Vacuum cleaner as a vacuum pump

[chemi-cool]

On a local forum, I was asked by someone who tries to save money if he can use a vacuum cleaner instead of a vacuum pump.

Which makes me wonder, how deep can a vacuum cleaner can go?

[Brian_UK]

Which makes me wonder, how deep can a vacuum cleaner can go?

Well it gets to the bottom of my carpet pile without too much effort.

[Reefer1]

We used to test CA rooms for leaks with an old electrolux vacuum cleaner and some soapy water...but thats as far as I would go with one.

[Sturt]

Hi chemi-cool

800 mbar.

Might be worth checking with the Dyson technical helpline as they never loose suction!

Not sure if that stands when it is full up with fridge oil and moisture though

Sturt.

[coolments]

Yeah no where near enough to cause moisture to boil off and be evacuated out. Which a lot of people dont know occurs, its not just about getting air out.

Why not attach a bag to a vac pump and use it for cleaning, it would take ages to go round the house with a set of gauges but a a bet you woulndt get a deeper clean, LOL.

[a/c.king]

mmmmm its good question.vacume cleaner its designed to clean carpits at homes. vacume pump its desinged to drop down the pressur inside a/c close system to make a boling temperature for muster inside system withn ambaint tempereture.i sm sure that vacume cleaner cant drop the pressure insaide a/c system as vacume pump can do.
king

[The MG Pony]

Not to mention a Vacuum cleaner depends on a high mass flow of air to cool the motor, so depleat that for a short time and it catches fire.

[MASTER RE]

some people will try anything if it sounds right. it seems its not in south africa that we have chancers, the just walk past a fridge and all of a sudden they are fridge mechanics.

[expat]

Good point MG, I hadn't even thought of that. Apart from the idea being ridiculous in the first place it is also worth noting, as you have, that tools being used for purposes that they weren't designed for can lead to unexpected or even dangerous consequences!

[havertyp]

I built a project in 1983 while in my second last year in school, for the local science fair, I have a photo of it, but no means to scan it in, it was a home - made Crookes/Geissler discharge tube (anyone who did physics would know of these). Basically, a high voltage was passed through a vacuum in an effort to produce cathode rays, I used 2 old compressors (made by L. Sterne and Co. Ltd. somewhere in Scotland) taken from defunct 'Novum' chest freezers, they were plumbed in series, with their oil replaced by Alfa-Laval milking machine vacuum pump oil. I managed to pull a vacuum of 0.5mm Hg with these, it was enough for the 10 KV (from a Danfoss oil burner ignition transformer) to pass through the 24" glass tube and cause the rarified air inside to glow, plenty of lovely UV light as well - unfortunately I could not get the vac to go down further to produce the cathode rays but it did win a prize!

[brunstar]

that is the dumbest thing i have heard as it would not pull a vaccuum at all due to no oil resivoir to act as a lock to pull it down in the first place, no wonder systems fail...run out and feed the horse cowboy..lol

[havertyp]

Granted I was only 16 at the time! - It did pull the vac, but the compressors didnt last too long after a few demos ! Still have the trophy gathering dust in the attic. Must practice my John Wayne cowboy expressions and go to the principals office for a good caning now!

[Tycho]

Never mind the vacuum cleaner.... there is this girl I know...................

[Yankey D]

you know her too eh?

[glenn1340]

Which makes me wonder, how deep can a vacuum cleaner can go?

Well, my vac cleaner has plenty of suction. Just got to remember to get a good seal. I use vaseline and work the pipe up and down, that really gets.....ooops am I on the wrong forum

[tbirdtbird]

You could use the positive pressure side of the vacuum cleaner to blow out coils thus avoiding hauling around imposter canisters of R22 for the same job as seen on another recent exhausted thread

[D.D.KORANNE]

vacuum cleaner has no NRV hence if power shuts off , atmspheric air will rush in the system . besides, not enough vacuum can be pulled by vacuum pump resulting a lot of air being left in system .

Many technicians use the compressor in the system for pulling vacuum by front seating the dis valve , open the gage port for venting the air from system which compressor pumps out .Results are too bad on air conditioning & worst on low temperature application since 100% evacuuation is not possible ; left over air & moisture play havoc with system

[Voyager]

vacuum cleaner has no NRV hence if power shuts off , atmspheric air will rush in the system .

There should be an NRV built in to the service port.

[chiller man]

Hey glen1340, top marks for your response mate, Ive just had this great idear !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks mate"