I've got my sucker all ready to go, (thanks Dana)I just need a vacuum pump. I tried taking an air conditioner apart but I tossed it out when oil came out of the compressor. I can get another A/C unit, I just want to know what I have to do with it.

I had the other compressor out of the unit with no problems. It had 3 wires, I don't see a problem hooking up a plug to it. It also had two copper pipes coming out of it. When I tipped the first one I had, oil came out of one of the pipes.

So I guess I have to keep it upright? If the oil is just loose in it, won't it pour out when turned on?

Advice appreciated

Peter

One of the pipe is suction ..the other "blows", and most of the oil is just going to get pushed out anyway so you may as well let it drain. To make the pump last and last add a few drops of light machine oil every now and than.

Well, after some searching, I found this

http://www.dream-models.com/eco/vacuumpump.html

I seems to answer all my questions!

take a look

Peter

Thanks for the reply Dana

That seems strange that the oil blows out. You would think the compressor needs most of it, not just an occaisonal lube?

Peter

If you are considering about using the airconditioner pump on your reactor be careful. I looked at one of these. Luckily it was being reconditioned and had been cut open. The model that I saw draws the vacuum directly onto the electric motor hence exlosion risk. I opted for a vehicle break system vacuum pump and separate motor to keep things that spark away from potentially explosive fumes.

I was wondering how safe they were.

i am using one to bubble wash the bio. And was wondering how safe it would be to use it a vac the methanol out of the reactor for recovery purposes - and then promptly crossed it off the list as i didnt know how they were made internally.

steve

Some of these have capacitor controlled starting circut . Can some someone explain how to wire up the capacitor start type - Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by jbizeray:
If you are considering about using the airconditioner pump on your reactor be careful. I looked at one of these. Luckily it was being reconditioned and had been cut open. The model that I saw draws the vacuum directly onto the electric motor hence exlosion risk. I opted for a vehicle break system vacuum pump and separate motor to keep things that spark away from potentially explosive fumes.

These motors are not likely to cause a spark, because they do not have contacts in them which arc in normal usage. So, even if you are pulling a vacuum to distill methanol from your byproduct, it should not cause any explosion:
1. you are drawing a vacuum, most of the air has been exhausted before you start to evaporate the methanol.
2. Your source vessel should be airtight, otherwise you will not draw a vacuum and you will not get to evaporate much methanol.

In the unlikely event that you have a short circuit in the motor causing a hot spot, and at that time you have an explosive blend of methanol and air in the compressor, you will have an explosion, but the energy of that explosion is likely to be contained by the motor vacuum chamber, because the amount of air and methanol in the pump is small at low pressures.

I've made a few vacuum pumps over the years from A/C units and I usually take the whole control section if it has capacitor start and attach it to a base that the compressor is hooked to. Like a board or something. Then it is already wired and has a cord.