Pumping newbie - is extreme pressure at 3Hg normal?

A quick quality control test is to count the number of pumps it takes you to get to 3inHg or 5, or whichever your target is. To get to 3inHg vacuum should literally be only 3 or 4 pumps, no more, if you have a good seal and everything is working properly.

I just pumped for my first time also this week, also with lube my penis felt like it was going to explode after just 25 seconds at 3hg .

It looked great and it oddly felt good, but at the same time it made me nervous and almost turned purple? Was it to much vacuum or does it always change colors ?

I’m using a replica of the Harbor & Freight Brake Bleeder pump, which shows both inches and mm. I’m basically finding it hard to get past 3 inHg (or ~ 75 mmHg) pressure.

I think I’m going to order a larger pump since I’m doing this mainly for EG gains.

Don’t worry about getting to some specific pressure that others use. The gauge is recommended so you can repeat “your” individual results.

Could you clarify your comment that you find it hard to get past 3inHg?
1) the pump is not creating suction enough to exceed 3inHg (mechanical issue)?
2) the tube and pump do not hold vacuum of more than 3inHg (a seal or connection issue)?
3) the vacuum pressure is too intense/painful beyond 3inHg (a safety issue)?
4) or something else?

Mostly #3. It’s pretty intense around 2.5inHg and I’m scared to go past 3Hg for any longer than a minute.

After discussing here and looking through some other threads, I think the issue is that my glans max out the tube around a bit over 3, which if I understand it correctly means that all of the vacuum pressure at that point gets put on the glans. I have no idea how I’m getting .75” expansion of the glans with such little pressure— it makes me wonder if there’s a physical issue like a venous leak happening that even minor pressure fixes. It is what it is I guess?

I just ordered a 2” cylinder so that I can target mid-shaft more easily. Hopefully it isn’t too big!! I’m ~4.625” midshaft but a little over 5” at the base so hopefully that is enough to seal easily.

Assuming you’re not using a sun tea jar.

The volume of air within the pump cylinder and tubing plays a role in how long it takes to reach a particular vacuum pressure.

The more unoccupied space in the system, the longer it takes to reach a particular vacuum pressure.

Filling the tube with water eliminates the time issue mostly, but it’s really easy to get water sucked into your hand pump or electric pump without an inline water reservoir which contributes to the amount of air in the system.

You can always calculate the pressure manually to verify a pump is accurate.

I think you can just attach the hand pump to a plastic tube draped from some height into a bucket of water, then measure the difference between the level of the water in the bucket and the height you pumped it to in inches, then divide by 13.6 to get the measurement in inHg. If the inHg from the gauge matches, the gauge is accurate. I’m not 100% this method would work, any physicists know if this is accurate?

Possible newbie question, but are we supposed to pump as parallel to the floor as possible? The first few times I’d normally be slouching back in my chair, so I end up pumping at a 45 degree or greater angle to the floor. I found that more parallel makes this NOTICEABLY easier (although I still can’t get to 5Hg). I’m pretty ignorant about the physics at play here, but it seems reasonable that gravity could play a role in the final pressure?

For static pumping, I don’t think the angle matters for gains as long as it’s sealed, comfortable, and not cutting off blood circulation.

Gravity shouldn’t play a significant role when dealing with air pressures in a closed system that isn’t incredible large vertically.

Gravity can pull on the cylinder, but it shouldn’t affect the pressure inside the tube in a static system assuming the pressure is maintained by an electric pump. If you are using a hand pump, pulling on the cylinder through gravity or by hand will cause an increase in the vacuum pressure difference: with an air system that increase isn’t going to be substantial, in a water system it can be very significant since the water does not expand (without turning into water vapor first anyway).

I agree with Sigmoid’s points. I primarily pump while lying or reclining in bed, prop up the cylinder with a pillow. I have occasionally pumped while sitting in a chair or stool, just need to be more cautious with the cylinder.

In any case I have found that a longer hose, say 18”, makes the process much easier.

You can buy some cheap aquarium tubing connectors online for a couple cents and connect pieces of aquarium tubing or buy a really long piece of tubing. I made sure my tubing can reach across the room so I can still carry on with whatever tasks I need to do in the room without disconnecting. With dynamic electrical pumps this will reduce the vacuum pressure a little if its functions are based on simply timed sequences of turning the pump on and off, rather than turning the pump on and off based on the measured pressure and time.

I’m just starting experimenting with dynamic systems. If a dynamic pump functions on a timer without pressure measurements playing a factor, there are still ways to modulate it using a second static pump connected to the system and connectors that allow you to control the airflow.

Dude 3 hg is something to you now, I have gotten to the highest of 25 Hg for 1 minute. You will get used to the hg once you get adapted to pumping. Take your time and go slow and pick a schedule and stick to it, the more your in the tube and duration of session=the faster and more you’ll grow.

Yeah, not gonna do that haha. I think if I ever get to 5 Hg I will start going for longer sessions rather than more intense pressure. This is already much more intense than the manual exercises I’ve been doing up until this point and I’m terrified of the possible injuries with this thing. I also have overdone manual exercises in the past, so I’m trying to learn from my mistakes there.

On that note, I got the 2” cylinder, and while I struggle to find a seal with it (seems like I have to pump a lot more to get there), once I do I notice that I can go a little higher, maybe 3.5-4 Hg. I might even be able to hit 5 Hg already with it, but I’m still in the experimental phase with just over a week of pumping, so I’m taking it slow and getting used to the feeling. It feels WAY different from the 1.75”. I wish this point was emphasized a bit more on these threads!

I guess an ideal cylinder for me right now would be a 1.75” with expanded room for the glans. The seal thing with the 2” is rough. What a pickle!

Here is my rule of thumb.

If you pack the cylinder within 2 mins at a low pressure (2 or 3) then you need to move up in cylinder dia. I would say you want a cylinder the is at least 1/2 to 5/8s all around that way you have room to grow. Pain. There should be no pain at all. Pain = bad. 25 years ago I started at 3 to 4 now I start at 10 and finish at 15 for 20 min. At first start as low as you can without pain. After a while your body will change and you can use more pressure.