Review of Vacuum for Service Engineers, by Saunders and Williams Presented by: HVACPROTech Member, RAT Since the

Symposium I have read the Review of Vacuum several times and thought I would post some of my notes, thoughts and interesting tidbits from the book. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive discussion, however, if it turns into that I will not be disappointed. Quotes and text from the book will be Italicized! One of the things when discussing a vacuum that isn't inherently obvious is that we think in terms of PRESSURE. This isn't necessarily bad, because we deal with pressure every day, but a vacuum isn't the same as pressure; and molecules don't react the same in a vacuum as when they are under pressure. The problem is that pressure and vacuum don't translate easily; which is why vacuum is it's own science. That isn't to say that pressure and vacuum aren't related, because they are in the sense that we live in a pressurized vessel (Earth's atmosphere) and are trying to create a vacuum within that vessel. Not to get too far into this, but everything we do that has to do with either pressure or vacuum is referenced to atmospheric pressure and absolute temperature; the two things in our micro-verse we can't get around when dealing with the physics side of our industry. Molecular Activity "To lead off this discussion we will ask ourselves a simple question. We know, that if we have a 100 gallon tank full of ordinary liquid, it can be emptied in 10 minutes by pumping at a rate of 10 gallons per minute. But, why is it, that if we have a 100 cu ft tank of gas, and it is exhausted at a constant rate of 10 cu ft per minute, there still remains in the tank 100 cu ft of gas, whether the pump continues to run for 10 minutes or 10 years?"SIC Here's a hint, it has to do with equilibrium and homogeneous dispersal. Stop thinking about the number of total molecules and think instead of the number of molecules per cu ft; then it will start to become clear! The purpose of a vacuum pump is to remove molecules from a vessel reducing the pressure in the vessel. A common perception is that we reduce the pressure to remove the molecules but this view is incorrect. In fact, we are removing molecules, which gives the remaining molecules more room, which in turn effectively reduces the pressure. Start thinking of vacuum as removing molecules, not reducing pressure, and we will be well on our way to a greater understanding of what a vacuum really is! Summary of notes to page 20: 1) Creating a vacuum is not about reducing the pressure, it is about removing molecules, which has the net effect of reducing pressure. 2) Barometric pressure = 14.7 PSIA or 29.921 " Hg (30" hg) or 760 mm Hg @ 59oF 3) High and Low vacuum: What is the difference? There is none! It is a subjective term and may mean any level of vacuum achieved when compared to any other level of vacuum. 4) Vapor and Gas are different, however, vapors more closely relate to gases under changes of pressure, volume and temperature as the vacuum in a chamber increases. For Review; Partial Gas Law (Dalton's), Perfect Gas Law Open for discussion... How Does A Pump Pump? "Why do gas molecules flow into a pump? It is up to Mr. Pump to cause this to be done! If the mechanism of the pump can create a lower pressure at it's inlet than exists in the chamber; the gases, in seeking equilibrium of their molecular energy, will diffuse into this lower pressure area. This is true, provided this differential pressure between the chamber and the pump, is not offset by frictional pressure losses in the connecting lines, valves, and internal resistance of the pump itself. SIC In reading this it is clear that we are not 'reducing the internal pressure of the chamber', but rather giving the molecules in the chamber a chance to reach a state of equilibrium (or try to anyway). The low pressure area created by the pump allows the molecules in the higher pressure area of the chamber to try and reach an equalized state. As the molecules leave the chamber the pressure is reduced even further; the more molecules that leave the chamber trying to reach an equalized state the lower the pressure of the chamber.

Vacuum Pump displacement: What does it mean? Generally we think in terms of CFM as being a certain amount of airflow. In fact it is a certain amount of volume (Cubic Feet) based on a specific time (Minutes). Pump displacement is the same, but not in terms we are used to thinking in i.e. Airflow. Pump displacement is simply this: "The term Displacement means exactly what it says, namely, the volume swept through by the displacing mechanism, or pumping elements, at the normal rate of operation. It is merely a geometric dimension and is no criterion of whether the pump is able to do any useful work." SIC {Emphasis Mine} IOW a rotary vane pump that displaces 1 cu ft at a speed of 30 rpm would have a displacement of 30 cu ft per minute (1 cu ft * 30 rpm = 30 CFM). Because this is a geometric dimension it is usually referred to as 'Theoretical Displacement', the term 'Capacity' should not be used to signify the displacement of the pump or vice a versa. What we are interested in is the Pumping Speed. The confusion arrives because this is also given in CFM. However it is determined over a specific pressure range at a specific rpm. So you can have a "High Displacement Pump" of say 30 CFM, but the "Pumping Speed" may only be 3 CFM, and that is under ideal conditions. Next we will look at how we measure a vacuum and what other factors influence the Pumping Speed. Summary Notes to Page 33: 1) A high vacuum pump is a must, rotary vane are the best. 2) Displacement and Pumping Speed have nothing (really) to do with each other even though both are given as CFM 3) Stuff (hoses, valves etc) between the chamber and the pump (including internal pump mechanisms) may effect the Pumping Speed. Lesson Learned: we don't really 'reduce the pressure' of the line-sets, we just manipulate conditions so molecules in the chamber can escape. The leaving molecules are what lowers the pressure in the line-set. Less molecules = Less Pressure. We left off beginning to discuss the vacuum pump itself. Without getting into all the specifics, suffice it to say that we need to be using two stage pumps for our line of work (level of vacuum). The next area of discussion is how we express the level of vacuum we have achieved or, our measurement for a particular level of vacuum; The Micron. In the US we generally measure in Inches, and atmospheric pressure is o different. We have already seen that a level of vacuum should always be referenced to a certain atmospheric pressure. It would be written as such; 29" of mercury in reference to 29.999" bar or, 29" Hg, ref. 29.999". A couple of things happen real quick here. First 29.999" is a pretty ungainly number to have to read, write and repeat, so we round it of to 30" bar. Also, we need to achieve levels of vacuum considerably smaller than 1" Hg; and because the Inch doesn't lend itself to very small divisions we also switch to using Millimeters as the measurement. So, for the purpose of reading a vacuum, in absolute pressures, the above mentioned vacuum level becomes .001 " Hg abs, but we need to go lower still! Enter the Metric System! There are 25.4 mm per inch, we call it 25 mm/", then, .001 " x 25 is .025 mm Hg abs, much easier to handle through the whole range than the Inch. Because the Metric System allows us to convert very easily between dimensions it is far easier to simply convert Millimeters into a smaller unit, Namely the Micron. This way instead of saying .025 MM we can simply say 2.5 Microns! Also, somewhere around here we stop referencing everything to the barometer, it is sufficient for us to understand that our vacuum is always referenced to barometric pressure, we don't need to write it every time, unless it is under testing or other extreme conditions. Remember, a vacuum must reference absolute pressure as the atmospheric pressure can change, even a small change, the vacuum readings considerably. So now we are down to using the Micron for our value assigned when in a deep vacuum. But what is a Micron? Just like the the other measurements it is a linear measurement. Originally used to show the deflection in a column of Mercury, we have since digitized it, referenced it to a different kind of sensor; but in the end it all goes back to that column of Mercury, how far it has moved and atmospheric pressure.

So a Micron is a linear measurement equal to a millionth of a meter. As we learned above we started with a Millimeter and converted it to a Micron, a Micron is a thousandth of a Millimeter, and it is easier to think of it in this way than being a Millionth of a meter! So when we see .001 mm we think 1 micron, not 1 thousandth of a millimeter. This will make it easier to convert testing standards as well, which are usually written something like this 1 x 10-3 mm, which of course, would be .001 mm, or 1 micron! translations: .003 = 3 Microns .045 = 45 Microns .100 = 100 Microns .500 = 500 Microns 1 x 10-3 mm = 3 Microns As we can now clearly see, a Micron isn't just an arbitrary number some geek picked out of the air for measuring a vacuum. There is a history! It is the literal linear measurement of a solid column of Mercury when referenced to atmospheric pressure, and then converted to Absolute Pressure! Review through Page 42: We have learned what a vacuum is, how to create a vacuum, what type of pump to use and how we measure a vacuum. One thing on Page 41 needs to be addressed though: "To adequately dehydrate a system, the high vacuum must be deep back in the system, and not merely up front on a gage attached to the inlet of the pump!"~SIC According to this it would benefit us to take or readings as far away from the pump as possible however, this isn't always possible; which is why we use the "drop" test, which is discussed later. For now just understand that the vacuum must be deep in the system and not merely at the pump inlet! Next we will size our pump and hoses for the task at hand! Size of High vacuum Pump for Field Service Work "There is no advantage in using a large pump for field service work. Experience is proving that a 3 CFM pump is large enough to service up to 10 ton refrigeration units. For larger units, an 8 CFM pump will get the job done as quickly as say, a 50 CFM pump."~SIC Pg. 43 The old rule of thumb which is the CFM Cubed = the size of the unit to be evacuated may be a little off, but this isn't definitive in the book. Suffice it to say that in residential work where the norm is something less than 5 tons a 3 CFM pump is all we need and in Commercial work an 8 CFM is all we need. The secret, as we will find, is in the size of the hoses! "In the language of vacuum engineering, this maximum attainable rate of gas flow (CFM), through a vacuum manifold at stated average pressure, is called teh "Conductance Speed" of the manifold."~SIC Pg. 44 The maximum rate of gas flow through a hose, when pulling a vacuum, is called the conductance speed. Remember that, we will come back to it in a minute. But first we need to establish the types of flow during the evacuation process. There are three types of flow during the evacuation process: 1) Viscous (or Laminar) Flow 2) Intermediate (or Transitional) Flow 3) Molecular (or Diffusion) Flow How do you know what stage you are in? It's pretty easy actually!

Laminar Flow: Where the pressure, measured in Microns, is equal to or greater than the numerical value of 100/d, where d is the inside diameter of the vacuum line in Inches. Molecular Flow: Where the pressure, measured in Microns, is equal to or less than the numerical value of 4/d, where d is the inside diameter of the vacuum line in Inches. Transitional Flow: Exists between these two limits. We now begin to see that the INSIDE DIAMETER of the hose has a great deal to do with the conductance speed of your vacuum manifold. The goal is to transition from Laminar Flow to Molecular Flow in the least amount of time. All else being equal, smaller diameter hoses will greatly increase the time required to pass through all the transitions of gas flow. How much of a difference we will discuss next. On Edit: I failed to mention the actual Micron levels where we achieve the different flows, it is pretty interesting actually. With 1/2" hoses we are still in Laminar Flow until we reach 200 Microns, Molecular flow starts at 8 Microns and Transitional is, of course, in between. With 3/8" hoses, Laminar down to 266.6 Microns and Molecular at 10.6 Microns. We never really get close to Molecular Flow in our work, but the longer you can stay in the Laminar Flow region the faster the evacuation will go. Exactly how much does the size of the hoses effect conductance speed? The easy answer is BY A FACTOR OF 4! Which doesn't mean very much unless I add this bit of information; for every 1/8 Inch increase in hose size! That's right, for every 1/8 Inch increase in hose size the conductance speed is increased by a factor of 4! It is interesting to note that: "The conductance speed of 1/4" O.D. refrigeration tubing is too small to be used as a connecting line to a system; so we will not even discuss it. Never use it if you can avoid it as it is too costly in excessive pump-down time."~SIC Pg. 60 This book was published in 1959! In 1959 we knew that 1/4" hoses were inadequate to use for system evacuation, WHY DO WE USE THEM NOW??? Stop it! A few examples: 3/8" raised to the 4th power = .009 1/2" raised to the 4th power = .036 .036/.009 = 4 times (duh!), here you can see that by increasing the hose size by 1/8' increases the conductance speed by 4 times. 5/8" raised to the 4th power= .095 .095/.036 equals an increase in conductance speed of 2.6 times that of 1/2" hose and 10.5 times that of 3/8" hose! What about 1/4" hose? 1/4" raised to the 4th power = .001 (.009765625) How much faster is 1/2" than 1/4" ? .036/.001 = 36 1/2" hose has 36 Times the conductance speed of 1/4" hose!!! IOW it is 36 times FASTER! I have heard this many times from people: "My boss tells me to pull a vacuum for 20 minutes." Well, if they were using 1/2" hoses that would proly be long enough! But using 1/4" hoses it will take much longer to reach the proper vacuum level! Summary: Stop using small hoses and big pumps! Start using smaller pumps and BIGGER hoses. It is faster, less work (smaller pump is lighter), costs less in the long run (Big pump = big $ and requires more oil per change), spend less time on the job, do more jobs, make more MONEY!

Further Research: None It bears repeating: "The conductance speed of 1/4" O.D. refrigeration tubing is too small to be used as a connecting line to a system; so we will not even discuss it. Never use it if you can avoid it as it is too costly in excessive pump-down time."~SIC Pg. 60 HVACPROTech member MITTS Wrote:
Awesome summary Rat Any reference to 1/4" fittings on a unit in the book ? Why use bigger hoses when the fitting on the unit is still 1/4"

Reply: No reference, or thoughts, on this in the book. However, when discussing conductance speed and the stage at when various flows (Laminar, transitional and Molecular) are reached a big part of the equation is the LENGTH of the hoses. maybe this is why it isn't discussed because the length of the 1/4" fitting is so small. Using the toll booth analogy: If a 1 lane toll booth is equal to the 1/4" fitting, a 4 lane highway is the system line set. It is easy to understand that there is going to be congestion at the toll booth if every car must slow down to get through the booth. The big difference is what happens AFTER the booth. If: 1) The highway remains 1 lane traffic is going to remain congested for a very long time 2) The highway goes to EIGHT LANES after the toll booth there is going to be very little, if any, congestion after the toll booth. We can't control the size of the fittings that OEM's put on their equipment. We can control the size of the hose for pulling a vacuum. All else being equal, bigger hoses make for shorter evacuation times. The fact is if you have 15' of 1/4" hose (3 5' hoses) it will take longer than if you use 7' of 1/2" hose (2 3' hoses and 1 12" hose). The 1/4" fitting on the unit isn't the determining factor, the diameter and length of the connecting hoses is! Which is all we can control anyway... CHAPTER VI High vacuum pump procedure for dehydrating, degassing and leak testing a refrigeration system in the field It is a very simple procedure to properly dry out, by a high vacuum pump, a field installation of a refrigerant system. It is not only a time saving method but, by using the proper type of gages, you can know whether the system is adequately dry and vacuum tight before charging it with refrigerant. By no other means can you so economically establish these facts which are so important to meet the high standards required today. The procedure is simple and straight forward, provided you apply the basic knowledge you already have about (1) the boiling point of water versus temperature and pressure, (2) latent heat of vaporization. ~SIC Pg. 65 I have seen it discussed many times on forums like this one by techs who are concerned about pulling a vacuum too fast and freezing the water in the line set, thereby making the evacuation procedure take much longer than necessary. I have seen this argued for the use of SMALLER HOSES, as we will see it is a fallacy to think this way. In the above text two things must be considered when degassing and dehydrating a system: 1) Boiling pint of water versus temperature and pressure 2) Latent heat of vaporization. To convert water to vapor, some heat energy must be supplied. This is called the BTU's of latent heat of vaporization. So, to remove the water from the line set we must either heat the refrigeration system enough to boil the water off, or reduce the pressure to boil the water off; for obvious reasons we choose to reduce pressure to boil the water off. By reducing the pressure we need less BTU's of latent heat of vaporization to vaporize the water! In fact, the ambient air temperature (and resultant temperature of the walls of the line set) will be enough to boil the water! However, this process

can become a vicious cycle because by removing heat from the water (vaporization) we need to achieve a higher vacuum level to vaporize the remaining water. So, it could be possible to freeze the water in the line set, but not very probable. The materials we use conduct heat very well. However, if there is an element that easily suspends the water, like a filter drier, this area may freeze rapidly. In discussing the boiling point of water it is simply enough to know that the higher the vacuum the lower the boiling point, or, the lower the vapor pressure, same thing. @ 50F the vapor pressure of water is 9000 Microns, or @ 9000 Microns water boils at 50F. @ 500 Microns water boils @ about -13F! Considering that we will likely be working most of the time between these two extremes (9000-500 Microns) and the ambient temperature is somewhere in the neighborhood of 70oF (many times it is much higher, but for the sake of argument), we will be anywhere from 20F to 63F ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF WATER! There will likely be enough ambient heat to keep the water above the boiling point; that's not to say there will never be the chance that it may freeze in the line set, but that chance is not good enough to justify using smaller hoses. We will discuss removal of ice (sublimation and heating) later; it may never happen, but if it does it will be good to know how to handle it in the quickest manner possible. But, why is it important to keep it dry in the first place? We all know the answer to that, but here is an illustration. One pound of water vapor @ sea level occupies about 27 Feet3, however, lower that pressure and temperature and that same pound of water @ 9000 Microns and 50F occupies 1,700 Feet3! Of course there isn't going to be a pound of water in your line set, but even a teaspoon of water @ 450 Microns would be 30 Feet3! Given the inherently low conductance speeds of the system, you can see why it is paramount to remove as much water (or keep as much out) as possible before ever beginning the vacuum procedure. Summary: 1) The likelihood of water freezing in the line set is minimal if you follow proper procedures. Water (liquid) in the line set is more likely to freeze than vapor is to condense and then freeze. Remove all liquid from the line set is the best bet for quicker evacuation times. 2) Specific Volume is directly related to temperature and pressure as well as vapor pressure, they are proportionally inverse. 3) Bigger hoses are only part of the equation, keeping the line set dry in the first place will go farther in reducing evacuation times than anything! Further Research: Vapor Pressure tables P/T chart for water in vacuum HVACPROTech member MITTS Wrote: Forgot when this book was written there was no roof tops there was no central air everything was big stuff. Were vacuum pumps mostly hard piped to systems back then and not portable like now and was this when all the misunderstanding of 1/4" fittings and hoses for started ? Reply: Actually he makes reference to both small and large systems. At one point he writes about being able to put the 'cabinet' in an oven to use heat and dehydrate the lines. So, at least partially, this writing applies to small window sized or PTAC units as well. Also, in sizing the vacuum pump section, he references a 3 CFM pump being adequate for 'most' field work as it is equally good on systems up to 10 tons as a larger 8 CFM pump. While they never explicitly state, "For 5 ton residential systems..." they also never explicitly state, "For anything larger than 100 Ton chillers..." which leads me to believe there isn't a significant difference in the applied physics of the vacuum. Determine the size of the vessel, pick your hoses and calculate an adequately sized pumping speed; there are even formulas for determining how long the vacuum will take for a relatively dry system, within reason (like a new install I would think).

Remember, Mr. Carrier developed the first real air conditioner in 1902, in the 20's and 30's there were many systems in use throughout the industrial and civil complex. Affordable window units were being produced by 1951 and many homes in the South used them. Post WWII saw a boom in the AC business and the first residential split system in Texas was installed by a Texas oil man, for the adjusted equivalent of over $100,000.00. Expensive, yes, but it jump started the market for residential systems and package units quickly gained market share. By 1959 the AC industry was hitting it's stride, so I would think that all of that was considered when this Review of Vacuum was written. I say all that to say this; it wasn't just 100 Ton systems, by '59 there were MANY small residential systems in use. On Page 70 We start discussing the procedure for evacuation. While most of the procedure is what we do anyway, some of the processes are either not widely known or not used; I will emphasize these. Remember, these are just what I think are important or not commonly known. Pressure Test with Dry Gas Pressure testing with a dry gas while looking for large leaks also help to remove moisture in the line. They suggest using Nitrogen or CO2, however I have been told by several people not to use CO2 with POE oils. It may be okay for new lines but not existing. However when dumping the Nitrogen charge be sure to leave about 1 PSI in the line so that atmosphere and moisture) can't get back in! Evacuation cycle Hook everything up, pull from Both sides of the system at the same time; it is recommended to use a bourdon type gauge to get an idea of the rough vacuum (the YJ pumps have this built in) and to use a good micron thermistor gauge to finish the vacuum with. 1st Drop Test Pull the system down to 1 MM (or 1000 Microns) close the vacuum tight valve at the pump (or the core removers) and watch the Micron gauge. If the system is still wet or there is a slight leak, the vacuum level will rise indicating as such. This commonly referred to as a 'drop test' and is probably derived from the drop in vacuum. ROV doesn't go into what we know as triple evacuation, but now is a good time to talk about it. Go ahead and re-pressurize the system with dry Nitrogen, release it to 1 PSI and re-evacuate. 2nd Drop Test Again pull everything down to 1000 Microns and valve the system off, watching the rise in vacuum level. At this point if there is a leak the rise will be close to the same as the first test, if there is a rise, but slower than the first drop test, this may indicate that you are dehydrating. Re-pressurize with Nitrogen, dump, and pull the final vacuum. Using Nitrogen in between each dro test will not only absorb and move out moisture but will also help any lingering water molecules to move closer to the port you are using to purge and evacuate, thereby helping them move out of the system during the evacuation process. Each drop test should be 30 minutes long to give full indication. In the last installment we discussed the vacuum procedure; now we will go into more detail about whether or not we have a leak or still have water vapor in the system. We pick up on page 72 Distinguishing, By Gage Readings, The Difference Between A Leak And Vaporization Basically we are trying to answer the question of whether or not we are seeing a leak or moisture vaporization during the drop test. But first you must be able to see it...

Vacuum Gauges: Most high vacuum gauges are thermocouple gauges as they are the most accurate for their price point, can be made very rugged for field use and are easily cleaned when fouled with common chemicals. Virtually the only maintenance required is a good cleaning with Isopropyl alcohol and a battery change every now and again. While these gauges are great for high vacuum, they are not so great for low or atmospheric pressures; which is why it is better to have TWO gauges when pulling a vacuum. Because many of the thermocouple gauges don't read in atmospheres, and some not above 1200 Microns, this is a good place to use a bourdon tube type gauge as you don't need a great degree of accuracy, but the sweep of the needle. Some vacuum pumps have a gauge built in, like the Yellow Jacket, but it is easy enough to use one of your own if your pump doesn't have one. The reason we want one is to be able to see that our vacuum pump is doing work above the scale our thermocouple gauge is able to display. The Bourdon tube gauge isn't accurate enough to read Microns, but serves us well in indicating that a rough vacuum is happening; then we can start looking for the Micron readings when we are satisfied that we are, in fact, pulling a vacuum. There are more accurate vacuum gauges, but for the level of vacuum we need to achieve I believe the thermocouple gauge is a very good tool that you can have faith in what it displays. Drop Test: Okay, how do you know if you are looking at a leak or moisture vaporization? This chart may explain it better than I can...

As you can see from the graph, if you have a leak the micron level will rise (eventually reaching atmospheric pressure), if you have moisture it will, at some point, level off and if you have a dry, tight system you will get the "bump" but no more. Additionally, if you have access to a water P/T chart (steam chart) you can check to see if the sat temp is inline with the pressure to see if you are at the saturation point for water, if you are you still have water in the system, a nifty trick. Summary: 1) Bourdon tube gauge for rough vacuum check 2) Thermocouple gauge for high vacuum readings 3) Drop test rise indefinite = leak 4) Drop test rise, then level = moisture (verify with P/T chart) 5) Drop test with small "bump" = dry and tight!

Further research: Water P/T chart or steam chart Other vacuum gauges besides thermocouple Gas Ballast On Page 74: We begin to discuss the Gas Ballast; first it's definition and then principle of operation. "Gas Ballast is a technical term inherited from Germany where it was first applied to rotary high vacuum pumps. Within narrow limits, its purpose is to prevent vapors from condensing within the pump during the discharge stroke, or action [rotary]. In our field service work its use is limited because large systems might contain more water than the gas ballast can handle quickly. Generally it saves time to change the small quantity of pump oil rather than wait for the gas ballast to free the oil of excess water. However, we will explain gas ballast because it is available for all sizes of high vacuum pumps." ~ sic And because it is a mystery to most people! Definition: Ballast: The state of equilibrium for that portion of air that is taken in during the intake stroke and exhausted during the exhaust stroke. Let's say the vacuum pump takes in a displacement of air that is 100% saturated with water vapor; as the air enters the pump the water vapor will remain as a vapor (not condense). The "State of Equilibrium" which keeps water in its vapor form is what is known as "Ballast". Gas: Free air is introduced in the outlet (compression) stroke to help maintain this 'Ballast'; as free air is a gas, we have the term 'gas ballast' meaning that a 'gas' is introduced into the 'ballast'. IOW, you are gassing the ballast in order to keep water vapor from condensing. But why...? This is how your oil wets out. During the exhaust stroke, the saturated air is compressed which causes the water vapor to condense. The pump must overcome atmospheric pressure, plus valve spring pressure to exhaust the air. By opening the gas ballast we allow atmospheric pressure to rush into the exhaust void, thereby lowering the compression ratio and, hopefully, keep the water vapor from condensing. Using the Gas Ballast: It is best to open the gas ballast after the pressures are less than 10 mm or 20 mm (10,000-20,000 Microns) and then close it after the rough vacuum has been achieved. The book doesn't say but I close mine around the 23000 Micron mark. Maintenance of a High Vacuum Pump You can read the next three pages for yourself (pages 78-80 actually), but here is the condensed version: 1) CHANGE YOUR OIL! Often... 2) Choose a pump that is easy to break down and clean 3) Use a good Micron gauge to know when your oil has wet out 4) CHANGE YOUR OIL! Necessary Exhaust Piping If you ever need to pull a vacuum in a confined space, or mechanical room, you may want to exhaust the vacuum pump outdoors. Many vacuum pumps have hose adapters just for this purpose and most others can be adapted for this purpose easily. But there is a right way and a wrong way to route the exhaust hose or pipe. Since we are exhausting a mixture of gas with water vapor present we want to take all necessary precautions to keep any condensed water from entering the oil and wetting it out as we illustrated during the gas ballast discussion. along those lines you can think of your exhaust piping as a condenser; water droplets will begin to form on the inside wall and could make their way back into the oil. In order to counter this we install a drip leg on the exhaust piping.

Start the piping with a 90 ell right off of the exhaust fitting on the pump, run this into a tee, add the drip leg and then your exhaust piping. Attach a screw cap on the bottom of the drip leg to facilitate removal of accumulated water. ROV also talks of a device called a smoke arrester that can be used instead of exhaust piping; I have never seen one though. Changing Pump Oil The three steps to changing oil. 1) Drain the old oil after running the pump to get the oil warm. 2) Run the pump, with no added oil and inlet valve wide open, for 30 seconds. this will force most of the remaining oil into the drain reservoir. Drain this oil. 3) Add a half charge of new oil and run the pump for about 5 minutes to let the oil absorb any remaining moisture. Drain this oil. Add your normal charge of dry oil and you are ready for the next job. The remaining pages talk about vacuum gauges and their construction, electronic leak detectors for refrigerants and charging devices. That is it for the Review of Vacuum for Service Engineers I hope this summarized version has helped you to have a better understanding of vacuum in general and what it means to us in the Trades. Rat The book can be ordered from Thermal Engineering: http://www.thermalengineeringcompany.com/ Tim Winings, President 1.440.946.2700