3 Port Rotovap Condensor?????

Calito360 · February 12, 2019, 8:58pm

Hey Crew. I got my rotovap, chiller and water Aspirator from our guy in China. I’ll post my review after i fire it up and make sure everything is good. I saw that the Condensor has 3 ports at the bottom (a little different than what I usually see)

I’ve searched this Forum, and the internet and have not found which port is what…and what connections to hook up to. All I can tell is that the one in the middle is the Vacuum Port that connects to the vac gauge mounted on the rotovap stand. Any of you guys have a setup like this?

Poizzin · February 12, 2019, 9:06pm

I am using the vacuum center, right side as input, it goes to the center and the left side as the output back to chillier

Demontrich · February 12, 2019, 9:36pm

Center is vacuum

Left is water in
Right is water out

Or i may have the in/out backwards

Calito360 · February 12, 2019, 9:41pm

This is what I’m working with. PICASO Baby!!!

goldleaf_scientific · February 12, 2019, 9:56pm

Use the center for vacuum. If you look closely it will connect to a straight tube that goes to the top. It should not connect to any coils.

square_root_pharms · February 12, 2019, 10:02pm

Fucking masterpiece bro

Demontrich · February 12, 2019, 10:36pm

Tap water works great or the bucket chiller tek with a pond pump and frozen 20oz pop bottles swapped out

Keep an eye on the vapor line in the condenser and adjust vac, as to NOT be sucking out ethanol vapor, and it all condenses back, vs being sucked out the pump and lost.

On my re-501 rotovap, I did not use the vacuum ports with thenrotovape gauge. I couldn’t get it to work properly. My vac pump (welch wobl) had a gauge I used

Also, your using the aspirator. Keep that water cold as shit or your vacuum level will drop

Calito360 · February 12, 2019, 10:46pm

Thank you guys!!!

SOOOO… let me see if I have this right.

Lets start at Condensor:
Middle goes to Vac Gauge
Right goes to Outlet of Water Aspirator
Left goes to Inlet of Chiller

Water Aspirator:
Vac Port goes to Vac Gauge on Roto (or not)
Outlet goes to Right port on Condensor
Inlet goes to Output on Chiller

Chiller:
Outlet goes to Inlet on Aspirator
Inlet goes to Left port on Condensor

Calito360 · February 13, 2019, 4:42pm

Thx for the help everyone…
I got it!!!
The only thing im using the aspirator for is VACUUM…THATS IT
For anyone that was wondering here is a pic of the connections i got from USAlabequipment.com

Im hoping it will help someone with the same setup.

drake · February 13, 2019, 4:50pm

All the aspirator is for is vacuum. They were saying the heat from the rotovap will heat up your vacuum water. A cold trap before the vacuum gauge would also help here. It will help keep the water cold as well as catch solvent.

Also keep dry ice under the recieving flask and the cold trap (if applicable) or you will be losing solvent like crazy.

Calito360 · February 13, 2019, 8:01pm

Was wondering about that part. Thanks for the advice.

Demontrich · February 13, 2019, 8:05pm

You dont need to waste $ on power or a chiller. Run a hose from a faucet, and use that water. All my waste water goes into my 55gal drum for watering my plants. You dont need a massive flow of water , a decent slow will work.

Calito360 · February 13, 2019, 8:40pm

Thats awesome to know for future runs. Thanks again. Best part about learning this stuff myself is teaching someone else do it after ive gotten it.