Asbestos... or just dust?

[kirbyman65]

I recently brought home a little dirt devil 103 as a parts donor. I went to clean it up, and guess what I found. Very fine dust. Now you may be wondering why is someone worried about dust in a vacuum? But this specific dust felt extremely fine, it was slightly gray, and had no smell. What can I do to verify this is not asbestos? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
-Jack

 

[hygiene903]

I'm thinking it would more likely be dust from sanding drywall compound. It is an extremely fine dust, and although the compound turns white as it dries, mixing with dust in the bag of a vacuum would tend to turn it a little gray. I would say proceed with your project and don't worry about it.
Jeff

 

[cheesewonton]

I recently brought home a little dirt devil 103 as a parts donor. I went to clean it up, and guess what I found. Very fine dust. Now you may be wondering why is someone worried about dust in a vacuum? But this specific dust felt extremely fine, it was slightly gray, and had no smell. What can I do to verify this is not asbestos? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
-Jack

Without seeing it it sounds pretty much like our desert caliche.

 

[huskyvacs]

It's not going to have asbestos in it. The Dirt Devil 103 is an upholstery vac from the 90s, the most it would have ever been used at to see that much dirt is a staircase of a house under renovations, or the inside of someone's work van or car. Asbestos was banned in the USA in the late 80s and all it was used for at that time was brake pads on cars. Even in an old house, I can't see someone going along with the hose attachment on it cleaning up construction debris unless it was the only thing they had handy or some errant contractor took the family's vacuum and used it for cleanup.

They sell asbestos test kits at hardware stores you buy, and then you mail in a bit of the debris with the kit to the company for analysis, or it has tools to test it yourself, and then you can find out.

For myself, I have a Kirby that has similar ash loaded in it and all over it that I need to test myself. It was shipped with the bag full and untouched and it went everywhere in shipping. It's a 500 series so it could have very well been used in the asbestos era. The powder is very dense and heavy, a thick grey-white powder similar to flour and its very cool and cold to the touch and somewhat pasty.