My $300 vacuum pump gave out mid-job on a Saturday and I ended up borrowing a rusty one from a guy named Dave.

Happened last month while I was pulling a vacuum on a new install over in Oakville, and the pump just seized up after 15 minutes, so I had to cancel my afternoon calls and waste 2 hours tracking down a replacement that actually worked... has anyone else had a cheap vacuum pump fail at the worst possible time?

2 comments

2 Comments

angelaellis1mo ago

Yo I feel you so hard on this. Had a similar thing happen with a cheap rotary vane pump from Amazon that just died on me while I was purging a system. What finally worked for me was just biting the bullet and buying a used Robinair off Craigslist for like $150. It's been chugging along for two years now no issues, even after I dropped it down a flight of stairs. Those old school units are built way tougher than the new budget stuff. Dave's rusty loaner probably has more life left in it than a brand new $300 pump honestly.

the_fiona1mo ago

That drop down the stairs give any trouble with the vacuum pull or is it still holding steady?