DIY - AIO air pump, vacuum pump & HCL scrubber

[necromancer]

hello all,
here is my version of a small home made, do it yourself (DIY) all in one (AIO) air pump, vacuum pump & HCL scrubber
for scrubbing Acid/Peroxide or Acid/Bleach fumes.

not recommended for using as a No_x scrubber

list of items used:

[1] medical air pump (recycled)
[2] 25 foot vacuum cleaner power cord (recycled)
[3] fish tank air hose or bubbler hose (recycled)
[4] ABS plumbing pipe, ABS cement & fittings (new $23.00) (1/2 inch threaded elbows on each end are for garden drip systems)
[5] heavy wall clear 1/2 inch plastic hose (new $9.00 = 10 feet) used for vacuum hose from vacuum flask to the scrubber & vacuum chamber
[6] home storage container ($6.99) i would suggest using a heavy walled non transparent container, they are stronger
[7] silicone sealant and/or contact cement (100% silicone $1.99 each)
(HINT) do not use tub or toilet sealants. the plastic container will have a static electric charge that will keep most sealants from sticking to the plastic, always make sure to rub the sealant onto the plastic to insure adhesion.
[8] 1/2 or 3/4 inch metal hose clamps
[9] out door electrical 1/2 inch connector (used on the top of the container as vacuum intake valve)

items used inside the scrubber pipe:

[1] fiberglass insulation (3 or 4 inches thick on each end) (recycled from construction garbage)
[2] activated charcoal pellets (recycled from old refrigerator water filters) find them at the scrap metal yard, i got mine free, make sure they do not have mold & dry charcoal before using.
[3] plastic pizza saver (recycled, one free with every pizza)

plastic pizza saver is used first, on the end of the scrubber that attaches to the filter flask hose. it is used as a air intake spacer. (legs towards closest end of pipe)
next is the fiberglass insulation, it is used to stop the charcoal pellets or charcoal dust from falling into the hose.
next is the activated charcoal pellets, packed down by shaking while filling the pipe. (when complete you will not hear the charcoal moving if pipe is shaken)
next is more fiberglass insulation.
my scrubber pipe will be used in a vertical position so i didn't need to use another plastic pizza saver.

 

[necromancer]

next is the vacuum chamber
(make sure the pump is switched on before sealing the container)

i will be adding a light switch to the outside cord (not shown)









make sure all silicone is dry before using, if not the silicone will get sucked into the vacuum chamber & you will have leaks, you will then need to reseal all hoses & the top of the chamber

hope you like my idea, i will upload a video of the vacuum in action as soon as the silicone is dry.

questions, comments, modification ideas ? are all welcome


refiners helping refiners :!:

Dave Clarke

 

[Palladium]

Looks good! I like your ingenuity, but sealing your vacuum pump in that case will lead to overheating and recirculation of corrosive gas inside the box which will eat the pump up? I would set the pump up outside the house venting to the atmosphere and connect it with 30-40 feet of pvc hose which is dirt cheap.

 

[necromancer]

Thanks !!

1 - if i remove the pump there will be no vacuum.
1a - i will put my laser temperature gauge on it when active to test for heat build up.

2 - i don't have the room to put a 30' extension onto it (wish i did, my yard is 24 feet wide X 10 feet deep)

3 - i am hoping that the activated charcoal will remove 90% or more of the corrosive gasses. if not i will build a longer scrubber pipe.
will blow waste air into a class of water & i will test PH with litmus paper to see if gasses get passed through the pump

4- i just found a bigger problem ! i didn't leave a removable / resealable door to vent the liquid vapors off while the pump is not in use.
that will be a easy fix though, maybe put a liquid vapor filter on the intake line filled with silica salts.

 

[necromancer]

Looks good! I like your ingenuity, but sealing your vacuum pump in that case will lead to overheating and recirculation of corrosive gas inside the box which will eat the pump up? I would set the pump up outside the house venting to the atmosphere and connect it with 30-40 feet of pvc hose which is dirt cheap.

over heating has not been a problem, i only use it for 1/2 hour at a time
i also installed a 4" X 4" plastic electrical box as a vent, i remove the vent (box) cover when not in use
i put PH paper in the hose between the scrubber pipe & vacuum chamber, there has been no colour change in the PH paper as of yet

thanks for all the feedback !! its all very usefull to me !!

 

[924T]

necromancer,

Is this still working for you?

Any further modifications (since June 2014)?

This is a pretty sweet piece of innovative construction!

Cheers,

Mike

 

[necromancer]

yes works great !!

since i used a cheap see-through plastic tub the sides sucked in with vacuum pressure and the bit of heat it gives off (i use it for a hour at most)

i added 2 thin metal plates on each the 2 larger sides of the plastic bin. using screws to "sandwich" the plastic tub. will take pics.

 

[necromancer]

here is the modification i done to the vacuum chamber to keep it from imploding.
also added a "window" to vent vapers / condensation when not in use. it's not pretty but it does the job.

 

[Eamonn]

Hi Necromancer

I making a scrubber myself. I'm wondering why you put the pump into a box and not connect the pipe from the scrubber tube straight to the vacuum pump input?

I'm trying think if after your hcl vapour scrubber you could have another scrubber to catch Nox maybe a caustic or h2o2 bath.
Cheers
Eamonn

 

[necromancer]

i could not find the intake valve.