vacuum pump has me confused!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cpmaple]

I've been working on it the last few days and i'm not getting anywhere with it. I will start off with i hooked the pump up to 100' of 1" and at the end with gauge its pulling 23.5" of vac but once i hook to releaser i get zero. I've tried everything know to man i think to isolate the upper chamber from lower and still nothing.But once i shut a valve i put inline to check it i have vac and it climbs fast. The pump is a duo seal 2 stage pump and releaser is a older cdl which i replaced all gaskets last season when this problem started . any help or advise would be greatful i'm thinking its the pump because it seems to push more air than pull unless i block off the pipe. thanks chad If pics will help i will get them

[adk1]

well obviously the releaser right..you have narrowed it down to that

[spencer11]

did you try reducing the 1" pipe down to where you can put a vac gauge on the end? and not have it hooked to anything else, to see if you get vac?

[cpmaple]

yes i did that spencer if you read a little closer i said i did that on the end of 100' of 1"

[wiam]

Do you have valves were the mainlines would come into the releaser? With plugs or closed valves in these ports even a very small vacuum pump should get a reading on a gauge. There must be leaks in the releaser.

[cpmaple]

I've pluged the two ports that i use for my lines and also taped of the flappers from the top chamber to the bottom besides the flappers working. Acts like its pushing more air than pulling. What would happen if i down size the vac line from pump to releaser? would that possible help i will try that tomorrow in the am.The pump is rated at 5.6cfm and had problems with it mid way through the season last year no just trying to figure it out.Would vac oil have anything to do with it? thanks cpmaple

[wiam]

Smaller line would = less cfm, but cfm is not important in a perfectly tight releaser. If your gauge shows vac at the end of the pipe and none on a "closed" releaser there is a leak in the releaser. Are you using the same gauge? Is this gauge staying at the same point at the end of the pipe?

I am not saying there is not a problem with your pump or that you do not need cfm to make sap flow.

[cpmaple]

right now i have it hooked up in the sugar house trying to figure it out. Tomorrow i will get pics and post them maybe that will help. thanks for the input maybe i just need a new releaser.

[nymapleguy607]

I'm not sure of the valve setup on the releaser but there should be some type of air cylinder at the top of the main cannister, this is actuated by the trip valve moving up and down. My guess is the cylinder is stuck in the dump position and sucking air through the releaser. Like I said I don't know you're releaser setup but I'm going by how my Bernard works. Hope this helps.

[cpmaple]

The releaser isnt stuck on the dump cycle i know that for sure. I've taken pump back apart and cleaned still no different than before.I've come to that the pump is pushing more air than pulling so in return in a 1" it can make vac but once i hook it to releaser vol is to great for it to over come and make vac. So i will keep the 1/2hp motor and search for another pump before the season. I've found one for 500 but need to get info on it how big and cfm i need no less than 7 cfm but would like bigger and gas powered asking for alot i know. thanks for all the input with this problem but i give up on it

[philkasza]

We always could hear an air leak on our releaser when it was leaking but we had the pump in another building so the noise from the pump was not drowning out the vac leak noise. If it is a great big leak you may not be able to hear it. If you have valves for all your mainlines coming into the manifold, check and make sure they are all operating correctly. I've had valves break so that when I would turn the handle it would not close. I have never heard of vac pumps pushing air, they either pull vac or get wore out and pull less and less vac.

Sam

[Thad Blaisdell]

If you are getting vacuum without the releaser and then no vacuum with releaser it has to be the releaser.

[mapleack]

Is the releaser a cdl horizontal with the sliding gate valve for continuous vac? If so, the seals in the sliding gate valve are probably shot.

[cpmaple]

yes its a cdl horizontal and i replaced those gaskets and the dump door gasket i've sealed off the upper chamber from the lower one with tape and only get 5hgs i used shaving cream to check for leaks thinking it would pull the shaving cream in where it was leaking but found nothing i will post pics in awhile first i have to change a flat tire on my truck then i will get pics maybe that will help everyone out a little more. Bad start to a good day already but its snowing out lol If there was another sugaring maker close to me that was willing i would hook it up to there pump to check releaser but theres not so i will get another pump and if no different i will have two pump and get releasers for them

[spud]

I had a similar problem last year with my brand new releaser. What happened on mine was when the vacuum pump was turned on the vacuum would suck the cheap plastic shield inside the releaser and seal up the 3 inch hole stopping all vacuum from entering the releaser. I had to take this shield out and replace it with a thicker shield that would not bend. The better quality releasers have a thicker shield and white plastic bushings to keep the shield about 3 inches away from the hole. This might be what's happening to you.

Spud

[cpmaple]

it worked fine mid season last year then i stop being able to get vac to releaser. I thought pump was junk but me being me tried it this season to see what when wrong since i got mad last year with it and ran just gravity when it happened. Like i note proior (sp) i will get pics in a while and show everyone when running it was pulling 22.5 to 23 hgs at the releaser