# Are oil-free vacuum pumps used in hospitals?

**Are oil-free vacuum pumps available for hospital medical vacuum, and what are the trade-offs?**

Yes. Hospital medical vacuum plants can be built with dry-running pumps, such as dry-running vane or dry-running claw pumps, instead of oil-lubricated vane pumps. ULTRAVAC plants can use either, and the right choice depends on the plant's duty, its exhaust location and the specification that applies.

## Pump technologies for medical vacuum

The ULTRAVAC datasheet lists, among its standard pump technologies, oil-lubricated vane pumps (OLP), dry-running vane pumps (DRP), side channel pumps (SCB) and dry-running claw pumps (CLP). The ULTRAVAC CLP is the plant built on claw pumps, in which the claws rotate at high speed without touching.

## Trade-offs

- Exhaust: HTM 02-01 (England, 2026) warns that the exhaust of oil-lubricated pumps is likely to be polluted with oil fumes, so the discharge point has to be kept clear of windows, ventilation intakes and the intake of air compressors and other equipment.
- Maintenance: dry-running does not always mean no oil anywhere. In the ULTRAVAC CLP the claws rotate without contact, yet the datasheet still specifies one oil change every 20,000 hours.
- Speed control: the ULTRAVAC CLP is available in a variable speed version, in which the pump stops on standby when there is no consumption.
- Specification: some national rules name the technology. Portugal's ACSS ET 03/2006 asks for medical vacuum to be provided by rotary vane pumps, and HTM 02-01 asks for pump types, sizes and quantities to be evaluated for the sustainability of the plant.

## Choosing

Start from the specification that applies to the project and the location available for the exhaust, then compare the pump technologies on the plant's flow and duty. ULTRAVAC plants can be built with 1 to 12 pumps, so the technology and the number of pumps are chosen together.

### Is a claw vacuum pump completely oil-free?

Not necessarily. The ULTRAVAC CLP claws turn without touching each other, but the datasheet still calls for one oil change every 20,000 hours.

### Are oil-lubricated vane pumps still offered?

Yes. Oil-lubricated vane pumps (OLP) remain one of the standard ULTRAVAC pump technologies.

## Sources

- [ULTRAVAC datasheet, pp. 2 and 5](https://www.ultracontrolo.com/products/ultravac)
- [ULTRAVAC CLP datasheet, pp. 2 and 3](https://www.ultracontrolo.com/products/ultravac-clp)
- [NHS England, HTM 02-01 Medical gas pipeline systems, Part A (2026 edition), paras 10.16, 10.28](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/health-technical-memorandum-02-01-medical-gas-pipeline-systems-part-a-design-installation-validation-verification-aug-2026.pdf)
- [ACSS, ET 03/2006 v.2024, Especificações técnicas para gases medicinais e aspiração em edifícios hospitalares, section 4.8](https://www.acss.min-saude.pt/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ET-03_2006_v2024-Gases-medicinais_VF.pdf)

Reviewed: 2026-10-22. Ultra Controlo engineering. https://library.ultracontrolo.com/answers/are-oil-free-vacuum-pumps-available-for-hospitals/