Water cooled vac. questions

[danno]

I'm hooking up my new to me Sihi vacuum.

1. Do I want my water supply tank higher or lower than the pump? Seems that if the tank was higher than the pump, I could feed the pump by gravity, BUT if the water line was open and pump was off, wouldn't I have water everywhere. Seems like water would flow through the pump and up the exhaust and vac lines. If the tank is below the pump, will the pump pull the water up the feed line?

2. The Sihi has a 1/2" fitting for the water line on the side of the pump and 2 1/4" fittings on either end. Do both 1/4" fittings get a water line as well? Or just the exhaust side, or just the vacuum side?

[gmcooper]

My pump is from Indiana Vacuum but would think set up would be similar. Bottom of my tank is setting on the platform the pump is mounted on. When the tank is 2/3 full the level is 6" or more above the top of the pump. So that does provide gravity feed to the pump but not really much head pressure. Never had it flood out the pump and backup towards the releaser.

[Brian]

Glen Goodrich sets them up so the top of the tank is at the inlet of the 1/2 inch fitting so that the pump will not fill full of water when the pump is turned off. In other words you want the pump to fill 1/2 way on gravity only,because if the pump is full, the pump will be hard to start or may not start.This also makes it so when the pump starts it will pull water on its own. You will just have to prime the pump the first start of the year and should be good to go!! you run the water out the bottom of the tank and build a stand for the pump. I hope this make sense.

[Mark]

Water level in the tank should be at the shaft level. On the single stage pump I had both of the end bottom fittings hooked to the water. Don't worry about the other small fittings. The water lines are attached lower on the water tank so if you get some evaporation they won't run dry. Also I put an over flow line on the water tank at shaft level so the tank can not be overfilled. I put an electric float switch on the water tank to turn off the pump if the water level dropped too much from evaporation so I don't have to worry during all night operations.
To keep the water cool I circulate the water through a copper coil in a very small stream. It is pumped with a 1/4 hp pump and leave it going all spring so it does not freeze. The cooling circuit is a loop by its self and is not part of the pump hookup. It you don't keep the water cool you will loose cfm's and you will be constantly adding water.

[danno]

Thanks guys - that helps. What are those two 1/4" fittings for if not for water lines?

[Brian]

I think they are drain plugs, to drain out the water in the off season,the pump I have,my father or glen put ball valves in for quick draining. If you do this,make sure the nipples don't screw in to far and hit any moving parts of the pump.

[Mark]

The 1/4 plugs are for things like a place for a vacuum pickup for a gauge. If you look at it I think they just go into the intake. Some people use them for the water hookup. There is another brand pump that has water going to the seals but not the Sihi in the size we use.

[sugarstone]

To keep the water cool I circulate the water through a copper coil in a very small stream. It is pumped with a 1/4 hp pump and leave it going all spring so it does not freeze. The cooling circuit is a loop by its self and is not part of the pump hookup. It you don't keep the water cool you will loose cfm's and you will be constantly adding water.

I have a SIHI 40412/Honda powered at a remote pump station. Currently have a cooling drum hooked up for cooling. I go through alot of water and so I'am looking for options here.
I have a stream beside the pump house but no electricity. I like the idea of running a loop but would take too much copper.
Any ideas?
Pics are of from someone else's operation, but I did the same hook-up. His vac runs at 18in, mine at 20in. I seem to go through alot more H2O.

[Mark]

The loop is radiator hose to the stream and a 50 foot coil of 1/2" copper in the water. I did not unroll the copper and kept it the way I purchased it.

[sugarstone]

The loop is radiator hose to the stream and a 50 foot coil of 1/2" copper in the water. I did not unroll the copper and kept it the way I purchased it.

Would this work with a bit of gravity? Pump is probably 3ft below an existing pool in the stream (would dig deeper for that coil). Should it tee off with a valve in between the pump and barrel?

[Brian]

We run a 3/4 inch plastic pipe from the brook into our water tub (100 gal). The tub has an overflow out of the tank. This gives the water a place to go. The water running in keeps the water in the tank cool. At the beginning of the season, we just fill the tub with water to get the vac pump started, and throw snow in the tub to keep it cool until we get the water running. This keeps the pump cool.