A water heater let go overnight in the utility room, and the first shift arrives in an hour. The Powr-Flite PF54 is a 15 gallon commercial wet dry vacuum with a polyethylene tank that won't dent or rust, built for water recovery, floor stripping and everyday dry pickup.
A 1.6 HP, 1,200 W motor pulls 114 cfm with 100 inches of water lift through a 1.5-inch hose that clogs less than a shop vac's. When the tank is full you don't lift or tip it: the rear-mounted drain hose empties it into a floor drain or bucket. It comes with a 10 ft swivel hose, a 2-piece stainless wand, 14-inch floor and squeegee tools, plus crevice and dusting tools.
Pick the PF54 when you want a 15 gallon machine with 100 inches of water lift and you'd rather have a drain hose than a stainless tank. Polyethylene won't dent when it hits a doorframe, won't rust, and keeps the machine at 52 lbs, 9 lbs lighter than the stainless PF53. Draining through the hose is also easier on the back than tilting a full tank, and you can empty into a bucket where there's no floor drain.
Two things to know. Before wet pickup you take out the dry cloth filter and the paper filter, then put them back for dry work. And the float stops suction when the tank is full, but the motor keeps running, so switch it off when the sound changes and drain the tank.
100 inches of water lift, 114 cfm. A single 1.6 HP motor tuned for pulling water, slurry and debris.
15 gallon polyethylene tank. Won't dent or rust, and stands up to stripping chemicals.
Rear-mounted drain hose. Empty the tank without lifting or tipping it.
Up to 3-stage filtration. Pleated cartridge filter plus a washable cloth filter, and an optional paper bag (155PB) for sealed dry pickup.
1.5 in x 10 ft swivel hose. Fewer clogs, and the swivel connector turns 360 degrees so the hose follows you.
8-inch rear wheels and front swivel casters. Rolls over thresholds and curbs without tipping.
Sound-insulated vacuum head. Quieter running than a typical shop vac.
Optional FM100H front mount squeegee. Picks up water faster than a wand, especially in tight spots.
A good fit: school and building floor crews stripping and refinishing, facilities that deal with leaks, overflows and spills, and warehouses and maintenance shops that want one machine for water and dry debris.
Not the best fit: carrying between floors (52 lbs), or big flood jobs where a 20 gallon machine empties less often.
Prefer stainless steel? The Powr-Flite PF53 has the same motor and 15 gallon capacity in an 18 gauge stainless tank on a tip and pour dolly, for $9 more.
Need a bigger tank? The Powr-Flite PF55 holds 20 gallons in a stainless tank with the same 100 inches of water lift, for $70 more.
Comparing Tornado? The Tornado Taskforce 15 is a single motor, 15 gallon stainless machine rated at 90 inches of water lift, at $595.
Lighter jobs? The Tornado Taskforce 10 is a 29 lb poly tank model for $51 less, and the Clarke Maxxi II 35 holds 9 gallons, weighs 25 lbs and has a 50 ft cord, at $572.
Browse them all in our commercial wet dry vacuums collection, or call (855) 601-5678 and we'll help you pick.
Powr-Flite is a sister brand of Tornado under Tacony Corporation, so filters, hoses, wands and motors are easy to get and warranty service runs through Tacony's technical service team. The PF54 is covered by Powr-Flite's 2-year parts and labor warranty. We're an authorized Powr-Flite retailer, so that warranty comes with every machine. Found a lower price? Call or message us and we'll beat it.
