Surge machine doesn't like Cold

[Taletha]

Hi, we have a delavel milk machine we bought with our milk cow. It works fine in warm weather, but now these cool mornings, the motor surges and then throws the breaker. I am wondering if the motor is weak and when the oil in the vacuum is cold it is hard on the motor until it warms up. Has anyone had any problems like this?

[Haggis]

I haven't had my milker too awfully long but I have had problems in cold weather. My vacuum pump is new, but the vanes creating the vacuum won't work if the oil lubricating them is too cold. At -50 or more the motor will bearly turn, at -40 the motor turns but the vanes won't work, at minus -30 it's hit or miss and mostly miss with the motor and vanes, but the vapor in vacuum hoses freeze solid and plug them. Last winter I started keeping an old Hudson's Bay wool blanket over the entire contraption with a 100 watt bulb under the blanket for heat; that worked for the pump and vanes, but I yet had problems with the vacuum hoses. The steam rising off the warm milk in the bucket enters into the vacuum lines and freezes hard as flint when the temps are down to where it's a mite chilly.

[MaryF]

We have the same problem. What we found that works is to leave one of the stall cocks open with nothing attached so the pump does not have to pull a vacuum (just sucking air) and that keeps most of the load of the motor untill it warms up enough. I usually let it run about a min or so before i close the valve and hook up the bucket. I am sure if it got to -40 here i would have to do something else but never seen it that cold here. Not sure how cold it gets where you are but hope this helps.

[evermoor]

I build a box around the pump and have a heat lamp in it. Now I rarely throw the breaker. However it have to use a blow dryer to keep my milker (nupulse) frrom freezing up on the cows. Gee If I only had a heated barn or maybe a bunch of freeloading cats to pile on it for heat source.

[willow_girl]

Wow, wished I'd read this thread before I just spent $150 on a more powerful motor ...

[Charleen]

Haggis is right about the oil.

We have an old Gast pump that contains vanes. We had trouble the first winter too, it had to run about 1/2 hour before we got vacuum. Talking with a retired farmer, he suggested that we use Automatic Transmission oil instead of vacuum pump oil in it. The ATF is thinner and also has better adhesion to parts. Haven't had a problem since and that was probably about 3 years ago. The machine's from the 1940's.

[Taletha]

Hey we have tried the heat lamp and it seems to have done the trick, Thanks a Million!!! We will also try the ATF. It is in a plywood box with a blanket over the end, it keeps the heat in. It is not even very cold here yet, around 35 F. A little scary what will happen when it hits 0. Anyway all of ya'll have been very helpful, thank you.