Vacuum pump has stopped working?

[flanajb]

I have an airpress pump which I purchased 18 months ago. I have only used the pump about 4 times, and today I got it out to do a science experiment with the youngest to show how gases expand as pressure decreases, but the damn thing won't start.

Could it be because I have not used it for months?

I will speak with Airpress, but I am hoping it is not hosed as I have hardly used it :-(

 

[Racers]

Hi, flanajb

Does it do anything? Steve Maskery one the starter cap failed.

Pete

 

[flanajb]

Hi, flanajb

Does it do anything? Steve Maskery one the starter cap failed.

Pete

Hi Pete,

Absolutely nothing.

I unplugged it and was able to put a small screw driver into the fan of the motor to make sure that it was not seized and it turned fine.

What was a little concerning was that I plugged it in a number of times and one one occasion it blew the RCD in the house. So I suspect there is an electrical fault with the motor?

Thanks

PS - the experiment is to put an empty water bottle into a vacuum chamber and watch the air in the bottle expand as you evacuate the chamber. She is studying gases at school.

 

[Steve Maskery]

My Airpress is ancient, one of the originals, and yes, as Pete points out (he helped me no end in fixing it), the capacitor had gone. Gone as in blowing a hole and spewing smoke in such a way that my wife-at-the-time was compelled to ask, "Should it be doing that?".

The capacitor is an inexpensive part to replace (Maplins, a few quid) and easy to fit. Once you know how! We were pulling and shoving and levering and swearing. Once we'd broken it out we discovered it simply unscrewed.....

S

 

[Racers]

Hi, Flanajb

Sounds like the cap might be fauty, blowing the RCD sounds like the cap shorting out.

My face was red when I got Steve's cap out, I know they come as stud mounting but it didn't click, I thought they glued it in!

Pete

 

[flanajb]

Hi, Flanajb

Sounds like the cap might be fauty, blowing the RCD sounds like the cap shorting out.

My face was red when I got Steve's cap out, I know they come as stud mounting but it didn't click, I thought they glued it in!

Pete

Hi Pete,

Is it an easy part to replace or does it require a dab hand at soldering?

Electronics is not my strong part

Thanks

 

[Racers]

Hi, flanajb

The orignal one had flying leads, but the ones from maplins have connectors so you will have to snip the wires and crimp on some connectors.

Pete

 

[flanajb]

Hi All,

Well I took the cover off to expose the wiring only to find out that the live wire had come away from the junction box and earthed against the body of the pump :-(

On closer inspection it looks like it had been wired up by a 5 year old. Even the neutral was not connected very well and was not fully inserted into the terminal box.

All working now.

Thanks for your posts, and sorry for wasting people's time, but I assumed that it would not be an electrical connection issue.