Have you recently got vacuum pump system installations? If yes then you don’t have to worry about leaks right now. However, vacuum pump systems will start aging sooner or later. In that situation, you will have to get a helium leak detection service. If needed you will also have to repair it as per the ASME repairs guideline. The repair method is the same for vacuum coaters and coating new and used. So just getting vacuum retrofits does not ensure that it will not have leaks. So, here are the methods used by vacuum leak detectors to identify leakages.
Tests To Successfully Identify Leaks In Vacuum System
• Bubble Test For Low-Pressure Leaks
You know what happens when you try vacuum degassing in water. It will start to form bubbles in the water. Similarly, with the help of water, you can try to detect vacuum leaks. Here water will act as a leak detector but it is helpful only in low-pressure leakages. It is however a reliable technique used for detecting leaks in both bicycles and vacuum pumps. In bicycles, the area from where the bubbles are coming is marked up. Similarly, even in a vacuum leak detectors, the area that is leaking is marked.
• Pressure Rise And Drop Test
The pressure rise test is conducted after marking the vacuum level against the time after a particular vacuum level is obtained. After isolating the system, it is found that the curve will be straight if the leak is present. Simultaneously pressure drop test is not the same as the pressure rise. The drop test is not used much to check leaks. This technique is used only when the gauge pressure does not exceed 1 bar.
• Helium Tests Because It Easily Gets Mixed With Other Gases
Smaller leaks are not easy to detect but a helium detector is useful in such situations. It is because it easily gets mixed with other gases and is the smallest molecule. Due to this, it will easily pass through the surface in which there is a leak. In this way, you can identify any leakage in the cylinder especially the smaller ones. Moreover, helium leak detectors are cheap and easy to use.
These are the third methods used for the detection of leakages in any vacuum pump system. Be it asme vessels or high vacuum pumps, leakages are unavoidable in old vacuums. However, you can prevent it to a certain extent with timely inspection and maintenance.
