Vacuum Pump in a Hazardous Area?

A customer has asked us to, in our proposal, include a vacuum pump for a Propane based industrial refrigeration system (quite large >5MW). All the gear in the refrgeration system, motors, solenoid valves, controls etc are rated for hazardous areas (Ex'n', Ex'd' Ex'i' etc). What about the vac pump? I presume that it either needs hazardous rating or during servicing two guys are needed one operating the vac pump and the other monitoring the level of HC in the air?

Is there such a beast as a Hazardous rated vac pump?

Have you investigated a vac pump that has a pnumatic motor.The only thing you need then is compressed air line to run it.

Why not just get a XP or flame proof motor and static proof belts fro the unit. Put all of the controls in a flame proof box and them wire it in with the proper coded wiring. The simple approach is to place your unrated vacuum pump in an unrated area and pipe over to the unit.

Ken

I work in hazardous areas also, how about a long length of 3/8 inch coiled pipe to a safe area?