The Air-Care SAXM0017 is a pack of five 455 mm (18″) stiff pancake brushes for the DuctMaster and TruckMaster contact cleaning systems. Air-Care describe them as disposable replacement brushes.
Buying by the pack is the sensible way to run these. They are consumables, and a crew that has to stop and order a single brush mid-week loses more in downtime than the pack costs.
What it fits
The brush-and-motor assembly used on Air-Care's DuctMaster and TruckMaster machines. CCW's DuctMaster III ships with a 300 mm pancake-style brush on that assembly, and the 18″ brush is the larger option in the same pattern.
It does not fit the Cobra power brush systems, which use a cable-driven Flex-E-Bristle brush rather than a pancake head.
Check your hose assembly and motor before fitting an 18″ brush. The larger brush is intended to run on the larger hose assembly. Air-Care note that an 18″ brush on the smaller 1½″ system may not start reliably with the original single-speed motor. A brush physically fitting does not make it the right combination for your machine — send us your model if you are unsure.
Stiff or Delrin — which one do you want?
Air-Care produce the DuctMaster and TruckMaster pancake brush in two distinct types, under separate part numbers:
- Stiff — this brush, SAXM0017, in a pack of five
- Delrin — 12″ Delrin pancake brush, sold singly (12″ only)
The stiff pattern is the more aggressive of the two. The Delrin is the softer, using a .021″ bristle, and is the one to reach for on older flexible duct and internally insulated duct. Air-Care do not publish a bristle diameter for the stiff pattern, so we will not quote one; we have asked them to confirm it. If you are unsure which pattern your machine has been running, send us a photograph of the worn brush and we will match it.
Choosing the size
Match brush diameter to the duct. An 18″ brush is for larger ductwork — run it in a small duct and it binds, loads the motor and wears out early. For smaller residential ducting, use the 12″ stiff pancake brush.
Duct types to treat with care
Powered brushing is aggressive. Internally insulated ducts, brittle flexible ducts and fraying duct board should not be cleaned with a power brush — camera the run first and confirm the duct construction will take it.
Wear and replacement
Judge the brush on bristle length and stiffness rather than on how the machine sounds. A worn pancake brush still spins and still looks like it is working while contact pressure against the duct wall has dropped away. If camera passes are showing residual film where they used to show clean metal, check the brush before changing your method.
Warranty
Air-Care supply pancake brushes as disposable replacement items and do not carry a wear warranty on them.
Your rights under Australian law
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
Normal wear of the bristles through use is not a fault. If a brush arrives damaged or fails early in a way that is not wear, contact us and we will handle it from this end.
Frequently asked questions
How many brushes are in the pack?
Five.
Is this the same as the Delrin pancake brush?
No. Air-Care list stiff and Delrin as separate part numbers.
Does it fit the Cobra-7?
No. The Cobra systems use a cable-driven Flex-E-Bristle brush, not a pancake head.
Can I buy a single stiff brush rather than five?
Air-Care produce a single 18″ stiff pancake brush, which CCW does not currently stock. Contact us if you want one quoted.
Related products
- Air-Care DuctMaster III (230V/50Hz) — the machine this brush serves
- 12″ stiff pancake brush, 5 pack — for smaller ductwork
- 12″ Delrin pancake brush
What we see in the field
Going to an 18-inch brush isn't simply a case of “bigger duct, bigger brush.” The larger stiff brush is intended to work with the larger hose setup, and Air-Care notes that fitting an 18-inch brush to the smaller 1½-inch system can sometimes result in the brush not starting properly with the original single-speed motor. We've seen this sort of thing across cleaning equipment for years: when an accessory puts more load on the machine, don't assume that because it physically fits, it's the combination you should be running.
Not sure whether your machine runs the stiff or the Delrin pattern, or which diameter suits your ductwork? Send us a photograph of the brush you are replacing and we will confirm the right part before you order.
