Frequently Asked Questions

Fruitland® rotary vane vacuum pumps are capable of achieving very high vacuum levels, up to 95% or 28.5” HgV at sea level. Factors effecting the vacuum level of the pump are speed (RPM), elevation (your location) and pump temperature. Please remember that at higher vacuum and speed and longer running time, more heat is generated. For good wear life, vacuum pumps are recommended to be operated below the maximum allowable speed (1400 RPM) and temperature (375°F Exhaust). Vacuum and pressure relief valves are generally set by the end-user based upon their own requirements and recommendations from the tank builders.

However the following guidelines are also recommended. For short intermittent duty (5 to 10 min), the pump can be operated at very high vacuum, up to 27” Hg, and pressure up to 25 psi, while keeping a close eye at temperature rise of the exhaust air, not to exceed 375°F. Please check the integrity (age) of your system and limitations from the tank builders before operating at higher rate. It is up to the operator of the pump to set the vacuum and pressure relief valves to suit the application. For continuous duty the relief valves can be set at 5″ to 15″ psi* for pressure and 15″ to 22” Hg for vacuum. However there can be slight deviations from these limits based on your application, location and atmosphere.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Pressure above 7 psi is not recommended unless the tank and system has the appropriate certification.

For the RCF250, RCF370 and RCF500 pumps we recommend 1300RPM to a maximum of 1400RPM.

For RCF800 and RCF1200, 1000RPM is recommended.

Please see chart below.

We recommend flushing the vacuum pump every two months. An operator who is using their pumps excessively may want to increase flushing frequency.

For ease of operation, Fruitland recommends installing our Pump Flushing Kit (Part #FK500) to assist in this procedure.
Flushing Fluid: ¾ of diesel fuel mixed with ¼ of pump oil by volume.

Procedure:
1. Stop the pump and remove ¼ “ npt plug (See below for location):
• On RCF250, it is located on the pump diverter valve. (#38 on exploded view drawing)
• On RCF370 and RCF500, it is located on the intake flange.
• On RCF800 and RCF1200, it is located on the diverter valve housing.
2. Connect a brass fitting, rubber hose, ball valve and flushing fluid bottle to the port.
3. Run the Pump, switch to vacuum and slowly open the ball valve.
4. Pass approximately 2 to 3 liters of the flushing fluid through the pump while restricting/controlling the flushing fluid flow through the ball valve.
5. Close the ball valve and run the pump for an additional minute to remove all the flushing fluid from the pump.
6. Drain the oil catch muffler or oil separator
7. If you remove the Pump flushing fittings from the pump, make sure to re-install the ¼“ npt plug back to the port.
8. Resume pumping operation.

Please view our Pump Flushing Procedure for full details in the Pump Manuals

For further assistance please call: 1-800-663-9003

L or R – Denotes left or right-hand rotation, left being counterclockwise and right being clockwise rotation.

U or S – Refers to upright or side-mounted diverter valve.

F – Refers to a vacuum pump that comes with an integral filter pod.

H or A – Refers to a hydraulic drive bell housing or an angle drive bell housing.

See Coupling Installation in product manuals.

Here is a list of suggested tools for rebuilding RCF250, RCF370 and RCF500:

• 1 x Compact air gun
• 1 x Rubber hammer
• 1 x Screwdriver – flat
• 1 x Ball peen hammer
• 1 x 6” Vice grip
• 1 x 6” Socket extension 3/8 drive
• 1 x 6″ Puller
• 1 x Set of screwdriver tips
• 1 x Air tool screwdriver
• 1 x Angle socket driver 3/8”
• 1 x Metric set Allen key
• 1 x Standard Allen key set
• 1 x Paint stick or felt marker
• 1 x Internal – external snapring pliers
• 1 x 6″ Adjustable

Wrenches – 3/4″, 10mm, 13mm, 17mm, 19mm, 9/16″ Combination wrenches

Sockets – 10mm, 13mm, 11mm, 17mm, 7/16″, 5/16″ Allen key socket, 1/4″ Allen key socket

3/8″ Drive