Diffusion pump cleaning
- John Taylor
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:43 pm
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- Location: Dardanelle, Arkansas
Diffusion pump cleaning
I just received a diffusion pump that I purchased cheaply on eBay and am wanting to clean it up. Is there any problem with using very fine steel wool to clean all of the inside stainless parts? Will any oil, etc. residue in the steel wool contaminate the pump? Obviously, i would clean the parts thoroughly prior to reassembly to make sure no pieces of steel wool remained.
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Re: Diffusion pump cleaning
John
Steel wool, scotchbrite pads (the green ones), wet and dry sandpaper all good.
Afterwards just give it a very good clean first with acetone and then with ethanol or methanol or isopropal alcohol.
make sure the heater underneath is in very good contact with the bottom of the boiler ---usually a lot of rust around there ---you can use a small amount of fire gum to help here.
The first time you run it it will behave strangely due to outgassing but will settle down after around 20 minutes after switch on
Steel wool, scotchbrite pads (the green ones), wet and dry sandpaper all good.
Afterwards just give it a very good clean first with acetone and then with ethanol or methanol or isopropal alcohol.
make sure the heater underneath is in very good contact with the bottom of the boiler ---usually a lot of rust around there ---you can use a small amount of fire gum to help here.
The first time you run it it will behave strangely due to outgassing but will settle down after around 20 minutes after switch on
- John Taylor
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:43 pm
- Real name:
- Location: Dardanelle, Arkansas
Re: Diffusion pump cleaning
Thanks John for the advice. A lot of the staining came off nicely with the acetone, some required steel wool. I will now clean it with isopropanol and reassemble it. Is fire gum a kind of high temp cement? I'm not familiar with it.
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- Posts: 1850
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:29 pm
- Real name: John Futter
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Re: Diffusion pump cleaning
John
The firegum is what people use to asemble Car exhaust systems
Glad to hear the cleaning went well
The firegum is what people use to asemble Car exhaust systems
Glad to hear the cleaning went well