At EXAIR, we take great pride in our Intelligent Compressed Air Products, which are renowned for their efficiency and minimal maintenance requirements, thanks to their design featuring few or no moving parts. While we often… More
Care and Feeding Of Your Reversible Drum Vac
EXAIR’s Reversible Drum Vac couldn’t be easier to operate. Thread it in to the 3/4 NPT vent connection on your drum lid, install the Standpipe & Hose on the 2 NPT bung, hook up a compressed air line to it, and you’re in business. As long as your compressed air is clean & moisture free, your Reversible Drum Vac will run like new for a long, long time.
Should you start to see a decrease in performance, though, the first thing you’ll want to do is verify the compressed air supply, especially if something’s changed:
- Did you get a new hose? The Reversible Drum Vac uses 19 SCFM @80psig for rated performance. That’ll require a 3/8″ ID hose, assuming a length of no more than about 20ft.
- Are there any restrictions in the line? The usual suspects are clogged filters, partially closed valves, or push-to-connect quick-connect fittings.
- Are there any vacuum leaks in the hose, its cuffs, the drum, or either threaded connection? If the lid’s removable, is that gasket intact?
If you’ve eliminated all of those potential problems, it’s time to take a look at the Reversible Drum Vac itself. The Reversible Drum Vac has tight internal passages that contamination from even the cleanest compressed air systems can build up in, over time. Good news is, we made it super easy to disassemble & clean, and better news: this almost always restores it to as-new performance. We even have a video that walks you through it:
You may be surprised not at how much, but how little contamination you find inside the Reversible Drum Vac. We offer factory refurbishment service for them as well…the procedure in the video is step-by-step what that service consists of, except we also replace the Shim, O-Rings, & Float, and when we reassemble it, we verify performance on the same fixture that every single new Reversible Drum Vac that we build gets tested on. Recently, a customer sent a Reversible Drum Vac in for refurbishment services after we’d spent some time talking on the phone, exchanging emails, and even a brief Engineering Consultation web meeting, troubleshooting their loss of vacuum. I was particularly curious about this one, so when it came in, I tested it (on our calibrated test fixture) for performance, and found it was only generating about 22% of rated vacuum, and only 17% of rated flow. I figured it was clogged (with a capital CLOGGED) so I match marked the body & plug (just like we show in the video) and took it apart:
We then completed the Refurbishment Service and tested it again. Performance was verified to be within specification for a new High Lift Reversible Drum Vac.
I offer to share the Cleaning & Refurbishing video with just about anyone who calls to discuss performance (or lack thereof) of their Reversible Drum Vac. Some still want to send theirs in for Refurbishment Service, and that’s fine. If you have a Reversible Drum Vac that’s not working properly, I’m here to help you get the most out of our products — any of them — give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer
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Maximize Efficiency and Safety: Why Your Facility Needs an EXAIR Drum Vac
In the demanding world of industrial maintenance, the “bucket and shovel” method or unreliable electric shop vacs simply don’t cut it. Whether you are managing floor spills, emptying coolant sumps, or recovering expensive fluids from deep pits, you need a solution that is as tough as your environment.
At EXAIR LLC, we’ve spent decades perfecting the Reversible Drum Vac™ (RDV) and High Lift Reversible Drum Vac™ to solve these exact headaches. Here is why our systems are the go-to choice for facility managers and maintenance teams worldwide.
1. Unmatched Reliability with No Moving Parts
Unlike electric vacuums that suffer from motor burnout or impeller clogs, our drum vacs are powered entirely by compressed air. This means:
- Zero Maintenance: With no moving parts to wear out, these systems run nearly indefinitely.
- Electrical Safety: Eliminating electricity removes the risk of shock in wet environments.
- Quiet Operation: Our systems operate at significantly lower noise levels than traditional industrial vacuums.
2. Two-Way Action for Maximum Versatility
The “Reversible” in our name is a game-changer. With a simple turn of a knob, the same stainless-steel pump that filled your drum in under two minutes can reverse the airflow to empty it just as quickly.
- Application Spotlight: Laboratory operators have used our Mini Reversible Drum Vac to pump waste from under-lab tanks and then easily discharge it into reclamation vessels.
3. Power When You Need It: The High Lift Advantage
For more “vertical” challenges, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac provides the extra suction needed to move thick liquids (up to 1400 cPs) or lift fluids up to 15 feet.
- Application Spotlight: A ferry operator uses the High Lift RDV to clean out engine room bilges, while a construction firm uses it to recover heavy slurry from concrete cutting—tasks that would kill a standard vacuum.
4. Built-In Safety & Speed
Our systems are engineered for industrial speed without sacrificing safety:
- Auto-Shutoff: An internal float stops the vacuuming process once the drum is full, preventing messy overflows.
- Rapid Filling: The High Lift model can fill a 55-gallon drum in just 85 seconds.
From cleaning up condiment spills in food processing to recovering hydraulic oil leaks in precast concrete plants, EXAIR drum vacs are the ultimate industrial housekeeping tool.
Ready to upgrade? You can explore our Model 6196 Reversible Drum Vac System for standard needs or the Model 6195 High Lift System for your most demanding pits and sumps.
Still Not Sure?
Feel free to connect with any of our Application Engineering Staff to answer your questions and address your concerns about giving one of these units a try. We are quite sure you will not be disappointed in our products’ performance.
Neal Raker, Application Engineering Manager
EXAIR LLC
Replacing a Drilled Pipe for a Rubber Sheet Manufacturer
We received a call about an application to remove water from the surface of rubber sheets. The reason for the call was because they were using a drilled pipe. It was loud and not removing an adequate amount of water. (Reference the photo below). EXAIR comes across this quite a bit. A drilled pipe has turbulent flow which causes loud noises, ineffective blowing, and wastes compressed air. With our Super Air Knives, we can create a stronger force as the airstream is laminar. With the laminar flow, they are also quiet. For example, our Super Air Knives have a noise level of only 71 dBA at 80 PSIG. Also, since all of the air volume is traveling in the same direction, the liquid water will flow away from the airstream.
The rubber sheet was 1200 mm wide, and I recommended a model 110248 48” (1,219 mm) Aluminum Super Air Knife Kit. The kit includes the Super Air Knife, a filter, a regulator, and a shim set. The filter removes the debris and water from the compressed air line to optimize the performance of the air knife as well as keep your product clean. The regulator is used to make the “fine” adjustment to the blowing force while the shim set is used as the “coarse” adjustment. Now they could reduce the inlet pressure to not overuse the compressed air and to get the proper removal of water from the sheet. And with the 40:1 amplification ratio, the Super Air Knife will bring in 40 parts of ambient air to every part of compressed air, saving them a lot of money.
After installation, the customer contacted me again and mentioned that they thought the performance would be better. They sent me a photo of the setup. (Reference below). I noticed that they mounted the Super Air Knife as they did with the drilled pipe. They had the Super Air Knife blowing perpendicular to the surface, which is not optimal. I sent them the following setup points to help.
Contact time is effectively the space in which the target is located within the airstream. The longer the contact time, the more effective the Air Knife is at removing contamination (water in this case). When customers install EXAIR Super Air Knives, they can have a tendency to install them incorrectly, reducing their performance capability. In the photo above, you can see that the Super Air Knife is at 90 degrees to the surface of target travel, reducing contact time to a minimal value. The following suggestions are how we would advise customers to mount our equipment to get the most effectiveness within their operation.
- Angle – EXAIR machines a chamfer on the cap of the Super Air Knife as a starting point. You want to have the chamfer parallel with the target line. This will create an air flow angle at about 45 degrees. This angle will increase the contact area and contact time, which is very beneficial for removing debris and/or heat. (Note: this would indicate that the cap is mounted nearest to the surface being treated.
- Distance — For optimum performance, the Air Knife should be between 3” (76mm) to 12” (305mm) from the target. If the Super Air Knife is too close, the amplification ratio cannot propagate and the force is reduced. If you are too far from the target surface, the air pattern will start to change, causing the velocity and force to decrease, resulting in less effective blowing action.
- Counter-Flow — The direction of the air flow should be blowing against the target surface movement, in what we term a counter-flow direction. Example: if the target parts are moving from left to right on a conveyor, you want the Air Knife to blow from right to left. This will allow the contamination to be blown back away from the cleaned surfaces into the direction it came from, and it will increase the impact force to remove contamination, i.e. a head-on collision vs. a rear-end collision.
With these few simple steps, this customer was able to maximize the performance of their EXAIR Super Air Knife. The sheets were dried through improved technology, efficiency, and correct positioning. If you are still using antiquated products for blow-off, and you wish to improve your process with quiet, safe, and efficient products, an Application Engineer at EXAIR can assist you.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
UL Classified Explained
A UL Classified mark from UL Solutions signifies that a product has undergone testing for specific hazards or performance criteria under controlled conditions, rather than having completed a thorough and comprehensive safety evaluation. This classification is particularly relevant for industrial equipment, construction materials, and products designed to withstand fire, such as fire-resistant doors. It is important to understand that while a UL Classified mark indicates a level of safety and performance, it does not equate to a full UL Listing, which involves more extensive testing and evaluation processes. Therefore, products bearing the UL Classified mark should be viewed as having met certain safety standards, but users should remain aware of the limitations of this certification in terms of overall safety assurance.
Key Aspects of UL Classified Products
- Targeted Evaluation — Targeted evaluation focuses on assessing specific characteristics, such as fire resistance, toxicity, and impact resistance, rather than adhering to comprehensive safety standards. This approach allows for a more precise understanding of a material’s performance in critical areas, ensuring that essential safety aspects are thoroughly examined.
- Specific Usage — These products are designed for particular environments or applications, including hazardous areas, explosive settings, or specialized construction projects.
- Distinction from Listed – Classified products differ from UL Listed products in that they are not subjected to the same rigorous safety evaluations. While UL Listed items are assessed for comprehensive safety standards, Classified products only comply with a subset of these requirements.
- Labeling — Labeling typically features a statement that clarifies the limited scope of the evaluation, such as indicating that it is “Classified with respect to” a particular property. It is essential to adhere to the specified language when crafting responses and to consider any relevant modifiers without explicitly mentioning them.
Many of our products are UL Listed or UL Recognized; however, the Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler Systems undergo additional evaluation to confirm their safety when utilized correctly in classified environments. UL Classified provides various levels of certification. These cooler systems are specifically engineered for use with purged and pressurized systems in designated hazardous locations.
Class I Div 1, Groups A, B, C, and D
Class II Div 1, Groups E, F, and G
Class III
If you have questions about our UL classification, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk