Which vaccuum pump to buy?

[murferd]

Got the go ahead from my brothers to buy a new vacuum pump for next year. We have been running an Alamo 75+ for 5 years or so & have had good luck & it's worked ok. The most I can get out of it is 25" but it's pushing the limits, most of the time it is around 22-24. We figure if we get an actual pump that is used in the Maple industry we should be able to increase sap production. What is the most reliable, best, affordable pump out there? Liquid ring, double or single stage, Busch?

[VT_K9]

We have a 3hp airtech we bought from CDL. We ran a sap puller for 2 years and this was our first year with the airtech. It is an oil cooled liquid ring pump. We could get 27" and never less than 25. We have just over 300 taps this year and will hopefully go to about 475 next year.

Mike

[miohman]

Check out Indiana Vacuum. Their pumps are supposed to be great and easier on the check book.

[BreezyHill]

Got the go ahead from my brothers to buy a new vacuum pump for next year. We have been running an Alamo 75+ for 5 years or so & have had good luck & it's worked ok. The most I can get out of it is 25" but it's pushing the limits, most of the time it is around 22-24. We figure if we get an actual pump that is used in the Maple industry we should be able to increase sap production. What is the most reliable, best, affordable pump out there? Liquid ring, double or single stage, Busch?

A new pump is not going to fix an issue of leaks on the system unless you have your mains sized to transfer the vac to the weak point/ leaks.

If the Alamo is able to do 25" and is only running at 22 then you have a fair amount of leaks that need to be addressed first. Then you should turn that 75+ into a 100+ by changing your pulley diameters and possibly putting on a larger motor. The 100+ is either direct drive or pulley and a 5.5 hp motor. The extra cfms from the old girl will assist in over coming the leaks but repairing the leaks is your best bet.
I have seen that same pump on 1500 tap operations and pulling 25-26"

IMO a CDL leak detector would be a much better investment of funds and supplement that with some ball valves and vac gauges for your laterals to check for leaks and narrow down there location more redally.

I am putting my Alamo big body on the system for next year as the main pump for 1200 taps. Standby unit is a D 75 with flood oil and cooling coil. I also use an automatic temp control unit to run a blower fan to cool the pumps if they get to warm.

If you have to buy another unit then I would weigh the maintance and daily requirements of each pump and the time you have to do these chores for the pump. Each pump has it's own set of needs: Rotory pumps need oil check and changed and possible cooling on warm days. Liquid ring need frost free water supplies and a nice home, bush rotory claw needs fantastic water trap, piston pumps...IMO need a sound proof room...that thud thud thud is rather annoying to me, oil ring need a great cooler design like the indian pump with an aluminum tank for rapid oil cool down.

Do your home work on the pumps and you will be fine. BUt fix the leaks first and make sure you really need a new pump.

Good Luck!

Ben

[madmapler]

I am currently using sihi liquid ring pumps and though I have done well with them, I'm considering the pumps that MES sells. They are Atlas copco vane pumps that they claim will maintain an exceptionally high vacuum. I've spoken with one other guy who's using them and he swears they are everything they are claimed to be. The main reason I'm thinking of switching is the cost of electricity. They use about half or less power to maintain the given number of taps. I was floored by my electric bill this season. Their prices are right on their website and they seem pretty reasonable to me. Search Maple expert solutions(Mes)

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Call Clayton at MES he has pump equivalent or better to CDL Airtech but WAYYYYYYY CHEAPER and your butt wont hurt when leaving. The one I bought was close to 1000 cheaper than CDL!
plug it in turn it on, no water, no oil reclaimer to worry about very quit and compact. 28" and 17cfm for 1000 taps with moisture trap 2800 I went and picked it up.

Electricity usage? even on the socialist power grid of GMP our electric bill was 120 this year compared to a delaval 75 1HP electric motor, less taps, less sap, less vacuum last year and the bill was 279.15, same electric meter. The atlas has a 1.2HP motor French or Italian made WOW what quality!

[Randy Brutkoski]

I have 2 busch pumps. i like them but i am hearing nothing but good things about the airtech pumps. everyone has there own preference.

[eagle lake sugar]

I can also vouch for the Atlas Copco pumps from MES. I replaced my 35cfm pump with a 73cfm Atlas and was very pleased with the performance.

[murferd]

Breezy,
I'm sure we have some leaks, but for some reason later in season I couldn't get vacuum up to 24-25 even by shutting ball valves off at releaser, right in pump shack beside vacuum pump. I did install a larger (5") pulley on our 5 hp motor, but the extra speed & cfms created extreme heat(over 200), was afraid of melt down. I had added oiler to intake & all 3 lines are coiled copper, & have fan running on pump as well, I changed it back because of no backup. It ran fine, we just want more. With the 4.25 pulley & 5hp motor, pulling the vacuum I was, how many cfm's do you thing I was getting?

Eagle Lake,

How many taps are you doing with that size pump? How long has it been running?

[BreezyHill]

Murray,
The stock pump with 4.25 pump and a 10 pulley should get you in the 30-32 cfm range at 15 inches so at 24 I would think you would be pulling in the area of 10 to maybe 12 cfm.
With the heat and the drop in vac you are describing a plugged filter on an Alamo pump. The extra speed was creating even more friction so more heat and the oil was not flowing as it should.

I would pull the reclaimer a part and check the filter and replace it. I would also strip down the drippers and clean them with carb cleaner and get a can with the red straw to shoot thru the dripper tubes in the glass area. The glass tube area has a rubber ring top and bottom and clean the glass with a paper towel so you can see really well in there. Check the oil for sludge and discard the old oil and clean the dripper feed lines first with compressed air into a rag. Then with carb cleaner and again with air. I would not be surprised if you find a partially plugged line also. After you do that put new oil in the unit after it is all back together and turn here on and see what she does for vac over 30 minutes.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Let me know how you make and what you find.

Ben