Vacuum pump DYI

[Mismost]

I hacked a vacuum pump together out of a automotive 12 volt air compressor...plenty of YouTube to show how. I built mine into a one gallon paint can I had sealed up with silicone. Very simple, drill 4 holes, minor wiring, couple of hose barbs for suction/exhaust...piece of cake a 15 minute process. Powered with my battery charger.

It works! I used it to degas a five gallon glass carboy of wine and it was pulling up a lot of bubbles. It also created so much suction it collapsed my paint can...so now my hack job looks really third world! It also worked to vacuum transfer beer from ferm bucket to carboy. Going to get a hepa filter and use it to aerate my wort too.

So, it worked and it failed at the same time, but still works. Cost about 9 bucks vs 85 for the cheapest Harbor Freight vacuum pump. Kinda of a fun little project.

 

[marckw]

Pictures? Videos? This project sounds way too cool for just words...

 

[Mdsutton]

A step by step would be nice!

 

[Mismost]

Guys...I have a true respect for the guys that do these step by steps, but that ain't me. I just go out in the shop and jack around!

Harbor Freight had the air compressor on sale for about 6 bucks.

I was at WalMart and looked at a plastic canister with the wire lock down lid for about 6 bucks. It was big enough, but I cheaped out and recycled an old paint can. The rest of the stuff I had laying around except for some stiff plactic hose...10 feet, Ace Hardware about 4 bucks.

You drill two holes in the lid to run small bolts and nuts through for your electrical connections. Make sure you "insulate" these bolts...I simply wrapped a thin piece of electrical tape around the threads where they went through the paint can lid. Taped the washers too. The compressor power wires attach to the bolts on the inside of the can lid...I simply wrapped them around the bolt heads. little dap of silicone inside and out to seal it up. I ran the bolts from the inside of the lid so the bolt shaft is out side and I can just clip on my battery charger like normal.

Drill two more holes big enough for the hose barbs. I used small zip ties in and outside just to hold them in place while the silicone dried..silicone inside and out...seal it up good. I cut the tire inflation attachment off and pluged the hose onto one of the barbs....it just blows air out when the compressor is on.

Then just stuff the whole thing inside the paint can/canister/air tight container and seal that lid up good with some more silicone. That's it...a compressor in a can.

The compressor pumps air out of the can....it has to get air to compress from somewhere. That is the second hose barb's job....and you hook your vacuum hose to it. Once the compressor exhausts all the air in the can, it will start sucking through the hose...now it's a vacuum pump. Hook a hose to the exhaust hose barb and you can still pump air if you want to.

I just used other stuff like carboy caps, racking canes, and bits of hose to make up the attachment to degas wine or vacuum transfer beer. BTW...when I did vacuum transfer the beer, the carboy was on the floor and bucket was on a table...so once the beer started flowing it was just as much siphon effect as vacuum I suppose...but it did get it started! I really just wanted to try degassing wine with it.