Recommended Temperature Settings

[pete3046]

Hello,
I'm on my second year using a 3/4hp Airablo vacuum pump. The pump is in an unheated pump house and I just left the pump running 24/7 last year. This year I was planning to add a temperature sensor/switch and I had two questions.

1. Is it ok to shut off the pump in an unheated pump house? I have a mechanical releaser
2. What are the preferred on/off temperature settings?

Thanks,
Pete

[Tap&sap]

Hello, I also use this same pump, and a mechanical releaser. My pump is also in an unheated shed. I shut my pump off all the time, actually whenever the temp drops below freezing, if I don't I have big problems with my releaser freezing up. Is your releaser in a heated environment? Does your vacuum have the radiator/cooler?

[DrTimPerkins]

If your moisture trap is not in a heated space (or heated somehow), small amounts of liquid can get in and freeze, trapping the ball in place. This can result in the trap not working and liquid reaching the pump. How bad that is depends on your pump and how much liquid gets by. You want to be sure to have a way to drain the trap periodically.

[DrTimPerkins]

2. What are the preferred on/off temperature settings?

Temperature varies quite a bit in the woods depending upon microclimate. Trees/lines in one area can be frozen and still running in another. A lot depends on the woods (elevation change, aspect change, etc.). Just pick what seems like a reasonable temperature but be ready to adjust to your situation as you observe the conditions at your site.

Back when we had an Airblo vane pump the issue we had was startup when cold. Takes a good bit of startup amps to get that big chunk of metal rotating, and it would often blow a breaker repeatedly. We ended up putting a heat lamp on it to keep it warm on cold nights. Since that time we've gone entirely to Busch pumps (although we are testing a Becker pump this year) and put them and the moisture traps in a heated space. They seem to like it a lot better. It is also quite a lot easier to work to troubleshoot things (pump, moisture trap, VFD) in a warm space than one that is really cold.

[Tap&sap]

I agree if you can put heat in it, that will save you problems. I have never even noticed liquid in the moisture trap, but I do get the moisture in my lil, which I try to drain off every day. The one issue I have had is the pump not getting up to pressure, which I will open the moisture trap and deadpan it by closing the flapper. This doesn't work all the time and sometimes it's extremely hard to get the vacuum to build up pressure, it's very odd!!

[Tap&sap]

*oil, not lil*

[pete3046]

Thank you for the inputs. I could potentially get some heat in my little pump house, but it will not be this year. I believe I decided to let the vacuum pump run 24/7 for the reasons discussed here.

Dr. Tim,
As far as draining the moisture off, the moisture separator does have a flapper valve at the bottom and with a loss of vacuum would drain off. I have never seen and liquid in my moisture separator and always assumed that my releaser was functioning properly.

Thanks,
Pete

[DrTimPerkins]

As far as draining the moisture off, the moisture separator does have a flapper valve at the bottom and with a loss of vacuum would drain off. I have never seen and liquid in my moisture separator and always assumed that my releaser was functioning properly.

That's great...hope it stays that way.

[Tap&sap]

I am curious how you can keep that pumping running without releaser turning to block of ice, is your releaser in a heated area?