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I think I am missing something here. The long times to get down to 500 microns, are they on system repairs on existing system. i.e. replacing a compressor, or reversing valve. Or are you guys talking about installing a new system, and just vacuuming from the unit to the indoor coil? On new installs, I purge with nitrogen as I weld, then pressure test with nitrogen. In one side of the system and out the other, so it never takes me more then 15 minutes to pull a vacuum down through my Brute gauges that have a 3/8 vacuum hose. Valve cores are always put back in after welding up.
On repairs I just schedule the repair to leave the pump on over night, and fire everything up the next morning. I would die of boredom waiting on a pump. And I always want to make sure everything is clean. I also always make sure my vacuum pump has fresh oil in it for the over night jobs. Clean oil makes a world of difference on the performance of the pump.

I always enjoyed the 3 hr lunch break while we waited for the pump to get r done.

Nice setup, charging hoses just dont work well when pulling vacuum, thats the way to go along with an appion core remover with side port for the micron gauge

Using fieldpiece sman3 with standard hoses, pulled 132 microns on 10' line set in about 30 minutes. 5cf ritchie pump

Standard hoses with valves at the end + the big hose (I forget what size those are)

Originally Posted by LibertyTree

Nice! I recently bought some Appion core removers and it has cut vac time in half. With those core removers, a 7 CFM vac and 4 port gauges I can pull 500 in 30 min or less. I pulled a 350 the other day on a 5 ton unit with a 90' 1 1/8 lineset the other day in 40 min.

WHat type of hoses are you using on your manifold? Low loss, Ball Valves?

Nice! I recently bought some Appion core removers and it has cut vac time in half. With those core removers, a 7 CFM vac and 4 port gauges I can pull 500 in 30 min or less. I pulled a 350 the other day on a 5 ton unit with a 90' 1 1/8 lineset the other day in 40 min.

To answer 1st question I have 2 of those small hoses with the low loss 90 degree
Shutoff valve hooked up to the high/low side.
On those I have a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer, I then hook the 3/8 lines up to those. I am gonna be experimenting with a 3/8 copper tube, 3/8 male on 1 end and a flared on free spinning 1/4 female to connect to unit on there end. I did the math and the volume of air the short low loss hose holds isn't that much smaller than a 3/8, but I'm just curious to try

You turn the valves closed when reaching your proper vac,
Unscrew your vacuum hoses and hook up your gauges to the 1/4 tip of the hoses.
If you want you can then hook up the yellow service hose from your gauges to the pump and pull all the air out of your hoses, and then charge.

I have my core remove took hooked up to 1 of the ports on the unit that I hook my micrometer gauge to.
I am not a fun of connecting it to the pump.
It will read way lower than actual vacuum.

I have come to the conclusion that otherwise it takes about an hour of vacuum time per ton. I have noticed over the various systems I've worked on, the hr per ton rule of thumb has always been surprisingly accurate.
The system that was the last straw for me was a 5 ton york that took 5 hrs 15 minutes when I was swamped 1 day and I kept leaving to run other calls while waiting.

Originally Posted by Pascone10

IF you hook your gauge at the pump your not reading the pressure in the system. That micron gauge needs to be as far from the pump as you can get it to get the most accurate reading.. Also there is no good way to isolate the system from the pump if you hook it up that way..

Sure there is, close the valve on the pump.
The ports are upstream of the valve.
I hook my gauge to the charging port on my brute manifold, then 3/8" to the pump

IF you hook your gauge at the pump your not reading the pressure in the system. That micron gauge needs to be as far from the pump as you can get it to get the most accurate reading.. Also there is no good way to isolate the system from the pump if you hook it up that way..

YJ wants you to hook your vacuum gauge onto the 1/4" port on the pump.
I am regularly able to get under 500 within about 20 mins now, after having much trouble, as my pump was sitting in the shop for a year before I got it.
I flushed out my pump 3-4 times with hot oil and it works fantastic now.

I like that rig though, I think I will try it.

Just Curious do you run ur gauges off your vacuum pump? how is ur connections from ur vacuum to your unit. i tried out my new micron gauge(same as yours) and it took me 1 1/2 hrs to get down to 500 microns ac install. pics would help thx.

Very Nice!

500 microns in 25 minutes

(2) 3/8 lines straight to the high/low side.
alot of awesome things were created by impatient a-holes such as myelf.
YEA!

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