The transmission is the metal cylinder on top of the wiper basket and creates a vacuum-tight seal between the rotor of the wiper and the rest of the system.
It is composed of two bearings and a few gaskets.
The bearings should be lubricated every 4-6 months with 0.5mL of white oil. If crude oil contains sulfur (usually from using sulfur burners in the grow to prevent powdery mildew) this sulfur can cause rapid degradation of both the gaskets and bearings in the transmission.
While the transmission can be easily rebuilt by following SOP- Transmission Fix, it is not recommended to process crude oil that contains sulfur.
Contact Technical Support for more information.
Check valves can become clogged by physical debris in the product and require periodic cleaning in order to ensure proper operation. A dirty check valve can cause an intermittent feed rate of product into the evaporator, manifesting as a sinusoidal swing in vacuum pressure during the first pass. This can cause irregularities in system performance, so periodic preventative cleaning is highly recommended.
The check valve can be easily removed, disassembled, and soaked in a suitable solvent such as ethanol for proper cleaning.
Best practices for preventing the accumulation of debris within the product include:
- use of proper extraction temperatures
- maintaining proper cleanliness in the lab
- keeping containers of extract covered
- pouring crude into the feed tank through a fine wire sieve
- ensuring proper heat transfer and mixing during the decarboxylation and devolatilization process
More information can be found in SOP – Check Valve Clean.
If you need additional assistance, please call technical support at +1 (206) 452-1130.
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.
The diffusion pump is used to achieve deep vacuum pressures during the second pass, and a healthy system will reach 0.08 mbar (8.0 -2 on the gauge) with just the roughing pump, and around 0.005 mbar (5.0 -3 on the gauge) with the diffusion pump.
First, verify that the system can reach 0.08 mbar with just the roughing pump, and if not, troubleshoot for vacuum leaks or roughing pump performance by following SOP-Vacuum Troubleshooting.
If the system can reach 0.08 mbar with just the roughing pump, typically a malfunctioning diffusion pump simply needs to be cleaned and refilled with fresh diffusion pump oil.
More information can be found in SOP – Diffusion Clean and SOP – Vacuum Troubleshooting.
If you need additional assistance, please call technical support at +1 (206) 452-1130.
Why am I having trouble obtaining (or reaching) the proper vacuum level?
Vacuum depth issues can be caused by many things, but a healthy system should be able to reach 0.08 mbar (8.0 -2 on the gauge) with just the roughing pump, and around 0.005 mbar (5.0 -3 on the gauge) with the diffusion pump.
If you are having difficulty reaching 0.08 mbar, first ensure the siphon discharge plugs are greased with product and properly installed.
You might also ensure the check valve is not leaking by:
- removing the check valve
- installing the largest stopper on the inlet of the machine
- then checking to see if this fixed the vacuum issue
If the above steps did not fix your issue, you should also verify your roughing pump performance by installing the vacuum gauge directly to the vacuum pump, as it should be able to reach the mid -3’s. If it does not, you should:
- run the pump with the gas ballast open for 20 minutes
- then change the oil
- repeat these steps until it reaches the appropriate depth
More information can be found in SOP – Vacuum Troubleshooting.
If you need additional assistance, please call technical support at +1 (206) 452-1130.
