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Thread: Moisture trap inside or outside

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    North Grenville, Ontario
    Posts
    982

    Default Moisture trap inside or outside

    Just getting my new Busch R5 vacuum pump setup inside the vacuum shed and was wondering if it is better to install the moisture trap outside or inside the heated area the pump is at.
    It’s kept at about 10-15 degrees C when the pump is off and gets up to about 23-25 when the pump is running due to the heat from the pump. Have a fans in there as well
    To exchange fresh air from outside but seems to stay pretty constant when vac is running.

    I noticed last year that even with my smaller pump that the moisture trap inside had buildup of moisture a lot more then when I had it outside. This I would assume is because the cool air or gasses the pump is pumping in from the lines hits the warm sides of the moisture trap and it condenses.
    Is this a good thing ? I assume that it is saving the pump from getting that moisture when it enters.
    And I also didn’t have to clean the pump vanes and rotor like I usually do at the end of the year due to that sludgy Mapley buildup on the rotor and vanes.

    Just wondering what others have done and what works best.
    600 taps on vacuum
    Lapierre mechanical Releaser
    CDL electric releaser
    2.5 x 10 CDL Venturi ( new for the 2024 season )
    Home made modulating auto draw off
    Homemade RO 2 x 4" membranes
    CDL 16 x 16 bottler
    Wesfab 7" filter press
    Delaval 73 vacuum pumps

    12 hives of bees

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,683

    Default

    I never had a pump shed but the moisture trap worked well outside.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Essex VT
    Posts
    410

    Default

    I installed my moisture trap inside the building. The first year I used a mechanical moisture trap that had some sort of trip lever in it. That went by the wayside as being unreliable. I purchased an electric moisture trap that has worked perfectly for 10 years. Expensive but very reliable. I fell that after my experience that you need a very, very good moisture trap to protect the R-5. I also have a R-5. Mine only holds 2 quarts of oil so a little water in the oil will screw it up pretty easily.
    2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
    2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
    2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
    2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
    2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
    2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
    2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
    3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    North Grenville, Ontario
    Posts
    982

    Default

    I have an electrical moisture trap as well. I have it wired to the emergency stop on the VFD. So it will shut pump down when it trips. Going to try to have pump turn on and off with a thermostat this year. Will hopefully save me some time going back and forth.
    600 taps on vacuum
    Lapierre mechanical Releaser
    CDL electric releaser
    2.5 x 10 CDL Venturi ( new for the 2024 season )
    Home made modulating auto draw off
    Homemade RO 2 x 4" membranes
    CDL 16 x 16 bottler
    Wesfab 7" filter press
    Delaval 73 vacuum pumps

    12 hives of bees

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,431

    Default

    If the moisture trap is mechanical, then best to put it inside a heated space or use heat tape. Otherwise, small amounts of moisture might get in over time and freeze, which can trap the ball in place and preventing the proper operation of the trap to shut off the pump. This can allow sap to get past the trap and into the pump, causing bigger problems. Electrical is less sensitive to this issue, but inside is easier to maintain if you have the room.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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