I saw this at the tip and thought vacuum pump ?
- Thread starter ColeyS1
- Start date
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Ian
Established Member
Interesting find!
nathandavies
Established Member
I wish our dump sold stuff. How much are they asking?
Ours used to, but stopped a few years ago - elfin safety and all that. Pity.nathandavies":cqn4nbfm said:
Argus
Established Member
I’m surprised that you got that out of the tip unchallenged.
Takes me back a bit.................................................
It is (or was when it was in use) a measuring / charging station for small refrigerators or air conditioning units. Probably from the 80s / 90s.
Originally it would have been an expensive bit of kit, though not as portable as intended and very cumbersome to use. It wasn’t particularly accurate, at measuring precise amounts - too many variables - though it was thought to be alternative to guess-work when charging precise amounts of refrigerant.
The large graduated flask contained the refrigerant probably one of several types which being CFCs are now banned globally. If you see things like R12, R22, R502 etc, marked on the scale, then they are (were) pure CFCs.
There will be a small rotary vacuum pump, probably single stage, though capable of pulling a high vacuum, far higher than is needed for woodwork, if it works.
The less good news is that, if it contains oil, it will certainly be contaminated with whatever dirty systems it was used on. Most likely acidic, (most were to a greater or lesser extent) and will, technically, be Hazardous Waste, which is why I'm surprised you got it out..........
Be careful with the oil residue - it’s foul stuff and also considered carcinogenic.
.
Takes me back a bit.................................................
It is (or was when it was in use) a measuring / charging station for small refrigerators or air conditioning units. Probably from the 80s / 90s.
Originally it would have been an expensive bit of kit, though not as portable as intended and very cumbersome to use. It wasn’t particularly accurate, at measuring precise amounts - too many variables - though it was thought to be alternative to guess-work when charging precise amounts of refrigerant.
The large graduated flask contained the refrigerant probably one of several types which being CFCs are now banned globally. If you see things like R12, R22, R502 etc, marked on the scale, then they are (were) pure CFCs.
There will be a small rotary vacuum pump, probably single stage, though capable of pulling a high vacuum, far higher than is needed for woodwork, if it works.
The less good news is that, if it contains oil, it will certainly be contaminated with whatever dirty systems it was used on. Most likely acidic, (most were to a greater or lesser extent) and will, technically, be Hazardous Waste, which is why I'm surprised you got it out..........
Be careful with the oil residue - it’s foul stuff and also considered carcinogenic.
.
Argus
Established Member
I'm not trying to dissuade you from getting it - just be aware of what you're buying.
The vacuum pump is probably too powerful in the strength of vacuum for woodwork, but that's minor point. You don't need a vacuum of 2 or 3 Millibar for veneering, but that's what this will deliver in good nick............... and they leak oil which stains like mad.
But, the global rules in refrigeration engineering changed about 10 years ago (and still are) which meant that a lot of kit like this became obsolete overnight.
Because it is illegal to use the chemicals that this machine was intended for, disposal of this gear was covered by legislation and it became a cost liability to dispose of it legally so for the less scrupulous firms out there much of it ended up in tips that did not know what they were handling.
Good luck with it.
.
The vacuum pump is probably too powerful in the strength of vacuum for woodwork, but that's minor point. You don't need a vacuum of 2 or 3 Millibar for veneering, but that's what this will deliver in good nick............... and they leak oil which stains like mad.
But, the global rules in refrigeration engineering changed about 10 years ago (and still are) which meant that a lot of kit like this became obsolete overnight.
Because it is illegal to use the chemicals that this machine was intended for, disposal of this gear was covered by legislation and it became a cost liability to dispose of it legally so for the less scrupulous firms out there much of it ended up in tips that did not know what they were handling.
Good luck with it.
.
