the paper bag nor the sides, since they are flush against the metal walls of the dirt container. The FairFax loses suction and airflow VERY quickly, but not as quickly as Silver King. Of all vacuums, Silver King loses airflow (cloggs the filter) quicker than any other machine I've ever seen.

Yes I dump my WM the way above-but use the M1 to slurp out the dirt from the container-then vacuum the filter with the M1.Last night I tried vacuumiong the cloth filters with a Royal upright upended to act like a "bag cleaner"Did a pretty good job.The manual with the machine describes as the entry above.emptying it twice was not fun.I think that explains why the machines didn't get real popular here.Its still kinda neat to use--got mine out and am playing around with it.the WM filter is pretty effective in maintaining airflow even when caked with fine dirt.I have run out of paper filters-will have to get the vac Hospital to order some.In this area Kirby's and Rainbows are the most common "high end" vacuums.The WM is an interesting and unusual machine.Like its true "bypass" motor.More canisters need such a motor.You don't have to worry about overheating.

Thsi past weekend, I came across the infomercial for the H2O vac.. I watched about 10 mins of it and turned it off. Now I've seen some infomercials in my day, but none as poorly executed as this..

For starters, when they do the competition between the h2o and a regular cannister vac sucking up fine dust.. there was obviously some rigging going on.. my dad came through the living room at this point and saw what was going on and made a comment about how insulting that was to ones intelligence.. There was either a vent BEHIND the regular cannister vac rigged to blow an enormous amount of dust into the air to make it look like the vac was inferior OR, as my dad suggested, they completely removed ALL filtration devices from the "inferior" cannister including the paper bag to basically just blow the dust through it. It was sad.. My parents 2 Kirby Heritage 84's have been through 3 COMPLETE house remodelings sucking up the finest of sheetrock dust, and one even survived an F5 tornado and these units are still going strong, with regular trips to the vac shop for basic maintenance and cleaning.

Secondly..
When it came to the actual commercial part of the program showing the H2O against other vacs.. it never really showed how the H2O was emptied or how the water was used to actually filter the dirt, at least from what I saw. All it showed was how versatile it was for floor cleaning( I didn't see a powerhead anywhere) and how "light" it was.
They had short segments that were repeated over and over with one lady using her Eureka softbag upright just gagging and hacking away at all of the "dust" that was being thrown into the air and then later chunking it in her trash.. another segment showed a lady "trying" to change her inner bag on a Kirby Heritage II as she RIPS the bag out and dust just goes flying everywhere.. again.. stupid.. even in emtpying the older styled cloth bags with the sani-scraper I have never encountered such difficulties or mess. Do they really think people are that uneducated? For some reason this infomercial just really irritated me and for my dad to make comment on it? He is NEVER one to make a fuss of anything like that at all.

Funny thing about that H20 infomercial--the canister vac they show in the chamber blowing all the dust is a MIELE! These people need to get serious, I would pit a Miele's filtration ability against that made-in-China buy one get one free wonder ANY DAY.

An Italian company, strange machines.

www.polti.it