Hi there chilled folks ',;~}~

As my hobby and (hopefully!) future 'job', I use a fridge compressor as a vacuum pump for vacuum impregnation of softened woods with resisn and/or plastic solutions to harden and stabilise them.

Well, just after getting my first 'pump' up and running with a small dehumidifier unit and having sucess with the tech, well, I jammed it up when foaming styrene solution passed into the system - guess I should have fitted a bottle trap! - D'oh!

So, I've been out and sourced another compressor, and have a second on its way to me via the E-Bay (will use one as vacuum, the other as compressor, and if either should fail I can swap the units over).

I have made and fitted an inlet bottle trap and filter now, but NOT being a ref. eng, there are things I still don't know - I'm hoping you kind people can help educate me!

Firstly - can I use ordinary compressor oil in the system? How much oil does one of these units normally hold? - The unit I ordered is a TLS6F Danfoss unit, the one I have already been given has most details obscured, but looks to be about the same size (think it was from a small commercial shelf chiller, but not sure)...

Secondly - what's the small copper 'bottle' for that's in one of the pipe lines? Is this an oil recouperator perhaps?... Do I need this with how I'm using these units, and if so, will a home made piece do the job?

Lastly (for now, heheheh... ) - I hear of capacitor start, induction run, or induction start, capacitor run (or similar?) - the old unit I destroyed had just the current/heat trip unit and start relay attached to the side, but the ex-commercial unit has a seperate box besides, with a large capacitor and what looks to be a large silicon controlled recitifier block, with mains leads going in, feeds to compressor also to cooling fan coming out - looking inside, it *appears* that this is only to do with the fan as mains-to-compressor connections, whilst fastened to the SCR block terminals, connect directly through to the unit - do you think I need this little box of tricks just to run the comp. as a vacuum unit?

I REALLY don't want to destroy another one as I have been long term unemployed due to illnesses and we are worse than broke, and this is my chance at an income again, providing it doesn't keep costing me money to keep going!

TIA for any help/advice you have for this non-professional, non-refrigeration engineer - MUCH appreciated!

Be well,

FlowolF (Shaun).