In dental dry vac pumps heat has always been one of the post mortem causes of failure. If they operate in a closet or box the heat has nowhere to go which causes the pump to continue to heat up.

In the case of turbine or regenerative types the only means of cooling the pump is from the motor fan (usually plastic and only designed to cool the external motor housing) and by the air running through the pump. When not enough flow occurs in a high flow pump (due to the small holes in the dental suction tools) the pump’s safety valve opens to help cool the pump from air from the hot box or room. The result is normally a bearing failure caused by the grease drying out and no longer lubricating. The oil lubricated dry pump (sort of still a wet pump) handles the heat much better from inside the pump. As long as you keep the pump in a ventilated area and change the oil frequently it handles the heat quite well.

The BaseVac Dry Vac uses a pump that loves the heat. In fact the non hydroscopic self lubricating carbon vanes need heat to release the lubricant qualities of carbon. The motor bearings are huge compared to other similar Hp pumps. The cooling fan is designed to push air over the motor and the pump to cool both. We actually install an internal air guide to hold back the cooling air in order to make sure the pump is hot.

Because it’s a low flow higher vacuum pump you can starve it all you want. The vacuum relief valve will open and suck in, guess what, more hot air helping to lubricate the pump. So the heat that kills most dental dry suction pumps actually helps the BaseVac pump work better. Because a dental dry vac can suck in moisture (by mistake) the hotter the pump the better to keep it dry and corrosion free.

When it comes to heat those that do like it (the BaseVac design) win out over those that don’t like the heat.