DIY Automatic Oil Filter & Water Separator for your Freeze Dryer Vacuum Pump
Keep your Freeze Dryer Vacuum Pump as clean as the day you got it and
get rid of the messy oil changes after every batch with a DIY Filter/Dryer vacuum pump automatic oil filter.
This system keeps the inside of your vacuum pump clean and the oil crystal clear and looking just like NEW. No gunk or crud buildup. No rust and contaminants, just crystal clear oil running through your pump.
With this system in place I have added less than 1/4 cup of new oil to the system in over a year. The oil is crystal clean and the pump pulls vacuum faster than it did when it was new and our machine runs 24/7 from mid July through Jan 30 and the only downtime for the vacuum pump is defrost and freeze down.
We pre-freeze most of our produce so the freeze down is short, about 1 hour compared to the standard Harvest Right 8 hours freeze down.
I run this oil filtration and water separator system from before the pump kicks on and then for 2-3 hours after the pump and the freeze drying cycle is complete. This helps the pump and oil cool down and allows the filter to condense all of the micro water particles that are in the oil, keeping them out of the pump itself.
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NOTE: I use a special vacuum pump oil made for Dairy Milking Machines that deal with a lot of moisture.
It has some additives that help keep the oil clean and it gives your machine better vacuum and a longer lifespan.
Find a link to this oil on my website below.
Most of these hard to find items are listed on my website page:
CougarRidgeRanch.com/where-to...
Some of the items listed below are NOT on my website but are readily available at your local hardware store.
THE FULL PARTS LIST
1- Heavy Duty Filter Mounting Base = WIX 24770 abt-$31.53
1- Fuel Filter & Water Separator = FRAM PS3712 abt-$14.04
1- JDMSPEED Universal 12v Heavy Duty Electric Fuel Pump abt-$11.84
1- ICstation Timer Relay, DC 12v abt-$11.99
1- 1/2" pvc slip female to 1/2" thread female coupler
1- 1/2" pvc slip tee
1- 1/2" pvc x 2" pipe (length may differ for your installation)
2- 1/2" pvc x 6" pipe (length may differ for your installation)
1- 1/2" pvc x 8" pipe (length may differ for your installation)
1- 1/2" pvc slip Union Coupling
1- 1/4" brass pipe x 6"
1- 1/4" brass pipe x close thread
1- 1/4" brass elbow - male to female
1- 1/4" brass tee
2- 1/4" brass male pipe to 1/4" hose barb
1- 1/4" brass female to female gate valve
8- 1/4" hose clamps or equivalent
1- 3/8" x 3/8" x 1/4" brass tee FFF (the 1/4" is the stem side of the tee)
1- 3/8" brass close nipple
2- 12vdc wire harness couplers to allow removal of electrical parts for replacement
1- 12vdc rocker switch, lighted or unlighted as you prefer
Misc
1- Roll of Teflon Tape
12vdc wire (length to fit your installation)
1/4" clear vinyl tubing (length to fit your installation)
A container with a lid that you can make a 1" hole in the top to accommodate the pvc overflow pipe
Mounting hardware & bolts or screws for the fuel pump and Filter Mounting Base (NOTE: the mounting base and full oil filter are heavy so secure the base securely)
Tools as needed
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#harvestrightcommunity #harvestrightfreezedryer #vacuumpump
Your brilliant mind never disappoints!! Thanks so much for taking your time to share this with us… we love ALL your videos 😊 Derek and Michella Payne
Thank you so much! It means a lot to me.
👍👍👍👍👍 - brilliant.
Good job wingnut. 👏 plus it is a closed system that means no vapor or evaporation of the oil
What I didn’t say is that my pump is extra fast at pulling down and maintaining a very deep vacuum. It used to take up to 10min to get below 600 but now it drops below 500 in just 4-5 min. I’m sure it’s because the internals are so clean and because I moved to dairy vacuum oil. I’m not sure this will not be a big video as it takes some mechanical ability to make and install it but my hope is that it can help those with the ability to simplify their lives. It is so fast to turn the cycle around and have the machine rolling again. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment
This is really cool! Have you ever changed the filter? If so was it full of gunk?
As a matter of fact i took it off to examine it just this morning and the gunk is filling the water chamber. I think the filter element is full. Looks like it’s time so I ordered a new filter for it.
Great Work!!! Please let me add a bit of engineering from my years of experience as a Refrigeration mechanic and automotive technician and well as an ME. Automotive electric fuel pumps don't work well as suction pumps. They like to source fluid from below fluid level. I know this interrupts your filter system, but hey!!! Moisture likes to stay low any way!!! Consider a cold trap, as commonly used in physics/chemistry experiments, to remove moisture before it can get back into your vacuum pump. As a refrigeration mechanic, the thought of that much moisture getting into my vacuum pump make me cringe!!! I am going to build a similar rig, as I am vacuum to power a flat plate vacuum hold down plate for surface grinding graphite material for use in an EDM die sinker. As stated, I really hate the thought of getting moisture into my pump, as even atmospheric air has a lot of moisture in it. Your idea seems like a good idea, so I will experiment with it, and see how it goes. You have a fantastic channel, Thanks, Tim
I would really like to do this with a moisture trap as well, but I can't seem to find any way to do it economically. Do you know of a way to accomplish this without spending more than a couple hundred dollars? Thanks! -Jason
You need a container with in a container. place your small vacuum container inside a bucket, or other container to allow space all abound the inter one. Your vacuum is moved through the smaller container that is suspended in an ice bath. That way moisture in the vacuum chamber will condense out in the container, and not get drawn into your vacuum pump. If you really want to keep things below the condensation point, fill your outer container with a mixture of mineral spirits, or alcohol, and mix in some chunks of dry ice. That should give a temperature of about -109 degrees F, and should trap out large amounts of moisture before the mix warms up. For better results, insulate the outer container, top, bottom and sides!!! Yes it's crude, and not maximally efficient, but the idea can be expanded upon, and can be made very efficient. In some locations, ground water will be enough below the dew point pf moisture to cause it to condense. Super cold just gets more of the vapors in less space. the longer the air remains in contact with a below condensing point surface, the more moisture gets removed. Think a long thin tube in an insulated trough!!! Some experimentation will be required, your results will vary. Reference tube with in a tube condenser, as used in refrigeration applications. You might find a junk one in the scrap yard, or fabricate one from copper pipe and tubing. just remember, low air flow and large surface area for condensation to take place. Tim@@jasonbadger9164
I wonder if an inline pneumatic cyclone filter will work on the line, that way you can filter out the gunk before it hits the pump
Wonderful project. I am buying my first freeze deyer tomorrow and I eas wondering if there was an easy way to filter and remove the water from the pump oil. This viseo makes me wonder why this type of system is not sold included as an optional water filter and pump oil cleaner. It looks like a great option for making the pump oil last much longer making the cost of running a freeze dryer much more cost effective and efficient. Thanks again for your great idea which I plan to figure out a way to imcorporate without voiding my pump or freeze dryer warranty.
I love NOT having to drain the oil and filter it and then find the pump gumming up with the sludge… My pump is still as clean as the day we got it… its the second pump as the first one died from a pump heart attack from being so gummed up.
Is the mung coming from the stuff you're freeze drying? Because if so, it seems like some kind of prefilter between the dryer and the pump would keep the mung out of the oil in the first place. Something like the oil & water separator you'd use on an air compressor discharge, perhaps.
Your parts list is Great. Thank You 🙂 Could you provide more information on your Dairy Vacuum Pump oil, part # and vendor, Please. PS Went to your website, links were Not working for me to Buy the parts for vacuum pump oil filter system. 😢
I am Building your System, I have added 1 modification. I found a 240 mm computer radiator and 2-12 vdc fans to fit the radiator. My thought was you have the oil out may as well cool it while you are moving the oil.
TFE paste is much quicker to apply than Teflon tape, in my experience. But use what you have!
Doesnt using this system lower the amount of oil in the pump? How do you know how much oil to put in?
will this work w/ the premier pump ????
i don't know. Most likely if it is an oil bath pump.
Greetings Cap. I have a question about your oil filter set up. I just ordered the main parts for my own oil system as I am as disgusted as you with cleaning the pump all the time. The question is: do I need to be concerned with running the pump full of oil? Watching your video and a couple others (Epicenterbryan for one) it appears that the pump reservoir will always be full, yet the videos seem to show half full in the sight glass. Can you explain this for me please. FYI, I found a water separator/filter with an amber plastic bowl with a drain for water. Thanks, Jonas (your Utah neighbor)
Quick question--- I have an HR Oil Less VAC PUMP... I wanted to apply this Air Drying Technique to the FD--- passing the MOIST AIR through a DRYER before it hits my Vacuum Pump... You have a set up suggestion for this??
I’m sorry I don’t. You’d probably have to install an inline desiccant type dryer in the line between the freeze dryer and the vacuum pump. There will be testing to verify that the filter can withstand the vacuum of zero atmosphere, and that it would maintain the vacuum, and also if you would need to install a computer chip cooler to the filter to condense the moisture. Before I built this filter dryer I tested all of the variables and had actually run it in a very hodgepodge form to prove that it would work before I actually went through the trouble of making it and filming a bust (been there done that).
So that separates the water from the oil but is there no other filtering that's needed for all the gunk that you were seeing before or does that all come out with the water?
The filter is a filter first and then a water settling chamber at the bottom and yes, it traps all of the gunk down to I believe 5microns which is very small. The oil coming out of the filter is extremely pure and moisture free and the pump inside looks like new after over 50 batches now.
Can anyone tell me where I get a cover seal for my JB DV 6E pump? JB doesn't sell to the public. Century Tool sells a seal, but it's too small. Thanks!
Could I pay you to make one of those for me??
What Brand of Oil Do YOU USE?
www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAO7O1W/ref=as_sl_pc_as_ss_li_til?tag=cougarridgera-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=0e5196e098ab4423a14b4106c5c75be8&creativeASIN=B00CAO7O1W Here you go.