hvac vaccum pump?

[3274mike]

does the pump have to be oiless being in hvac a have several vaccum pumps but non are oiless

 

[jamesngalveston]

It should be ...the most important thing is you have to have a backup chamber...just in case, any wine gets in that pump, its done....
you are way better off, buying a system that is all ready tried and true.
I am a big do it yourselfer...Its not worth the time spend to build a system with a capacitor,vacuumpump,on and off switch,overflow, etc.
when one is built that works,tried and tested.

 

[dralarms]

I agree James. The allinonepump is "the cats meow" lol. And tough, I bottled 20 gallons at one time once. I know others have dobe more.

 

[jimmyjames23]

HVAC vacuum pumps are not recommended. I speak from experience. I am one of the few here to have actually witness a vacuum related implosion using lab grade vacuum that was capable of pulling one full bar.
If you're looking at vacuum degassing I would recommend a 12-24 volt vacuum pump available on eBay. They are diaphragm pumps capable of pulling and more importantly...hold a vacuum. If you are looking to vacuum rack your wine or just do simple wine racking/filtering then I would highly recommend the All in one wine pump. Nothing else works as well.

 

[3274mike]

thanks I figured that was the case

 

[cimbaliw]

With all due respect to Steve "VacuumPumpMan" If you have the gear, I'd give it a try. Considering Jimmy James' experience probably some type of regulator and meter may be of benefit. I've read lots of complaints about oil compressor pumps smelling and spewing oily discharge about the wine room. Perhaps if you could isolate it somehow you may have something you like. I'd do an internet search and see what others are doing. There are several folks out there that started with an HVAC pump and moved on from there.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

This is taken from my FAQ's from the website -

Can I use the standard A/C vacuum pumps that I have seen advertised and on some Wine Forums ?

It is very hard to control the vacuum while transferring or bottling.
They are loud.
They are heavy!!
It is more complicated. You would still need a vacuum reservoir and release valve, possible gauges, and more. They use oil and it is critical that the oil level always be maintained or the pump will burn out. Oil can leak through the overflow tube into the vacuum overflow container which contains overflow wine. After continued use, oil fumes can be smelled in the room. During use the oil from the unit escapes from the air valve pooling on your “soaker rag” under the a/c vacuum pump.
Yes, I have used and experimented with the a/c vacuum pump for a long time. Through years of experimentation I invented the best vacuum pump for home wine makers on the market today. Our pumps are oil free!! No smell, quiet, only pulls up to 22 inches of vacuum, less chance of carboy mishaps, more controllable and lighter and easier to use

 

[Arne]

I agree with Steve, he has done a lot of research to make the best pump for the purpose. On the other hand you have a vac. pump. If you pull wine into it, just change the oil. You can hook something up to the discharge and discharge outside if you get too much oil smell. You probably have a old gauge manifold laying around. Buy a vac. guage from your wholesaler and put it on the manifold. you can use the manifold to control the vacuum. Put a catch jar in line before the manifold. Keep your vac. pressures down while expermenting with it. They work, but be a little careful with it and you should be fine. I filled mine with wine once, but some fresh oil and back in business. Arne.

 

[3274mike]

thanks for all the info will post if i try it will have an allinone at some point wife watching my hobby spending pretty close at this point

 

[Arne]

wife watching my hobby spending pretty close at this point[/QUOTE]

Funny how the same disease happens all across the country. LOL, Arne.

 

[bkisel]

And here I thought my wife was unique in that regard!