7.5 HP oil less Surge vacuum

[murferd]

That's all I know about it. Would this be able to reach 25-27 in/hg? Any idea of cfm's? Got an Alamo 75 right now
would like to upgrade. Is this an upgrade?

Thanks,
Murray

[BreezyHill]

I would have to say no. The Alamo 75 can be modified to get you to 25-27 if it is not there now. If it is a true A 75+ then you should have a 5.25" pulley on a 5HP motor. If it is smaller pulley or motor, then it is not a true 75+.

The Alamo pump body is a unique unit and to reach higher cfm it was setup with a larger motor and pulley size.

Remember that dairy pumps were operated at 15-18" of vac. At this level a 75+ is rated at 45 cfm and a 100+ is at 52 cfm. The 100+ runs a 5.5hp motor and a larger motor pulley to achieve more rpms.

If your 75 is not reaching 25-27, with the vac controller removed from the system; then there are a few things to check.

I would pop the case and check the vanes for wear, the housing for waves, and be certain that the drippers are all functioning correctly first. A sloppy bearing will also affect vac level negatively.



Step one will be to check the drippers prior to popping the case. They must drip consistently. A small amount of debris will affect their flow.

Does your unit have a working oil reclaimer temp gauge?
Are the drippers free to adjust?
Are the sight glasses clean for viewing?

You will need a time piece of some sort to count a minute.

This is a large pump and will like its oil. Since it should have a reclaimer attached the drip rate can be increased by 10-20 drips per minute over the usual rate of 10-20 per minute for early units without reclaimers.

Higher drip rates will reduce heat and increase vac levels if applied to the correct locations.

Prior to adjusting anything count the number of drips the pump is currently getting.

DOES THIS UNIT HAVE AN INLET OIL DRIPPER?

if not this is likely going to be the first thing we do to the unit.

The inlet oiler is your bread and butter. This is the one that seals the vanes and cools the housing the most. The bearings need lubrication and the oil will suck into the housing and out the exhaust.

A hot pump can be cooled by increasing the drips per minute (DPM) on the inlet.

Hot oil can be cooled by replacing the original plastic dripper lines with a copper line that can be coiled for a heat dispersion affect. The copper is also rated for higher temps and can save a pump from seizure in the event that a plastic line ruptures or collapses. I prefer copper.

Ok you got a lot to think about and do.

Let me know

Ben

[murferd]

What do you think of an Alamo 2800? Found one yesterday for $600.00 with 8hp motor. Will it get to 25-27 & run as cool or cooler as 75?

[BreezyHill]

I got your pm and that is do able.
The site was not letting me respond for some reason.

2800 is a huge pump from the 1990s and was not very popular. Several parts are no longer available. I would steer clear of this unit unless you could get it for $200-$250. They usually ran 10 hp motors and were electric hogs.

10hp at 750 watts per, is 7.5 kw...my electric rate is $.40/kw so you will be looking at $3/ hr of power so that is like $72 a day. This season I ran my pump for over 7 days straight...that would be over $500 for just that one week.

If you got the pump cheap enough you could then put a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to run the unit. They are very good for dairy and will save money for maple but no where near as much as we run higher vac than dairy. If you ran 23 you would save more than say 25"; with 27-28" saving even less, as the higher the vac the harder it is to remove that little amount of air from the system.

On my system you can hear the brass check valve clicking closed and open...it is that small of an amount of air that is being pulled.

Check and see if the unit had a vfd already...that would be a great deal if it does.

Ben

[murferd]

Decided against the oil less pump & the 2800. The dealer that had the 2800 said it runs hotter than the 75 during milking, I've lots of heat now with the 75 don't need anymore.
That been said I'll look at trying to improve our 75. Getting back to Breezy's post our pump has a 5 hp motor, but the pulley is 4.25, if I put a 5.25 it makes it a true 75, doesn't it also speed the pump up? Our reclaimer does have a temp gauge, running around 200 F on warmer days & the drippers are supplying lots of oil to the bearings, probably a drip every 2 or 3 seconds. I'm not sure what you mean by inlet dripper. I need more info on that. Sounds like the deal breaker! We have a lot of fog(smoke) out exhaust now, will the inlet dripper cause more?

[BreezyHill]

Inlet oil is a dripper that is in the inlet.

More oil will make the unit cooler and will help to seal the vanes to the housing. This will usually reduce the fog. I would put a fan onto the reclaimer to pull the temp down. This will reduce the fog.

Running faster will only be an advantage if you are not getting enough CFM from the unit Faster will not increase your vac inches unless your cfms are low.

The 100+ has a slightly larger oil reclaimer for more capacity.

Most units have a filter in the reclaimer...yours maybe missing if you are getting a lot of fog. Or it could have crud limiting air flow.

Ben

[murferd]

So, is there a way to install an inlet dripper or do I need something different? I really like the thought of less heat & fog! If you could help it would much appreciated!

[BreezyHill]

:) It is not a problem.

The way to install an inlet dripper is very easy on this unit as it usually already has an inlet orifice that is not used in the lower cfm setups. Check the inlet opening on the housing to see if there is a plugged opening. If not then you can install a tee on the inlet and use a reducer or a set of reducers to get down to the size of the fitting that is on the drippers.
The 100 takes a three way dripper to keep it cool. A new triple dripper will cost about $110 and a single dripper is around $35. I can check in the shop if you need a single.

You can tee-in a single dripper into the line from the reclaimer to supply the oil.

I like to change the plastic lines to copper for added oil cooling and insurance against a melted supply line. We are forcing this units to run warmer than a dairy farm usually does when we run high vac; so the copper line cools the oil and stands up to much higher heat levels. A section of line can be coiled and a small fan installed to circulate air for added cooling. Cooler oil will reduce the vane temp and reduce fog.

To further reduce fog, a fan on the reclaimer will keep the sides cooler and condensate more oil. At high vac there is vey little air flow thru the pump. What does pass thru is quite warm and will carry a large amount of vaporized oil that is cooling the pump. A clean reclaimer will condensate more vapor and reduce fog the most.

Also cleaning the housing so there is no debris on the unit will help the unit dissipate heat.

[collinsmapleman2012]

Breezyhill,
what can I use to make a reclaimer for my alamo 75, I have the stock one but we cant seem to get the gunk out of it and it keeps plugging the little filter. I also have a delaval 73 that I want to try, it will be either a backup or run another woods, and I need a reclaimer for that. so, something simple and cheap is around my price and ability.
Thanks,
Neil

[BreezyHill]

The gunk should clean out with some kerosene. The original reclaimer is great pattern Internally the vapor is forced to go around the outside of the chamber to condensate the vapor. A small propane cylinder that has been vented for a day can be used to fashion a reclaimer. provided you can build a flange to reconnect the two halves. A flat plate with a hole and an elbow to swirl the air and vapor round the edge of the top half is vidal to finish condensation of any vapor.

The use of some steel wool in the plate elbow will further condensate more oil from the exhausted. It will also block foreign matter from entering the chamber if the exhausted port is stuffed with steel wool also.

the 73 is a totally different beast. That unit has a built in reservoir that the exhausted is forced over and some vapor is condensated there. A reclaimer will still be beneficial but must have, as all must a moisture drain. The reclaimer must also be located at a height that will allow the oil level to not exceed the recommended oil level in the pumps reservoir. This is not impossible but is just a wrinkle that must be ironed out in the location and design of the unit.

The use of a filter cartridge that has a water drain valve is a plus and a worth while added expense. Water is more of an enemy than the fog.