Shop Tips
Clear a Clogged Vacuum Hose Using an Electrician’s Fishing Tool
To quickly clear jams in a shop vac hose, use an electrician’s wire-fishing tape, which is often sold as “fish tape." After a few pokes with the end of the tape, the clog will fall out of the hose.
Jun 03, 2025
How many times has your shop-vac hose become clogged with debris? When that happens deep inside a long vac hose, the jam can be tough to clear. I use an electrician’s wire-fishing tape to quickly clear these jams. The tool is often sold as “fish tape,” and a 25-ft. reel is just $15 on Amazon. After a few pokes with the end of the tape, the clog falls out of the hose.
—PETER SZUTU, Castro Valley, Calif.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Suizan Japanese Pull Saw
A versatile saw that can be used for anything from kumiko to dovetails. Mike Pekovich recommends them as a woodworker's first handsaw.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
Download FREE PDF
Comments
To clear a clog in my shop vac hose I just unhook it and run a broom handle through it. Works every time.
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Sign up Log in