Tag: reversible drum vac

Contaminated Air Supply Leads To Unwanted Results

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
IMG_5570
Rust from the air supply found inside a compressed a Reversible Drum Vac.

One of the greatest attributes of EXAIR products is their ability to stay in operation for years on end without any maintenance.  With no moving parts to wear out, there really is little-to-no upkeep required.  So, when we receive notice from a customer that an EXAIR product is not working properly, we most always seek to establish the pressure, volume, and quality of the compressed air supply.  By examining these three variables, we can usually pinpoint the source of the performance discrepancy.

I had an exercise in this routine a few days ago with a Reversible Drum Vac (RDV).  The RDV had arrived at EXAIR after the customer noticed a drop in performance.  The RDV went from operating normally to gradually loosing strong vacuum when vacuuming liquids out of a coolant sump.

The end user and I discussed the air supply pressure, line size, and available volume of compressed air to operate the RDV which all seemed to be in order.  Compressed air supply pressure was 80 PSIG, they were using the EXAIR supplied (properly sized for the product) compressed air hose, and the unit had functioned in this exact setup for some time, so we were confident in the ability of the compressed air system to supply adequate volume.

In most cases, when an RDV gradually loses vacuum, or experiences a change in performance without a change in application parameters, contaminants from the compressed air system can be found inside of the RDV.  And, that is exactly what happened here.

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Reversible Drum Vac “plug” – notice the rust on the everything below the O-ring (everything in contact with the compressed air supply)

I first tested the RDV for vacuum level and flow, both of which were low.  When I disassembled the RDV I noticed what looked like rust on all surfaces which are in contact with the compressed air stream (photo above).

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Internals of the Reversible Drum Vac “body”; littered with rust

Then, I peered into the body of the drum vac and saw the root of the problem – dirt and rust from the compressed air system had accumulated within the RDV, restricting compressed air flow and causing the decay in performance.

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Rust and shim as they were dumped out of the Reversible Drum Vac body
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Another photo of the rust

After a quick cleaning of the RDV, performance was perfect and the RDV was ready to go back into operation.  The end user and I discussed my findings along with proper air filtration to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.  They were glad to know their RDV was in working order, and we were both glad to confirm the root cause.  With a new filter separator installed at the compressed air line feeding this RDV, trouble-free and maintenance-free performance can be expected for a long time to come.

If you have a similar application need, or think an EXAIR solution may benefit your process, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

“Deluxe” and “Premium”

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

These are two words that have been important parts of my vocabulary for most of my life. As a long time fast-food burger connoisseur, these words mean I’m getting something other than a hastily cooked ground beef patty on an enriched white flour bun that may or may not have been sitting under a heat lamp for a specific period of time. If you’re anywhere near as familiar with drive-thru cuisine as I am, you’ll know that “Deluxe” usually means a variety of toppings has been added to an otherwise relatively plain sandwich…it’s been “run through the garden,” if you will. And “Premium” can mean anything from a special bun, gourmet cheese, up-scale meat, and/or the addition of bacon…they ALWAYS get me at bacon…

I don't know what the knife and fork are doing there, but whatever...
I don’t know what the knife and fork are doing there, but whatever…

EXAIR’s Industrial Vacuums are also available in Deluxe and Premium Kits. Now, if you’ve already got a drum, our standard Kits will quickly and economically turn that drum into a powerful, fast, and efficient vacuum system, without the need for anything fancy. If you’re looking for complete, comprehensive clean up solutions, though, our Deluxe Kits add a drum dolly, a tool holder, and additional tools. The Premium Kits also include a durable steel drum and a set of Heavy Duty Aluminum Tools.

Whatever your needs are, we’ve got an efficient, quiet, durable, long-lasting, maintenance-free vacuum system for you. Our Reversible Drum Vac will empty…or fill…a 55 gallon drum in 90 seconds (tested with water.) Our new High Lift Reversible Drum Vac pumps that same 55 gallons in just 85 seconds, with up to 15 feet of suction head. Then, of course, the Chip Trapper uses our Reversible Drum Vac technology to filter and extend the life of your machine tool coolants, lubricating oils, etc.

Reversible Drum Vac, High Lift Reversible Drum Vac, Chip Trapper
(Left to Right) Reversible Drum Vac, High Lift Reversible Drum Vac, Chip Trapper

For solids vacuuming situations, our Chip Vac picks up wet or dry chips, debris, etc., and deposits them directly into the drum. This is the function of the Heavy Duty Dry Vac as well. It’s more powerful than the Chip Vac, for use with heavier debris, and it’s made of a hardened alloy for superior abrasion resistance. The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac delivers the same high performance, with a high efficiency filter for total dust containment.

(Left to right) Chip Vac, Heavy Duty Dry Vac, Heavy Duty HEPA Vac
(Left to right) Chip Vac, Heavy Duty Dry Vac, Heavy Duty HEPA Vac

Whatever your Industrial Vacuum needs are, we’ve got a solution for you. And if you order before the end of March, we’ll throw in a FREE Vac-u-Gun…our lightweight and portable vacuum gun, blow gun, and transfer tool, all in one. Call me to find out more.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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tiktok 5 photo courtesy of Kirrin.  Creative Commons License

What You Can Get Used To, Revisited

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I just got a new pair of glasses. My existing pair was fifteen years old…it had also been that long since I had been to the ophthalmologist. Which is a shame, because my health coverage includes an eye exam every year. That’s a subject for another time, though. Today, I want to talk (again) about what you can get used to (if you allow yourself,) and what I HOPE I can get used to.

 

It shouldn’t be hard to believe, but my eyesight has changed a bit since my mid-thirties, when I got my last pair of glasses. I’d been noticing for some time that I had to take off my glasses to read small print, and some of that was getting too small to read if the light wasn’t just right. I got used to taking things into another, better-lit area in those cases. My new glasses have changed all that, making me think that I should have done this a few years ago. I’m committed to having my eyes checked on an annual basis now, and I encourage you, dear reader, to do the same, especially if your health plan covers any part of it.

I had the pleasure of talking to a Chip Trapper user recently – they’ve had our system in their shop for almost five years, and I got the call because it had lost its suction, and they wanted to purchase a new pump unit (Reversible Drum Vac or RDV) for it.

This is a fairly regular call for us. It’s a situation that is usually very easily remedied by a simple cleaning of the RDV unit itself. In fact, it’s so common that Brian Farno’s RDV Cleaning & Rebuild Video is our most popular Video Blog (even beating out the Professor Penurious series, if you can believe that.)

Once they had watched the video, they dove in to their RDV. Once it was restored to operation, my new friend called me to express amazement at how well it was working…it seems that the performance had degraded over time, and, week in/week out, they had simply gotten used to it taking a little longer to draw the coolant out of their sump. They’ve now incorporated the RDV cleaning ritual into their planned maintenance schedule…something else they’re already used to.

Another thing I’m having to get used to is the ribbing I’m taking for my new glasses. See, they’re my first pair of bifocals. Which brings me to my parting advice for today: Don’t get old if you can help it. Especially if you’ve got friends like mine.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac – New Product from EXAIR

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

hlrdv

Throughout the course of the last year, engineers at EXAIR have been researching and designing our latest Industrial Housekeeping vacuum.  Now, with the release of our new catalog 27, we are ready to debut the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac.

The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac (HLRDV) maintains the same performance advantages of the traditional Reversible Drum Vac – no electricity, no moving parts to wear or replace, the ability to fill a 55 gallon drum in 90 seconds (or less), two-way pump action, built-in pressure/vacuum relief, auto safety shutoff, and stainless steel construction.  And, the HLRDV adds a new capability – it can vacuum liquid vertically  up to 15 feet!

If you had the new HLRDV in your hand, you’d never know the engineering and time that went into the changes.  In fact, the only thing you may notice is the new label with a blue background as opposed to the gray label found on the RDV.  But, inside is a series of revisions and proprietary design changes that allow for an 89% increase in vacuum lift while SIMULTANEOUSLY lowering the noise level by 3 dBA

Using 43 SCFM to create 120” H2O (1,218 SLPM to create 336 mm Hg), the HLRDV is the next generation of liquid vacuums from EXAIR.  If you have an application that needs a High Lift Reversible Drum Vac, such as cleaning out a below grade coolant sump, vacuuming liquid from an underground storage tank or pit, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE