Vacuum pumps are laboratory workhorses that provide the necessary conditions for a variety of scientific applications. Pumps are unfortunately exposed to acid or organic chemical vapors, which can potentially cause maintenance concerns. The exposure of the oil to chemical fumes, especially in oil-sealed rotary vane pumps, can cause the oil to break down to the point that it no longer serves its critical lubricating role. To maintain the pump, it is necessary to change the oil on a regular basis. Here are the top five maintenance suggestions to add to your to-do list.
1. Examine the environment in which you are working.
To perform at their best, vacuum pumps require the correct conditions. They have a higher possibility of breaking down and causing gridlock in your operations in the worst-case scenarios.
The airflow around your pump can have a big impact on how well it works. The airflow may have been excellent when the pump was first installed. Keep an eye on this to see if anything has changed.
Are there any additional contaminants in the region that you should be concerned about, such as vapors, solvents, or acid? If this is the case, check to see if they are affecting the integrity and performance of your pump.
Changes in the weather might also be a problem. Condensation might build up in your pump and cause problems if you’re near an outside wall of the building is heated. The surrounding environment’s ambient temperature is critical.
2. Perform a visual inspection of the pump
The surroundings around the pump, as well as the pump itself, must be visually inspected. Is there any oil or water leaking around the pump? Have you been using a lot of rags or sorbets lately? These could be warning indications that something dreadful is coming.
Other signals that it’s time to undertake pump maintenance, aside from a visual inspection, include strange sounds originating from the unit or a decline in performance.
3. Change the oil and filter on a regular basis
Dry pumps, according to Blower and Vacuum Best Practices, require an oil change in the gearbox once a year. You may need to do this twice annually for heavy usage. An oil-sealed pump, on the other hand, may require oil and filter changes as frequently as once a month, depending on usage and application.
This is also the proper time to check and change oil filters, if so equipped. When in doubt about the process, parts to use, or timing of oil and filter changes for your vacuum pump, refer to the owner’s manual for your specific model or contact the manufacturer.
4. Perform Leak Testing
You can establish a vacuum-tight seal through the various connections by leak-checking your pump system once it’s been installed on a regular basis. Eliminating these leaks will extend the life of your pump and enhance the quality of its output.
It’s vital to keep foreign objects out of your vacuum pump. This includes impurities such as trash, moisture, and oxygen, all of which can undermine the integrity of your device and limit its efficiency.
5. Create Some Redundancy in Your Process
Make sure your method has some redundancy. Have a backup pump on hand to make up the slack while you do routine maintenance or the pump is shipped to the OEM for repairs.
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Reference and end credit for:
L. (2019, September 6). 5 Vacuum Pump Maintenance Tips to Optimize Productivity. Leybold. https://blog.leybold.com/5-maintenance-tips-to-optimize-productivity
