Maintenance, Reliability and Service Life of Membrane Vapor Recovery Units

One of the strongest arguments for membrane-based vapor recovery is the low maintenance burden. Compared with adsorption systems — which need regular carbon replacement, desorption cycles and hazardous-waste handling — a membrane unit has essentially no consumables. This article sets out what maintenance the WHSH-M actually needs and what service life to expect.

Designed service life

– Overall design life of the unit: 8–10 years or more
– Membrane module design life: 10+ years under normal operation
– The unit is designed for unattended automatic operation, starting and stopping on tank pressure

What maintenance is required

Per the operating manual, the maintenance routine is monthly and light:

– Power supply check: supply normal, no loose connections in the electrical cabinet, grounding intact (including the secondary ground)
– Piping check: connections tight, no debris; after startup, the inlet and outlet are clear and free of unusual noise
– Housekeeping: unit exterior clean, area around the unit clear, fire extinguisher within validity

The vacuum pump is the one component with a consumable: check the oil level through the sight glass and top up with the specified vacuum-pump oil; replace the oil periodically. This is a short, simple task.

Critical operating rules

– All maintenance must be performed with the main power switched off. Never service the unit live.
– Do not apply reverse pressure to the membrane module. Recommended inlet pressure is 0.3–0.6 MPa; the inlet gas must be free of particles and liquid oil, with a temperature of 45 °C or below.
– Do not open the explosion-proof junction box in a flammable gas environment; use a combustible-gas detector before commissioning or maintenance work.

Why reliability is high

– The membrane module has no moving parts. Separation happens at the molecular level, so there is nothing to wear in the membrane itself.
– In the membrane-only model, the vacuum pump is the principal moving component — fewer moving parts than a compressed-air or refrigeration system.
– The unit runs intermittently (only when tank pressure demands it), which keeps cumulative running hours low.
– Data logging is built in: environmental data (inlet pressure, outlet concentration, membrane pressure, temperature) is recorded every 30 seconds, and alarm history is stored, so developing problems are visible before they become failures.

Warranty and support

The warranty terms are simple and stated in the manual: within the warranty period, failures under correct installation and use are repaired free of charge; after the warranty period, repairs are charged at labor + travel cost, with spare parts at cost price. The after-sales telephone is +86 135 2699 0215.

For most stations, the practical maintenance workload is a few minutes per month. That is the payoff of choosing a membrane-based design: the technology does the work, and the operator just checks it.

For more information: +86 135 2699 0215 / lixiang@vohonoilpipe.com

=====================================================================