Tag: Vacuum Pump

Why is ice forming on the inside of my cold trap, and how do I fix this issue?

In the event the system is open to the atmosphere while either the cold trap is cold or a temporary leak occurred, water vapor from the air around the machine can condense on the cold trap, forming ice. When a vacuum is applied, this ice will slowly sublimate (or turn into vapor) causing the vacuum to not go below the mid-to-low negative 1’s (between 1 mbar and 0.1 mbar).  

This can easily be fixed by simply leaving the vacuum pump on with the gas ballast open. In addition, you can accelerate this process by changing the temperature of the setpoint of the cold trap chiller to 0 degrees C, and then changing the temperature back down to the minimum setting once it reaches 0 degrees.  

The elevated temperature will supply the thermal energy necessary for the sublimation of the water and will reduce the time for the ice to disappear. 

 More information can be found in SOP – Vacuum Troubleshooting. 

If you need additional assistance, please call technical support at +1 (206) 452-1130. 

Why is my vacuum pump making a loud or an abnormal noise?

The oil-lubricated dual-stage rotary vane roughing pump (D16B) requires a change of vacuum pump oil every 80-100 operating hours.

Improper extraction or preparation of the oil can cause excessively rapid fouling in the pump.

Ensure all extraction and pre-processing best practices are being followed (important).

After extreme use or a lack of sufficient oil changes, the vacuum pump can sometimes become damaged, which will require either replacement or will need to be disassembled and rebuilt with consumable parts replaced.

It is generally recommended that a replacement pump is ordered, as the rebuilding process is lengthy, and it can be difficult to obtain good results.

More information can be found in SOP – Vacuum Troubleshooting.

Please reach out to technical support or sales department at +1 (206) 452-1130 for one-on-one assistance or quoting.