Vacuum pumps are a useful tool in the HVAC toolbox. Before any repairs on air conditioning systems can be done, the conditioner has to be drained of any unwanted air, water vapor, or refrigerant. That’s where the vacuum pump comes into play.
But a vacuum pump needs oil (usually mineral oil) to create the vacuum and having dirty or clean oil makes all the difference when trying to perform high-quality repairs. Clean oil, as you can imagine, allows the pump to work at its highest potential and get the best micron (or pressure) reading. The better the micron level, the better the vacuum and the better the person repairing the system can ensure there are no leaks. Using dirty oil — even if it’s only been used in just five cycles — instead of fresh, clean oil can have differences as much as 500 microns.
While dirty vacuum pump oil doesn’t cause any long- or short-term damage to the machine, it keeps it from doing its job effectively. This in turn can potentially allow the air conditioner or HVAC system you’re repairing to remain damaged, allowing air, moisture, or even Freon to leak out. With that in mind, if you’re trying to get to a 500-micron level and your pump is only getting to 1500, it could be something as simple as the oil being dirty rather than a leak.
So always make sure to change out your vacuum pump oil when you can. If you need help finding the best kinds of oil, you can always ask us at Ice-Kold.
