Question on pumps

[Rocky]

I have an aspirator pump set up for transferring and filtering wine (see below). It very slow and I am thinking of getting a larger diameter racking cane (I now have a 3/8" OD and would get a 1/2" OD which should give me 2.25 times the speed of transfer). My concern is the pump.

Firstly, it has a pressure gauge on it and the needle never moves when the pump is run. Can anyone tell me why this is? It does not seem to hurt anything but I would like to know what pressure I am pulling. The thumb screw is turned all the way in, i.e. tightened. If I back this off, losen it, the flow of wine stops.

Secondly, would I run into any problem by increasing the inflow of wine to the receiving carboy using a larger racking cane? The OD of the tube running from the receiving carboy to the Buchner flask is 10/32" (I can't measure the ID as there are rubber fittings on both ends of the tubing but I estimate it to be 1/4"). Same type of tubing runs from the Buchner flask to the pump.

Thanks for your help.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I dont have much time right now - but have you put another vacuum gauge on your line and check to see how much vacuum you really have ? It sounds like a bad gauge on the unit itself ot a leak some where.
I also had problems using the orange universal bung -it always seem to leak vacuum - I do make a # 6.5 tappered bung that has a 3/8 and a 1/4 hole already in it - that will take care of most all carboys and give you a better seal.

 

[Rocky]

Thanks, Steve. I was having a problem with leaks in the set up and installed the two hose clamps. That seemed to take care of the leaking problem. I was getting a lot of air in the wine transfer line and that has stopped. I may have a leak somewhere else and I will check that out.

I have replaced the guage that came with the unit with a new one and it still does not give a reading. You can see the old guage in the top drawer of my tool chest. I also replaced the plastic overflow container with the Buchner flask.

 

[ibglowin]

+1 on getting a new gauge. Sounds like its not working. Also I bought a couple of these 2 Hole Vacuum Adapters from Valley Vintner years ago. They are not cheap but well worth it IMHO. Very tight seal. You will need to pick up a racking cane and cut the top off to fit to the bottom of the carboy and then stick up about 3-4" out the top of the fitting.

Dump that orange carboy cap!

 

[BobF]

Thanks, Steve. I was having a problem with leaks in the set up and installed the two hose clamps. That seemed to take care of the leaking problem. I was getting a lot of air in the wine transfer line and that has stopped. I may have a leak somewhere else and I will check that out.

I have replaced the guage that came with the unit with a new one and it still does not give a reading. You can see the old guage in the top drawer of my tool chest. I also replaced the plastic overflow container with the Buchner flask.

Are you sure your new gauge is for vacuum? If it's a pressure gauge, that would explain why it isn't working.

 

[Rocky]

Are you sure your new gauge is for vacuum? If it's a pressure gauge, that would explain why it isn't working.

Thank you, Bob! I had ordered an Ashcroft Vacuum guage and it came but had too large a mounting (3/8" NPT) so I returned it and asked for a 1/4" NPT. I did not look at the second guage closely when I received it and it is a pressure guage. I put the original guage back on the unit and it works fine.

Thanks, All, for your help on this.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

+1 on getting a new gauge. Sounds like its not working. Also I bought a couple of these 2 Hole Vacuum Adapters from Valley Vintner years ago. They are not cheap but well worth it IMHO. Very tight seal. You will need to pick up a racking cane and cut the top off to fit to the bottom of the carboy and then stick up about 3-4" out the top of the fitting.

Dump that orange carboy cap!

I agree on the orange carboy cap !! I also sell the 2 hole vacuum adapters for 8 dollars - which include shipping. I have the ability to also make custom bungs as well. http://allinonewinepump.com/accessories.html

 

[jvernice]

I am impressed with your setup. If I may make some suggestions, however. The 10" filter system functions better under pressure than under vacuum. If you look at the design of the filter/canister, the seal can actually leak under vacuum and will seal better under pressure. So from a filtration perspective, you should be "pushing" your wine from the carboy, through the filter, and into the final receiving vessel. Monitor the pressure for filter plugging OR even worse, blow-by. If the pressure rises OR drops more than about 5 PSI, there is a problem. The filter media manufacturer should be able to provide pressure and flow limitations.
I use a Craftsman utility pump and get about 2-3 gallons a minute flow through a 1 micron absolute filter. I rack my wine (using the same pump) at least twice before filtering so that I don't overly saturate the filter.