I want to make a reliable vacuum system for multiple airtight cabinets, I would like ideas and advice.
For example, if I have 7 hermetic tubes, the most correct way would be to use an electric vacuum pump with a vacuum specification of 1 bar, no more since I have read that increasing the bars can cause the cables to deform.
I already wrote a topic about the manual vacuum pump, this pump is not reliable at all, it loses vacuum, I have tried three and I have asked other people and it also happens, the solution is to put a valve between the tube and the pump and Once the vacuum is made, close it and open it again after the corresponding time.
I don’t quite understand why this problem is not recognized.
I would like to know what you think about using an air distributor that each of the inlets has its corresponding shut-off valve to be able to close the air flow when the vacuum has reached the desired value.
Another question that arises is whether the barb connectors are the most suitable for vacuuming, is it a reliable system?
The electric vacuum pump and a vacuum pressure sensor would be connected to the inlet of the air connector to accurately control the desired pressure.
Each vacuum outlet would have a cable connected to each hermetic module. This cable would always be attached to the collector since if the barb connectors are used, they cannot be removed without losing reliability. The other end of the cable would use the vacuum connector (Vaccum plug) that connects to the (Enclosure Vent and Plug).
Hi @jua123 -
Sorry you’ve had issues with the hand-powered vacuum pump. They can be delicate, but with proper maintenance (oiling when it gets hard to pump) long life can be expected.
Regardless, pumping just takes too long! I’ve long used a vacuum pump like this one for testing enclosures. I put a valve between pump and enclosure, because as you point out the pump can’t be trusted to not leak vacuum when off. I also added a Tee fitting and connected a vacuum gauge, on the enclosure side of the shutoff valve. I typically only test two enclosures (BROV2) at a time so another Tee connects after the gauge to both. I pull as close to full vacuum as the system will go, shut the valve and turn off the pump. If the pressure hasn’t shifted after 10-30 minutes I know I’m safe for deployment!
Barbed connections are very reliable for vacuum when used with appropriate material and size hose. If you find that a connection has become “unreliable” putting the end of the hose in very hot water can reset the ID, and once cooled allow it to be used on a barb again. Using undersized hose and heating it the same way to get over a barb can result in a more permanent connection that can only be removed by cutting it off.
Thanks for the advice on barbed connections, when you talk about the total vacuum that the system allows, I understand that the maximum vacuum that can be used without damaging the cables and that allows safety is 1 bar, right?
What 12v electric vacuum pump do you use? Because there are few that reach a vacuum range of 1 bar (100kpa).
Hi @jua123 -
The 1 bar limit is not a limit from a cable or materials safety perspective… it is the vacuum pressure at full, 100% vacuum! In other words, it is not possible to have a vacuum with less pressure than that!
I use a 110V AC vacuum pump, similar to this unit, in conjunction with a Tee and shutoff valve, as well as a vacuum gauge.
