This home made vacuum pump does not pull a deep enough vacuum to remove moisture. A refrigerator compressor will only pull down to about 30,000 microns or 28.74 inches Hg at that vacuum water boils at 84 degrees which is not low enough. Most manufactures recommend a 500 microns or 29.9 inches Hg
My homemade pump isn't as complicated. I sawed the manifold side fitting off a refrigerant can tap, drilled it out and soldered it straight onto the original vacuum line of the pump. I ran both tubes of the pump upwards as not to leak oil and I use the vacuum gauge on the manifold to measure my vacuum.
Nowdays, these vacuum pumps are fairly cheap and it don't take a day to build something that may only work a few times. There are lots of inexpensive tools made for A/C service and auctions where you can get this stuff secondhand for a steal. It would be sad if this homemade unit failed to purge the moisture from your system. Its a good idea but I prefer to use tools made for A/C service to be compliant with EPA regulations... No Pun Intended
I tried converting a 10 dollar tire inflation pump by putting a line on the intake port of the little piston inside the pump. Unfortunately, it only pulled down to 25 inches of mercury which is a very weak partial vacuum. I threw the damn thing in the garbage.
hi Rich: love the vids!!! Maybe you can show us a vid of you using (all the steps) the pump to vacuun the a/c system and then how to add the freon properly. Thanks.
Great video! Love watching them...
andersonrowland 1 month ago
Great video! Love watching them...
andersonrowland 1 month ago
This home made vacuum pump does not pull a deep enough vacuum to remove moisture. A refrigerator compressor will only pull down to about 30,000 microns or 28.74 inches Hg at that vacuum water boils at 84 degrees which is not low enough. Most manufactures recommend a 500 microns or 29.9 inches Hg
Bigmac2317 5 months ago
My homemade pump isn't as complicated. I sawed the manifold side fitting off a refrigerant can tap, drilled it out and soldered it straight onto the original vacuum line of the pump. I ran both tubes of the pump upwards as not to leak oil and I use the vacuum gauge on the manifold to measure my vacuum.
clockguy2 9 months ago
@clockguy2 If it works that is the only thing that matters.
richpin06a 9 months ago
@richpin06a Great video...Thanks for sharing!
clockguy2 9 months ago
Nowdays, these vacuum pumps are fairly cheap and it don't take a day to build something that may only work a few times. There are lots of inexpensive tools made for A/C service and auctions where you can get this stuff secondhand for a steal. It would be sad if this homemade unit failed to purge the moisture from your system. Its a good idea but I prefer to use tools made for A/C service to be compliant with EPA regulations... No Pun Intended
dollman0 11 months ago
good vid thanks
gst69man 1 year ago
I use a similar vacuum pump that I removed from an old AC machine for AC work.
roadragecustoms 1 year ago
Thoughtful design, thanks Rich.
spelunkerd 1 year ago
I tried converting a 10 dollar tire inflation pump by putting a line on the intake port of the little piston inside the pump. Unfortunately, it only pulled down to 25 inches of mercury which is a very weak partial vacuum. I threw the damn thing in the garbage.
happy543210 1 year ago
@happy543210 That's a funny story
richpin06a 1 year ago 3
how many inches Hg can this thing pull? I might need a vaccum pump for molding silicone and 29"Hg is recommended.
questionful 1 year ago
@questionful I believe my gauge reads 29.5 when i am pulling a vacuum.
richpin06a 1 year ago
hi Rich: love the vids!!! Maybe you can show us a vid of you using (all the steps) the pump to vacuun the a/c system and then how to add the freon properly. Thanks.
Doug
frankie2234 1 year ago 5
nice
very informative
rax2099 1 year ago 3