Troubleshooting High Horsepower

Based on writings of DOUGLAS F. SWEET, P.E.

How often do you get a call about the vacuum pump motor tripping out? It happens for a lot of reasons, and only occasionally does replacing the pump correct the problem. Again, to solve the problem, good troubleshooting skills must be employed and the questions of "what changed, and when did it change?" must be asked.

Two good starting points for determining power requirements are the operating conditions vacuum levels) and pump speed (rpm). These are discussed in the following sections, along with the pump power overloading caused by water overloading, backpressure, and internal buildup.

Operating Conditions

Pump speed

Water overloading and air/water separation systems

Backpressure

Internal buildup