Sihi Vacuum Pump Setup

[sgsommers]

I purchased a 5 hp liquid ring Sihi Model 3408/3804, I can't remember which one, vacuum pump. I have a few questions on the setup particularly on the exhaust side of the pump. I will be placing the pump on top of a round 265 gal stainless bulk tank which will be full of cooling/operating water. The whole unit will be inside a room that is heated thus there should be no need for antifreeze in the water. The pump head has one inlet and one outlet. I believe that I need to "tee" the exhaust pipe to allow for the water that cycles through the pump to return to the resevoir below and the other part part of the tee I should exhaust to the outside to keep condensation from forming on the inside of the enclosed room. Does this sound correct? Matt from lappiere explained this to me quite a few weeks ago and I forget. Also I would like to here from someone who has experience with these pumps.

Thanks,
Steve

I need to post new pics of the renovation.

[Rusty Bucket]

The t should work. But I wouldn't recommend puting your pump above your cooling tank. I have seen some like that and they do normally work, but the pump is supposed to be set so that the water level in the cooling tank is the same height as the center of the pump. I believe this to ensure the pump will always be primed.

Also if you have a water souce nearby (like a brook) I would set it up so that you have a constant flow of cold water running though you tank ( even a 5/16 line makes a big difference). your pump will create more vacuum if you can keep cool water. If you do use brook water you will want a filter in you feed line to the pump.

[802maple]

Hey Rusty Bucket I thought you got snowed in I haven't heard anything from you in a while.

sgsommers our pump is setup like you have explained but we don't only have the one coolant line that comes in thru the base which iis a 1/2 inch line. We also have 2- 5/16 lines coming into the flange on the inlet side of the pump. I think you will find 2 - 1/4 plugs on the inlet which you can thread out and replace it with a barbed fitting. Attach your fittngs to that and you should not have any problem. Our 5/16 lines go as rusty bucket says to a brook that will keep the pump as cold as can be. The colder you can keep the pump the longer it will last and and the more cfm's it will produce. This is how Lapiere does their 150,000 taps in Canada.

Also it was explained us that the pump will create more vaccuum this way. We were also told by Donald Lapiere to not have center of the pump more than 18" above the water.

As far as the exhaust, we run it into a 3 inch stand pipe that has a Tee in it so the water will go into the tank and 2' pipe from that thru the roof for a vent. We tried the 2 inch stand pipe and sometimes for some reason it would blow the water outside on to the roof.

We have been doing it this way for 6 years with no problems

[Parker]

802- what model # pump are you running,,how many taps are you pulling with it,,how far away is your last tap,,how many cfm's is the pump rated for,,what do up try to maintain for vacuum with this arrgangment are you running a conductor line and if so what size,,this is the type of set up I am looking to run in Hill,,curently I have a Massport senior (alot of Cfm's at 15 ") Thanks,,Parker

[802maple]

We have a sihi 40412 with a 7.5 hp electric motor approx. 60 cfm. We have about 5400 taps on that system It is about 4500 feet to the first tap and booster with additional 2500 feet give or take to the last booster with 2 more boosters between the first and last. We have a 2" dry line and a 1 1/2 wet all of that distance. All of the lines leaving the boosters are 1 inch. From the last booster tank to the end is about 600 feet. So it is about 8000 feet to the last tap and we try to maintain 20 inches of vacuum although with some of the old fittings coming to the end of there life it is hard. It is time for a change in laterals

[powerdub]

WT...Heck. I was told my 5 HP SIHI is pulling 75 cfm. How is your 7.5 HP only doing 60. Speak to me Jerry.

[802maple]

My bad. I should read my own posts before I hit the submit button, The 7.5 is supposed to be around 115, I don't know where that number came from. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

There's none of those mistakes on my arch, are there?!?!?! LOL

[powerdub]

Dang Jerry, I was freaking a little there. Had me thinking of sending it out to be rebuilt which it needs anyhow. After the season I am going to send it and I will ask about the particulars on it so we all know.

[802maple]

Believe me there are alot of mistakes on your arch. You will be lucky if you can get that to boil with gasoline LOL

[oneoldsap]

Hey 802 maple I was wondering if i would run into you on here some day. Spent yesterday fitting pipe in the sugar house. Pretty well done feet got cold. We'll glue it up when we get a warmer day. What are you up to?

[sgsommers]

Indeed on the inlet flange there are some plugs that could be fitted with barbed fittings. Thanks for the help, now I need to cut some holes and do some plumbing.