This article is to introduce some common signs of vacuum pump failure.
Whatever how well-built the oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump is, it may fail after a long time use. The cost of the failure is high, in particular in industrial applications. As vacuum pumps are widely used in various industries, you should know some signs to find out possible failing of the vacuum pumps before it’s too late.
Different as some dry vacuum pumps, a regular maintenance is absolutely necessary for oil sealed pumps. It’s the best way to avoid a pump failure because it comes usually with some signs earlier.
Here are some common signs of a vacuum pump failure:
⏩ Abnormal noise
It’s a clear sign that the vacuum pump may have a problem if the noise becomes louder or atypical. A replacement of wear parts, such as seals, O-rings, rotary vanes and even motor bearings or motor itself is required. The pump needs also a throughout maintenance and cleaning.
⏩ Abnormal vacuum oil color
The vacuum oil color is another clear sign of a coming pump failure. It’s essential to observe the vacuum oil color through oil sight glass on regular base, such as every day, every week or every month. It takes only a second each time but it’s very important.
The normal color of the oil is transparent and light yellow. If the oil color goes dark, it means the oil is contaminated. A cleaning of the pump chamber is probably needed. If the pump is used to displace vapory gasses, the vapor may immerse into the oil to emulsify it and the oil becomes milky in color. In both cases, it’s necessary to change the oil immediately.
⏩ Ultimate pressure not achieved
When you realize that the vacuum pump needs more and more time to achieve the desired ultimate pressure than before, or cannot achieve it at all, it may need a proper maintenance to replace all wear parts and clean the pump chamber thoroughly. The contaminated oil is also one of the factors for this problem.
⏩ Overheating
Overheating could be a motor problem, or a motor design problem, or the vacuum pump operates in a place where is not well ventilated.
Firstly check if the motor fan works properly. It’s the easiest to fix among all factors which may result in overheating.
⏩ Slow start
A blockage at the inlet or outlet may cause slow start after the vacuum pump is connected to the power supply. You may need a pump with stronger motor or capacitor if you cannot find such blockage. It’s usually caused by an improper application of the vacuum pump.
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