At Eco-Strip we receive lots of questions about lead safety. Our associate Stacy Grinsfelder, from Blake Hill House and True Tales From Old Houses podcast, recently wrote on this subject, which we’re republishing with her permission. She discusses HEPA vacuums and why HEPA filters are not sufficient. She’s our kinda gal since she explains things is a non-techy way that we common folks can understand. Here are Stacy’s thoughts on HEPA vacuums and filters…
New and Newsy
A few weeks ago on Instagram, I spent an afternoon cleaning my RRP-compliant HEPA shop vacuums. In a series of stories, now a highlight, I discussed the cleaning process and explained how to perform it safely. That led to additional questions in my direct messages about why the RRP designation is so critical.
RRP stands for Renovation, Repair, and Painting. The RRP Rule, enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requires that contractors and firms performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Most of us are not contractors working under those conditions. However, as old house owners, we are almost certainly disrupting lead paint during window work. An RRP-compliant HEPA vac offers a necessary level of protection to keep lead dust particulates from escaping the vacuum canister and getting reintroduced into the air.
Here is a quick breakdown of a regular HEPA vacuum vs. a HEPA vacuum with the additional RRP certification:
HEPA Vacuum (for the household or shop):
- Filter Efficiency: Captures at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in size.
- Usage: Typically used for general household cleaning and improving indoor air quality.
- Standard Compliance: Adheres to HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter standards defined by the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Design: Standard vacuum design, not necessarily built to handle hazardous materials.
- Applications: Removing dust, allergens, and fine debris in residential settings.
RRP HEPA Shop Vacuum:
- Filter Efficiency: Meets or exceeds the standard HEPA filter efficiency of capturing 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in size.
- Usage: Specifically designed for environments where hazardous materials like lead paint dust are disturbed, such as during renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) projects.
- Standard Compliance: Complies with the EPA’s RRP Rule requirements, including additional features to contain and prevent the escape of lead dust and other hazardous materials.
- Design: Heavy-duty construction with enhanced containment systems to ensure safe handling of toxic materials.
- Applications: Essential for contractors and workers dealing with lead paint, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting health during RRP activities.
The TLDR is that an RRP HEPA shop vac canister is heavy-duty, and the lid is airtight. RRP-compliant vacuums often have double filters and a secondary suction action that forcefully pulls particulate matter through those filters to ensure it reaches the bag inside the canister.
Connect with Stacy Grinsfelder online!
> Instagram: Follow Stacy on Instagram at @blakehillhouse_
> Website: Stacy runs the Blake Hill House website. It offers trustworthy information, windows restoration workshops, and consultations to help DIYers move past the project paralysis of old house ownership. Visit https://www.blakehillhouse.com/
> Podcast: True Tales From Old Houses – THE podcast for people who love old houses
True Tales From Old Houses is a light-hearted, entertaining, and educational podcast show for lovers of old houses and buildings, DIYers, history buffs, and restoration and preservation junkies.
Available weekly, hosts Stacy Grinsfelder and Daniel Kanter share personal project updates, listener Q&A, and interviews with engaging old house owners, restoration professionals, and craftspeople.
Visit https://www.truetalesfromoldhouses.com/ or find the show on your regular podcast app!
