Vacuum Pump Oil - vivianlu9/EMAX_VOA_sandbox GitHub Wiki

Maintenance Schedule

Generally, we’re supposed to change the oil every six months, but sometimes we get busy and put it off for a bit. This does NOT mean check the oil’s appearance and level only when changing it. Check the oil every week to make sure the color looks ok AND that the oil level is within the ranges printed on the side of the pump before running the instrument. The oil can burn if used for too long and it turns into sludge, which will severely affect the instrument’s ability to maintain calibration.

Changing the oil

For this, you’ll need:

  • flathead screwdriver
  • tongue-and-groove pliers (adjustable wrench/pliers)
  • vacuum pump oil
  • waste collection bucket
  • funnel
  • cardboard tray (to contain the mess when the oil spills out)
  • cardboard box (anything that can elevate the vacuum pump so we can tip it to drain the oil)

Wear gloves and roll up your sleeves when doing this. It gets really messy.

  1. Vent the GC/MS.

See HPChem / Agilent for instructions on how to vent.

  1. Unplug the vacuum pump. You do NOT need to turn off the MS.
  2. Lift the vacuum pump onto an elevated surface (we usually use the big box of gloves for this). The edge should be hanging off the box (so we can tip it later to drain the oil).
  3. Unscrew the top cap from the vacuum pump by hand or by using the pliers.
  4. Place the waste bucket and the cardboard tray underneath the protruding vacuum pump (to catch the oil).
  5. Use the flathead screwdriver to unscrew the drain plug from the bottom right corner of the pump. Try not to drop the drain plug in the bucket if possible (only because fishing it out later feels gross).

The oil will start flowing before the drain plug is fully removed. Be prepared to move the bucket to catch the oil before it spills everywhere.

  1. Completely drain the oil from the vacuum pump. If the oil looks really dirty, flush it with fresh oil once or twice.
  2. Reattach the drain plug before leveling the pump.
  3. Use the funnel to fill the vacuum pump with fresh oil. Make sure the oil level is between the lines.
  4. Cap the vacuum pump. Tighten the cap by hand and with the pliers.
  5. Put the vacuum pump back in its original spot (replace the tray if needed, some of the pumps leak so we have the tray underneath to catch residual oil).
  6. Plug the pump back in and let it run for ~5 minutes before pumping down.
  7. Dispose of the used oil in the designated waste containers. Put the supplies back in their original spots.