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Re: equipment vs. cold weather question

Posted By: SVP Neon Equipment
Date: Wednesday, 12 May 2010, at 11:49 a.m.

In Response To: equipment vs. cold weather question (stampeder)


> I may have a lead on a pumping system but
> wanted to ask if freezing temperatures over
> the winter would harm the Torr gauge and
> 1402 vac. pump (drained). There is also a
> spare butyl gauge in a box, does bytyl
> freeze or am I better off to just drain it
> and buy new fluid when/if needed?

> The storage unit I rent isn't heated and I
> really don't have any extra storage space in
> my small apartment for more sign stuff.

> My plan is to set up the equipment early
> 2011 when some affordable commercial space
> becomes vacant but that still means a 6
> month storage period where temperatures can
> dip to -30c to -40c with the windchill.
> Thanks!

Good advice Dana.

You should NEVER store a mechanical vacuum pump without oil in it. There are a lot of machined steel parts inside. They need to be submerged in oil to prevent them from rusting.

Here is what I recommend before storing a pump:
1) Start pump and let it warm up for 30-45 minutes.
2) Thoroughly drain old oil.
3) Refill with high quality direct drive pump oil.
4) With the intake plugged so a good vacuum can be achieved, run pump for at least 2 hours to remove the majority of water vapor that is present in the new oil.
5) Remove plug from intake, cover the intake and exhaust so dust and dirt won't get in and store the pump.
6) When you're ready to use the pump again, follow steps 1 through 3.

If it is an O-ring type manifold, disassemble and clean everything, but don't reassemble until you are ready to put it into service. This will keep the O-rings decompressed, which will allow them to seal better after reassembly. Follow Dana's advice on replacing any and all fluids. They don't cost that much and it may save you a world of trouble in the long run. Doing this will also not leave you wondering what you have and what may have been used before.

As for the Torr gauge, once things are set up and running and well outgassed, check it against the U-gauge. A U-gauge will not go out of calibration (unless it is very dirty). A Torr gauge will. The problem is, you don't know the Torr gauge is out of calibration unless you check it against something of known accuracy.

Mark


SVP Neon Equipment

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