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Vacuum Manifold

Zero setting of the dial gauge

Before using the vacuum manifold, it is important to check that the dial gauge is set to zero at atmospheric conditions. To guarantee the accuracy, you will need to adjust for parallax. This means that both the needle and the image of the needle in the mirror must be lined up at zero at atmospheric pressure (no vacuum applied). In the event that the needle needs to be reset to zero, remove the glass cover by turning it counter-clockwise and lifting it off. On the needle there is a small screw. Use a screwdriver and adjust slowly in either direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise, whichever is required). After resetting, replace the glass cover.

Note: when taking a reading from the gauge, at any number, be sure to also look at the mirror image. The needle and the mirror image must be parallel (this is to adjust for parallax).

Use of the Tempe cell and the vacuum manifold

1. Connect the Tempe cell (1 to 12 pcs) to a water trap (see Fig 2).
2. Connect the water trap with the neoprene tubing to the desiccator. The desiccator must be filled with desiccant (e.g. silica gel), to dry the air before it goes into the manifold.
3. Connect the outgoing tube from the desiccator to the manifold (A or B in Fig 1), depending on the vacuum range you require. You can connect to A if the range is required to be close to that of the atmosphere, and use the coarse adjustment knob for regulation. You can connect to B for the higher vacuum range which can now be fine tuned with the fine tuning adjustment knob.
4. If connected to A, the fine tune knob must be completely opened.
5. If connected to B, the coarse adjustment knob must be completely opened.
6. Connect the manifold to a vacuum pump. We recommend a dedicated vacuum pump, preferably not a company shared vacuum system. An example of a good displacement pump is the Welch dual seal vacuum pump model 1400 or equivalent.

Principle of operation

A displacement vacuum pump draws air at a constant rate. By bleeding against this constant rate, it is possible to establish a stable vacuum relative to atmospheric pressure. To optimise this setup, the system needs to be free of leaks, with the exception of the bleeding knob (A or B).

For the most part it is a dead end system beyond the manifold.

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