After extraction, the clock is the problem. Carpet that sits damp gets wicking, odor and callbacks; a restroom or kitchen floor left wet is a slip claim waiting to happen. The Bissell AM300 air mover is the workhorse answer - a three-speed centrifugal blower with a 9.5-inch fan, four working positions and a shell tough enough to get thrown in and out of a van every day.
It is a snail-style (centrifugal) air mover, which is the type restoration crews reach for when the job is drying a floor rather than pushing air up a wall. Cleaners on the restoration boards put it plainly: snails in this airflow class are the right tool for floating carpet and drying floors, and they hold up to abuse better than axials do.
Built for
- Post-extraction carpet drying. Cut dry time after a cleaning so the customer can move furniture back the same day.
- Water damage and flood response. Floating carpet and drying subfloor on a restoration job.
- Facility floor drying. Restrooms, kitchens, entryways, locker rooms and gym floors after a mop or auto-scrubber pass.
- Ceiling-to-floor drying. Four kickstand positions aim air at hard floors, carpet, furniture, curtains or ceilings.
- Paint, epoxy and finish cure. Moving air across a freshly coated surface.
Why crews buy this one
Three reasons come up over and over. First, it stacks three high - a van or a supply closet holds a real fleet instead of two units and no room to walk. Second, the rotationally molded polyethylene housing shrugs off being dropped and can be labelled: crews use the flat shell for a wet floor warning and for the company name and phone number, which cuts down on units walking off a job site. Third, the 25-foot 16/3 safety cord with a hospital-grade plug usually reaches the outlet without an extension cord, which is one less thing to trip over and one less thing to lose.
The open-flow intake is designed to give maximum airflow against minimum back-pressure, and a screen across the outlet keeps debris out of the air stream and hands out of the fan.
Planning your circuit
The practical limit on air movers is rarely the fans - it is the breaker. Restoration pros size their deployments off amp draw, keeping a 15-amp circuit under 80 percent of its rating and spreading units across circuits rather than daisy-chaining a wall. Confirm the amp rating on the unit's own data plate before you plan how many you will run on one circuit.
Specifications
- Motor: 1/3 HP, 3-speed switch
- Airflow: 3 speeds - 2,400 / 2,700 / 3,000 CFM
- Blower fan: 9.5-inch diameter
- Housing: heavy-duty rotationally molded polyethylene
- Positions: 4, with kickstand
- Stackable: yes, up to 3 high
- Power cord: 25 ft, 16/3 gauge safety cord with grounded hospital-grade 3-prong plug
- Power: 120 V AC, 60 Hz
- Dimensions: 18 in H x 18.75 in L x 17.375 in W
- Weight: 30 lbs (33 lbs shipping)
- Warranty: limited 1-year warranty on motor and housing
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a snail air mover and an axial fan?
A snail, or centrifugal, air mover like the AM300 concentrates air along a floor and is the usual choice for floating carpet and drying floors. Axial fans move a larger volume of air per amp and are typically used to dry walls and larger open volumes.
How many can I stack?
Three high. The housing is designed to stack, which is why crews can carry a fleet in one van.
How long is the cord?
25 feet of 16/3 gauge safety cord with a grounded hospital-grade three-prong plug.
How many can I run on one circuit?
That depends on the unit's amp draw, which is printed on the data plate. Restoration practice is to keep a 15-amp circuit under 80 percent of its rating and to spread units across separate circuits.
What is the housing made of?
Heavy-duty rotationally molded polyethylene. It wipes clean and crews commonly use the flat surface to carry a wet floor message and their company name and phone number.
What does the warranty cover?
A limited one-year warranty on the motor and housing.
Discount Cleaning Products sells air movers to carpet cleaners, restoration contractors and facility managers across the country, and our US-based staff can help you work out how many units a given job or fleet actually needs. If the AM300 is not the right size for your work, we will point you to one that is.
