What does it mean to "pull a vacuum"?

The term “pull a vacuum”means to lower the pressure in a refrigeration system below atmospheric level. This can be a bit tricky because the vacuum moves in a wave. This means that it has its own level.

The wave may not be too evident in the beginning but the higher the pressure is, the more evident this will be. One tip in order to “pull the vacuum” successfully is by making sure that the high-accuracy digital gauge will show a resolution lower than 50 microns. You can increase your chances further by removing the valve core. The use of valve core removers will make this possible.

A vacuum is a device that people use in their home to get their floors clean especially carpet. When you vacuum something up, you are sucking up the debris into the vacuum. However, the term “pull a vacuum” has another meaning when it refers to refrigeration. In a refrigerated system, the system may need to be lowered in regard to the pressure so that the pressure is lowered to below atmospheric.

In many cases, people want it lowered to about 500 microns. However, it is not very easy to do that. Several steps should be done to get that number to the correct amount. The pumps and the hoses that go with the refrigeration system play a part in how the pressure may be lowered.