Columns don't pull full vacuum when packed

Am I the only one who can never pull a full vacuum on my tubes when they are packed tight? Or do I just have shitty gauges.

how long are you pumping for? It take me 12 min of pumping to hit a full hard vac on a column with a 2 cfm pump.

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Yeah I’ve tried it that long. Seems to never wanna get past -20 or -22hg

Well dry or wet material ?
Shut all valves and pull a vac empty
Do You get full vac ?
If You do No leak If You don t > leak
If there is a leak pour Some butane in and let colum get to pressure
Spray all welds with soapy spray bubbels is leak
If You can t pull a good vac but No bubbles a leak in valves or hose conections same method pressure and soapy spray inside of valves and around connectors
And before You start check If pump can pull a full vac

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Dry, yes all valves and it pulls full when empty. No it doesn’t leak, I’ve also pressure tested it @150 psi

What size of column are you using?

mabey time for a new guage? whats your elevation?

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U tried changing the oil and cleaning? I think @Soxhlet could give u proper method for ur gear …but I’ve always been told it can help pull deeper vacuum

And making sure your running the right oil for the pump…

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4x48 columns

You guys may be missing my point here. My vacuum pump works fine, it pulls a full -29 vacuum when the tubes are empty, or when I pull it on my collection bases. Its only when my tubes are packed full and tight that I can never achieve -29 on them. I am at sea level

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Gauge.

Thats what I was thinking too, but why do the same gauges read full vac when the tube is empty as opposed to packed?

How much are you trying to smash into that 4x48 column?

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I was just thinking the same thing. What filters are you using too? I can see a super low micron filter causing this too but one thing I’d like to point out is that at sea level you should be able to pin you gauge as far as it can go.

I’m at sea level and my gauges will show under -30inhg which I know ain’t possible but every analog gauge here will absolutely just about hit the bottom out pin on the gauge.

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Yeah do you use dang hydraulic jack? Over packing?..I pull to 2-4 lately… Thought was 5, was what I order, got to looking, 2-4… Pins it down just the same,

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I never really weigh it but probably about 4#. I just hand pack it with a rod, nothing crazy.

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How often do you change your pump oil, how old is the pump, what pump is it? My pump will suck ass if I don’t change it frequently.

You should see how much you are packing in there. Are you going all the way to the triclamp or do you have a good 8-9" to go

Have you tried nitro sweeping your system before pulling vac

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Bhogart gauges are always differnt you might be at full vac its nust so shitty it doesnt know it. Mine all had marks on them for full vac,cause only one out of four would show that.

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As always, you never fail to come thru. Yes they are bhogart gauges. I had my doubts that they were janky. Now on the quest to find real gauges.

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It’s most likely trapped air in the material, how long do you pump for?

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