Fluid supplied from a contaminant tank holding the fluid to be filtered, and delivered at a filtered fluid outlet, is supplied to a filter housing which defines a chamber therein subdivided by a perforate divider plate over which the filter paper is guided, and on which it is supported. The filter paper subdivides the chamber in an upper, or contaminant chamber, and a lower, or filtrate chamber. The lower or filtrate chamber is connected to a vacuum and suction pump. The upper portion of the housing can be raised off the filtrate paper and its support to permit movement of the filtrate paper. The contaminated fluid to be filtered is guided from the contaminant tank to the upper filter chamber, without any intermediate pumping apparatus or the like, all pumping being done by the suction and vacuum pump connected to the filtrate chamber, so that pumping equipment connected to the installation need not handle contaminated materials which may contain obstructing, abrasive or cutting particles, such as metal shavings, husks of plant material used in oil extraction processes, or the like, or toxic or biologically contaminated materials.