AutoVap15 Operating Manual | | v. 1.2
18 / 23
Remember the Solvent-Distilled Water-Solvent cleaning process. The distilled water is important for
dissolving and removing the sugar residue.
2) Parameters: Feed Pressure and Vacuum
There is no required parameter for either the feed pressure or vacuum pressure. However, there are some
parameters to stay within.
Feed Pressure Min - Max: 30-65 PSI
It has been tested that running the system at
42 PSI
should recover at least 15 gallons per hour.
Running the system slower may decrease the recovery rate, but will leave you with a "thicker" residue
material with less solvent in the final product.
Running the system faster will leave your material a bit "soupier" but will increase your solvent recovery
rate.
Vacuum Pressure Min-Max: 20-25 HG
It has been tested that running the system at 22 HG is an efficient, safe operating parameter.
You can increase your vacuum pressure, but be aware that this can "pull" your residue material over into
your solvent recovery side and taint your clean solvent.
Pulling deep vacuum can also cause vapors to carry into your vacuum pump, which can cause vacuum
pump failure over time.
3) Heat and Cold Temperatures
The temperature you set your Water Heater at will depend on what solvent you are recovering. You can
do some research to check the boiling point of the solvent used, along with the latent heat of evaporation.
This will determine how much heat you should apply.
Keep in mind that with vacuum, the boiling point of solvents decreases. You can research the boiling
point of solvents under vacuum.
For Ethanol, is has been tested that anywhere from 190F-194F is ideal for efficient evaporation.
The temperature of your chiller should be set anywhere from 34F-42F. Again, you will want to do some
research about how the solvent you are using condenses.
4) Water Heater Flow Rate
The flow rate of the water heater is extremely important to ensure your AutoVap is performing at full
efficiency.
For the AutoVap15, you should have a flow rate of at least 5 gallons per minute. The higher the flow rate
the better. With some recirculating pumps, you may be able to see around 10-15 gallons per minute.
The flow rate may be determined by a few variables:
1. The capacity of your recirculating pump
2. The length and flow of your plumbing line supplying the AutoVap and returning to the Water Heater
3. Water pressure. This closed loop system can, in fact, lose water pressure over time and may need to
be re-primed.
5) Never Run Your Pump Dry
Be sure to monitor your tincture material being fed into the system. You never want to have the feed
pump running dry. This can cause your pump to fail and will cost you time and money to replace.
NOTE: The TruSteel warranty does NOT cover pumps that were run dry.
6) Never dead head your pump
Always remember to open the Feed Line Ball Valve when running your AutoVap. Failing to open the Feed
Line Ball Valve could "dead head" the pump and cause failure.
Again, TruSteel is does not warranty pumps that were improperly run, such as dead heading due to
operator error.
7) Auto Discharge on Recovery Vessel
Having Auto-Recovery on the Solvent Vessel is a great convenience. You will not have to stop the
AutoVap to discharge your material.
Great news, any AutoVap15 Basic can be upgraded to an Auto Discharge. Contact TruSteel for pricing
and more information.