# DIY Vacuum Pump



## Chiumanfu

*Description*
I've documented my experiment with a DIY vacuum pump for transfering wine between carboys, degassing and eventually bottling. This will be a work in progress as the system matures and I optimize the setup.

*Imploding carboys can be very bad for your health. Check your carboys for cracks before you put them under vacuum. A carboy could theoretically implode under any amount of vacuum even if there is no cracks. Do not move or contact the carboy with any foreign object while the carboy is under vacuum. I am not responsible for any damage or injury caused by the use of this information.*

If you do not have the tools or mechanical ability to build the pump and are looking for something consumer grade, I suggest the All In One Wine Pump. It is a beautiful piece of machinery.

Much of this build was inspired by Wade E. Check his thread [thread=25630]here[/thread]


*Parts list*

1 x Vacuum pump from All Electronics. $35.95CAD shipped to Canada. Thanks to [thread=18080]SLOweather[/thread] for the find. Link
1 x Double Spout Carboy Cap from my local shop. $3.40CAD
1 x Vinyl Braided Reinforced Tubing 1/2 in. OD x 1/4 in. ID x 10 ft. $8.80CAD Link
2 x Curved Plastic Racking Cane from my local shop. $2.50CAD
1 x Standard Racking Hose to fit the canes from my local shop. $2.00CAD
2 x Hose Adapter 1/4 in. Brass Barb x Male NPT. $5.06CAD Link
2 x Coupler 1/4 in. Brass FPT x FPT. $4.04CAD Link
2 x Large washers from my junk box.
1 x Jar from my wife.
Total damage = $73.35CAD


*Receiving Carboy Cap*





I chose to use a carboy cap instead of a bung. Although the cap does not make a 100% air tight seal with the carboy lip, it does seal well enough and I find it quite convenient for my setup. I had to cut 1cm off the top of the main spout to allow the racking tube to slide through. It is an extremely tight fit. Push the racking tube far enough so it reaches to the bottom of the carboy to minimize splashing and oxidation.






The vacuum tube from the pump connects to the secondary spout on the carboy cap. I used the end of a standard BIC pen. The barrel fit the carboy cap perfectly air tight but still loose enough that I can remove it when required. The hose end even has a barb to keep the hose tight. Couldn't be more perfect!






Here you can see the finished receiving carboy cap assembly. The hose I chose is PVC with a vinyl braid reinforcement. It's probably overkill but I can guarantee that this hose will never collapse at the pressure that the pump can generate. It's also a little unwieldly, I would have liked something a little more flexible but the selection at Home Depot was limited. The material is PVC so it isn't food safe, but this section of hose will hopefully never touch wine so I'm ok with that.


*Overflow Tank*





An overflow tank is required to protect our pump from sucking up any liquid. If the receiving carboy fills to the top and starts to draw up wine, it will first empty into the overflow tank which gives you an extra buffer to realize your screw up and shut the pump off. I never intend on running the pump unattended so I only chose a small jar as my overflow tank. I suggest you use a larger jar if you are easily distracted or the forgetful type. The overflow tank is really just an airtight vessel with two seperate hose barbs. You can make it with whatever materials you have on hand. Probably the nicest solution would be a Buchner flask if you happen to know a chemist.






Put one washer on the hose barb adapter and slather on the silicon sealant. I just used regular bathtub sealant because that's what I had lying around.






Drill the jar lid with two holes. Fit the threaded end of the hose barb adapter through the jar lid. Apply ample sealant to the next washer and place on top.






Put the coupler bolt on the back and tighten them down.






Clean up the excess sealant with a damp finger. This is your finished overflow tank lid.






This shows the inside of the lid. The coupler bolts are a little awkward but they were the only thing I could find with the correct threads. If you can find proper bolts, go ahead and use em. Make sure the inside washers do not interfere with the jar when you close the lid. Let the lid sit overnight before applying vacuum so the sealant can set.


*Put It All Together*





This is the completed system. Connect a short hose from the lower port on the pump (upper port is left empty) to one of the barbs on your overflow tank. Connect the other overflow tank barb to the carboy cap as shown. The pump needs 12 volts DC at about 2A when it is peaked out (pulling max vacuum). I'm currently using a 12V battery pack that I had in my junk box but I just ordered a 12VDC 6A laptop power brick from eBay for $10 that should work perfectly. I wired it through a common light switch to provide an easy way to turn the pump on/off.

Here's a dull and boring video of the pump moving water. 4 minutes to move 23 Liters.
[ame]http://youtu.be/G1PXBfUkUrA[/ame]


To-Do
---------------------
Power Supply. Ordered and enroute.
Vacuum gauge. Ordered and enroute.
Degassing configuration description.
Vacuum release button. Ordered and enroute.
Bottling adapter. Need a bottle stopper with two holes.
Hydrophobic filter. Drawing board.
Whole house filter. Ordered and enroute.
Build case. Drawing board.


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## DoctorCAD

Any idea of how many inches of vacuum it pulls?

I have the Wine Gasgetter air powered vacuum that I attached a cheap vacuum gauge and it will pull 25" (on that gauge, but I doubt it can really do that).


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## grapeman

One thing I would change is the brass fittings to plastic. Brass reacts a lot with wine and corrodes. It is very difficult to clean well after that. I would probably not opt for the galvanized washers as the galvanizing contains a little lead in the zinc finish. Other than that, it should work great.


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## winemaker_3352

grapeman said:


> One thing I would change is the brass fittings to plastic. Brass reacts a lot with wine and corrodes. It is very difficult to clean well after that. I would probably not opt for the galvanized washers as the galvanizing contains a little lead in the zinc finish. Other than that, it should work great.



I agree with Rich - i would switch the fittings and the washers..


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## Chiumanfu

DoctorCAD said:


> Any idea of how many inches of vacuum it pulls?


I have ordered a vacuum gauge from eBay that should be arriving any day now.



grapeman said:


> One thing I would change is the brass fittings to plastic. Brass reacts a lot with wine and corrodes. It is very difficult to clean well after that. I would probably not opt for the galvanized washers as the galvanizing contains a little lead in the zinc finish. Other than that, it should work great.


Yes this is one of things that bugs me about the build, but since the overflow should really never be in contact with the wine, I let it slide. I have yet to find a good source for nylon fittings. My friend told me that the indoor hydroponic shops should have everything I need but I have yet to explore that.


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## SLOweather

DoctorCAD said:


> Any idea of how many inches of vacuum it pulls?



According to the web site:



> Pulled 20 inches of vacuum and drew about 2 amps.
> Made 40 PSI of pressure and drew about 4.5 amps.


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## SLOweather

Chiumanfu said:


> 1 x Vacuum pump from All Electronics. $35.95CAD shipped to Canada. Thanks to [thread=18080]SLOweather[/thread] for the find. Link



You're welcome! I figured if I posted it here, someone would figure out how to make it useful. Thanks for the project notes. I might have to build one too...


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## DoctorCAD

SLOweather said:


> According to the web site:



My wine doesn't even start outgassing until around 21". Hope that pump is strong enough.


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## Chiumanfu

At full bore, the pump can pull about 23 inHg. Degassing works very well. I forgot to take a vid but I will next batch.


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## robie

DoctorCAD said:


> My wine doesn't even start outgassing until around 21". Hope that pump is strong enough.



My pump will only pull 18". It degases OK from there, but I wish I had a couple more ".


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## Wade E

Doctorcad, your gauge is either off or your temps are too cold. Wine will start throwing lots of gas out at around 10" - 15" of vacuum. If your gauge is right thenm your not getting gas out as your wine is already degassed and your just pulling a vacuum through your wine!!!!


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## SBWs

Thanks for the link to the pump, just got done putting it all together, works great! Some pic's attached, one of my small corner of the basement and the other is where I attached the pump, gauge, switch and 12 volt power plug to my storage platform. I still have one more trip to the hardware store. I got to get a longer vacuum hose so I can pump up to the carboys on the platform. That way I won't have to lift full carboys.


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## robie

Great setup, SBWs. Good use of your space, too.


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## Chiumanfu

Very nice SWBs. Where did you find that overflow canister?


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## SBWs

Thanks for the comments. The overflow canister is from a MityVac hand pump I was using for degassing before I got this stuff. That is where the gauge came from also.


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## gird123

*got mine*

my vacuum pump just arrived! $27


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## Chiumanfu

Post up pictures once you're done gird123. I'm very interested to see what you guys come up with for DIY overflow canisters.


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## olusteebus

I am sure I have seen them but I cannot remember where. Where can I get a quarter inch plastic barb with a quarter inch male npt threads?

EDit I found some but only in a package of 25 at ten bucks. gonna keep looking. I did fine a nylon one for 5 but it was not food grade.


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## gird123

*switch*

I have been looking for a vacuum switch that I could use for degassing and have not used it for racking yet. Any one have a recommended vacuum switch and gauge?


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## SBWs

Some more pic's

I added a release valve to control the vacuum. I'm also working on a set up for bottling. I've used it one time and it seems to do the job. I want to find some stainless steel tubing and #3 stopper to make the final bottling adapter. For now it's all held together with clear silicone.


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## SpoiledRotten

gird123 said:


> I have been looking for a vacuum switch that I could use for degassing and have not used it for racking yet. Any one have a recommended vacuum switch and gauge?


 
As far as a vacuum gauge, they seem to be fairly expensive as a stand alone item, but if you go to Harbor Freight or the website, and buy the little manual brake bleeder they have, you can take the gauge off of it and BINGO; you have your gauge for less than most gauges alone, cost. 25.00 for the whole thing below.

http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-bleeder-and-vacuum-pump-kit-92474.html


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## DoctorCAD

robie said:


> My pump will only pull 18". It degases OK from there, but I wish I had a couple more ".



THAT'S JUST WRONG...


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## vacuumpumpman

If you do buy a vacuum gauge make sure that it is glycerin filled as it will not flutter on you and give you an acurate reading as well. I will typically will find glycerin filled vacuum gauges around 7-10 dollars (2'' round )


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## Runningwolf

Another great place to find everything you need is Grainger if you have one close by. I went to a regular hvac store and paid twice the amounr of what grainger would have been.


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## Gedanken

I finally got around to making one of these. I tried it this evening and it worked fairly well with the exception of a couple of mishaps that were my own damn fault.

I was able to source most of the parts at a local Ace Hardware store. Instead of using the tip of a Bic pen for the vacuum hose to the carboy cap - I found a 1/4 barb to 1/4 barb connector for joining tubes. The barb sticks perfectly into the cap and allows me to remove the hose without difficulty. I also found some rubber washers to use as gaskets instead of using dap caulk.


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## Gedanken

I forgot to add the most important part to my last post. 

Thank you Chiumanfu!


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## barryjo

Just a quick tip. If you have trouble pushing the tube into the cap, use a little glycerine on the tube. That is assuming the fit is just tight, not impossible.


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## mdtrey12

I was wondering if something like this would work for transfering wine? This is originally used to change oil. In germany they use these all the time on diesel motors. I was thinking it might not be strong enough, but if it can suck a few gallons of cold oil, then it should work for wine. I was thinking about an inline whole house filter setup?? Brand new for around $25....


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## olusteebus

I am sure it would but do not suck wine through the pump of course.


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## vacuumpumpman

olusteebus said:


> I am sure it would but do not suck wine through the pump of course.


 

I agree ^^


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## barryjo

So where did you find it???


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## mdtrey12

I found a bunch on Ebay and Amazon. 


http://www.ebay.com/itm/180713005611?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


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## jelleybean

I have not been able to find the pump listed in the original post, and will need to wait till I get home to search ebay. I did find this one which looks similar, but it only claims it will pull 16Hg which may be a little low.http://www.karlssonrobotics.com/shop/vacuum-pump-12v/


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## Chiumanfu

I've listed some alternatives in the updated article. The best DIY solution is to hack a car tire pump. They seem to all pull the correct amount of vacuum. 

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/entries/DIY-Vacuum-Pump.html


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## vacuumpumpman

liboathfx said:


> I have a WineCuum degasser that has a built-in vacuum gauge. It can pull up to 27"Hg:


 

Sorry - but I was cracking up when I saw a WineCuum degasser !! (LOL)
I believe that you might of been reffering to winedegasser.com 

It works off a venturi system using an air comressor to create a low pressure from the venturi - That means you have to have a large enough air compressor to run it and it is very noisy as well.
I am not sure is it adjustable or is all depending on your air compressor pressures ?
I do not see any type of valve to release the vacuum.

Here is the link to the original design -
http://winegasgetter.com/products.html


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## Rice_Guy

* I like your set up. When I set up I first transfered with the vacuum end from a air mattress blower from Goodwill ($.99). To speed things up I eventually took a hollow bung, pressed a tube into the flat surface of the air lock hole, then placed the wide end of the bung over a vacuum cleaner hose.
* For what you have spent, I would have been tempted to just get a peristaltic pump. There is a 12 volt/ 500 ml per minute pump I asked Santa to bring. , , , , , maybe my birthday?


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## vacuumpumpman

The only issue with a peristaltic pump is that is does not remove any air or create a vacuum. It will not remove CO2 and typically they are slow to use per say


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## petey_c

Chiu, do you have an updated link for the vac pump? The All Electronics link is no longer valid.


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## vacuumpumpman

petey_c said:


> Chiu, do you have an updated link for the vac pump? The All Electronics link is no longer valid.



petey - 

he has not been on this forum since 04-02-2014

is there anything I can help you with ?

He did mention this in post 34
I've listed some alternatives in the updated article. The best DIY solution is to hack a car tire pump. They seem to all pull the correct amount of vacuum.


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## SBWs

I found this one on Amazon PUMP that should work.


12V motor
12W operation
1/4" barbs
0-16" Hg vacuum range
I was looking in case my pump ever dies. 

Also might want to get this Gauge and the fittings, lines and all the stuff you need are on the Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought list on both pages.


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## dralarms

-16 will transfer but won't do much to degas.


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## vacuumpumpman

dralarms said:


> -16 will transfer but won't do much to degas.



yes that is correct ^ I did look at that pump and there was nothing mentioned about LPM - It may take a long time to transfer because of the design of this style of pump, and it definitely will not be able to degass as you transfer unless you put a valve on it in order to build up the vacuum and operate the valve manually from time to time.


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## petey_c

Steve, I've been debating getting a pump/filter for a little while now. Recently took a friend's mini-jet for a test drive. Because I'd set it in a drip pan whose sides were a little too high, the intake didn't get a great seal. The result was air in my first gallon or so. It didn't impress me much. It seems that my wine making friends are equally divided on the subject, so they're no help. I don't know anyone who has the all-in-one and I know that it's gotten excellent reviews here and other places. I just wanted to see for myself how necessary filtering was. Thanks for the reply. Pete


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## vacuumpumpman

petey_c said:


> Steve, I've been debating getting a pump/filter for a little while now. Recently took a friend's mini-jet for a test drive. Because I'd set it in a drip pan whose sides were a little too high, the intake didn't get a great seal. The result was air in my first gallon or so. It didn't impress me much. It seems that my wine making friends are equally divided on the subject, so they're no help. I don't know anyone who has the all-in-one and I know that it's gotten excellent reviews here and other places. I just wanted to see for myself how necessary filtering was. Thanks for the reply. Pete



there are alot of variables to your question .

I would prefer to answer any question or concern you may have over the phone - so there is no communication errors.

so please PM me with your phone # and I will be more than happy to call you


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## Ants_Elixirs

I picked up one of theses a few years ago when i needed to replace the AC compressor on my SUV.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-61245.html

I'm thinking I can make or buy a few accessories and use it to degas, transfer and bottle.


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## vacuumpumpman

Ants_Elixirs said:


> I picked up one of theses a few years ago when i needed to replace the AC compressor on my SUV.
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-61245.html
> 
> I'm thinking I can make or buy a few accessories and use it to degas, transfer and bottle.



I took this from my FAQ's

*Can I use the standard A/C vacuum pumps that I have seen advertised and on some Wine Forums?
*
It is very hard to control the vacuum while transferring or bottling.

They are loud.

They are heavy!!

It is more complicated. You would still need a vacuum reservoir and release valve, possible gauges, and more. They use oil and it is critical that the oil level always be maintained or the pump will burn out. 

After continued use, oil fumes can be smelled in the room. During use the oil from the unit escapes from the air valve pooling on your “soaker rag” under the a/c vacuum pump.

Yes, I have used and experimented with the a/c vacuum pump for a long time. Through years of experimentation I invented the best vacuum pump for home wine makers on the market today. Our pumps are oil free!! No smell, quiet, only pulls up to 22 inches of vacuum, less chance of carboy mishaps, more controllable and lighter and easier to use


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## Ants_Elixirs

vacuumpumpman said:


> I took this from my FAQ's
> 
> *Can I use the standard A/C vacuum pumps that I have seen advertised and on some Wine Forums?
> *
> It is very hard to control the vacuum while transferring or bottling.
> 
> They are loud.
> 
> They are heavy!!
> 
> It is more complicated. You would still need a vacuum reservoir and release valve, possible gauges, and more. They use oil and it is critical that the oil level always be maintained or the pump will burn out.
> 
> After continued use, oil fumes can be smelled in the room. During use the oil from the unit escapes from the air valve pooling on your “soaker rag” under the a/c vacuum pump.
> 
> Yes, I have used and experimented with the a/c vacuum pump for a long time. Through years of experimentation I invented the best vacuum pump for home wine makers on the market today. Our pumps are oil free!! No smell, quiet, only pulls up to 22 inches of vacuum, less chance of carboy mishaps, more controllable and lighter and easier to use



Thanks for the reply, Steve. All of the disadvantages you mention are somewhat true, but since I already own a pump, I'm not sure I _need_ to buy another one. It's really hard for me to justify buying one of your pumps just because mine is a bit louder and heavier than yours.

On the other hand, I may be interested in purchasing some of your accessories if they will work with my pump.

Anthony


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## vacuumpumpman

Please pm me with your phone number and I can find out what you have and need.

It's always easier to talk rather than typing and missing something


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## Dridas

This Vacuum Pump looks like it might be better spec'd:
I haven't build this yet, but in the beginning stages of putting together a kit - The OP's pictures aren't coming up for me, so I may attempt a new build and post updated pictures?

Vacuum Pump 12V - (0-22inHg vacuum range)


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## vacuumpumpman

WOW - this is an old thread ! 

I believe the pump you are currently looking at is a similar one to the OP's original design.

I highly suggest trying it - if you need assistance in the process - Give me a PM


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## Rice_Guy

_Welcome to Wine Making Talk, , , as Steve says, this is an old thread. _


Dridas said:


> This Vacuum Pump looks like it might be better spec'd: I haven't build this yet, but in the beginning stages of putting together a kit - The OP's pictures aren't coming up for me, so I may attempt a new build and post updated pictures?


the 12 volt plastic vacuum pump should do within an inch Hg of what I have measured from a 120 volt air conditioning vacuum pump. Your major risk is that plastic isn’t as robust as the 120V tool. , , In seven years I have replaced one, (as well as a peristaltic pump).
If you had labs in college the set up is similar. Vinyl hardware store tubing works well. Silicone tubing does better at holding long term vacuum/ preventing leakage on joints. I have posted photos on a number of WMT threads that include the 12 volt vacuum set up.


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