Harvest Right Seal Vacuum Check
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Check the seal on our Harvest Right freeze dryer. How to check for a vacuum leak of the seal/chamber. This is just the first step in checking for the most common vacuum issues. Not meant to be a complete list of things to check.
Freeze dried food will stay fresh for many years and be ready and waiting when you need it.
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We have the medium freeze dryer with the original vacuum pump.
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Amazon affiliate links to some of the things we have been using; it helps us and costs you nothing.
• Powder-Free Nitrile Gloves amzn.to/3FQmBIk
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• Teflon Tape for Impulse Sealers amzn.to/3pt2nMd
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We are participants in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We have been getting our Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for PackFreshUSA.com and have been happy with the products and service we have received from them. --They are not a sponsor, we just like their stuff.
Mylar bags: packfreshusa.c...
I got question you might be able to answer (or another fellow follower). If oxygen absorbers can keep food in mylar bags good for 25 years, why does oxygen absorbers stored in mason jars or other type containers only say they will last 1 year of storage
I wish I had thought to ask that!
That is an awesome question that I can't answer, but I hope someone from the industry can/will. I can only assume, that they assume, that we (the user/consumer) will suck at storing them correctly, so they won't stand behind them longer. (could be true for some of us)
I can tell you that I have taken used oxygen absorbers out of food bags after 4 years and tested them, and they were still going strong; pretty much as good as the day I put them in the bag.
Isn't it assumed that once the oxygen is absorbed that the sealed package becomes inert/no more oxygen?
I'm very glad I found your channel
Great video - I have gone through this journey a number of times. Mine was working recently - but not every run. So, we starting doing a check on the pressure points. Where the hose comes out of the back is a connection. My unit is very old. It was loose. No cost just take apart clean and reseal. It made a difference. I now do have to get a new vacuum sensor which I have and am waiting for a technician to come and put it in for me. It is making the pressure to freeze dry, but not showing a correct reading. I have the other 2 parts that it might be and will be happy to have them installed.
Great video … thought this was my issue along the darn door seal .. I’ve shimmed ( using very small flat head screw drive) my door latch a bit to pull door tighter against older door seal until I get new rubber ring seal
👍👍👍👍👍
Great video, thank you. I'm new to the FD world. Am on my second run with my HR. So far so good.
What is that you have around your seal? It looks like bubble wrap???
Also, asking here to hopefully get a response (I've called and emailed HR with no answer, and no response. They must be very busy.). Is it necessary to let the FD defrost between runs? Or may I unload, and immediately load another batch?
Love your videos. Thank you for taking the time to produce and post them!
Thanks for checking out our videos!
It is a kind of bubble wrap around the door seal. czcams.com/video/LA1sHVUqKts/video.html
Yes, the freeze dryer should be defrosted between batches. (we don't use the defrost cycle of the machine; we use a fan) czcams.com/video/dSfIWkwC-e4/video.html
The only time I don't defrost (I don't always wait until it's dry) is when I'm doing consecutive batches of something with VERY little water, like marshmallows. czcams.com/video/QId-riyzji0/video.html
Does the vacuum sensor ever need to be replaced?
I'm sure it does happen, because the Harvest Right customer support pages shows how to replace it, but I think it must be rare.
@@SchoolReports LOL Using it a lot and being older it does need some things done.
@@SchoolReports Thank you I didn't know about these pages!!
I figured out that the seam on the chamber is not smooth and that is what is breaking the seal. How can I fix that issue?
I did Hone/file the front of my barrel to remove imperfections and sharp edges so it wouldn't cut the seal, but I do have the older machine and the barrel thickness was much thicker on it in comparison to the new ones. I think one or more of these would still be appropriate on the new machines.
Sanding/Honing the front edge of the barrel
Aquarium grade silicone
JB Weld
Nylog Blue
High vacuum grease
Check out EpicenterBryan's video about Vacuum leak detection on a Harvest Right - Using Helium - With Brian from Leybold. czcams.com/video/zWgrC-Yb87o/video.html
I wish this video had been out when I did mine; I was sweating it the whole time I was sanding/honing that I might screw up the barrel with what I was doing.
I thought that the computer would compensate for any small vacuum leak as the unit never goes under full vacuum, there must be some sort of bypass to maintain a steady low pressure if not you would end up with a full vacuum of 29inhg
These types of vacuum pumps do not have the capability of pulling a full vacuum, no matter how long they run. The best they can achieve is in the 50 millitor range.
Just curious...how did you pull a vacuum in the chamber with the pump disconnected? Thank you
I realize that it's not a great (low) vacuum by only lowering the pressure by only 1 or 2 psi, but that's the best I could do by mouth, and it's enough to show gross leaks. I could use an adapter to connect the vacuum pump to the drain tube If I felt it was needed. czcams.com/video/_eS0TXqa-iU/video.html
@@SchoolReports Thank you, sir for getting back to me. I brand new at this and have already had to scour troubleshooting videos. I've passed the vacuum test twice down to 500 mtorr but failed the bread run twice. I noticed (I think) when you shut the door initially it doesn't show a black ring (seal) all the way around the door. Is that normal? Mine doesn't. Fades out in a couple different spots. Could it be that during the bread run those small areas are allowing warm air to hit cold air between the door and the gasket, forming moisture, then ice and ultimately a vacuum leak. I keep getting an inadequate vacuum message during the bread runs and this after many hours of run time. I don't know what an adequate vacuum is anyhow. It somehow passes the initial vacuum test.
@@awac4577 Vacuum leak or sensor issue.
When my seal doesn't have a ring all the way around, I make sure it does by using a pallet knife to push it into place; I show this often in my recent videos. No seal , no start!
It would be frustrating that it gets down to 500 mtorr during the vacuum test but doesn't complete the bread freeze drying. I've only had mine fail with the dreaded inadequate vacuum message twice in 550 batches. With mine, both times, it started out fine but wouldn't stay low. It turned out to be a single piece of lint (or a hair?) across the seal, so small I almost missed it when I went looking for the leak. I haven't had time to make a comprehensive vacuum leak video yet.
I had heard that Phil at 4800 feet has a worthwhile video about finding vacuum leaks. I took a quick look at part of it, looks promising. You might give it a look to see if it would help you. czcams.com/video/zHTy0hzCYTc/video.html (Please tell him I sent you😄)
@@SchoolReports I have (what I hope) is a good idea 🤔💡🙏. Why not try a 3/8" hose barb with dual internal check valves, primer ball. Normally used in the maritime environment for fuel. But it doesn't need to "touch" the food and it's made of high grade plastics (I'm sure more specialized for fuel use) however it could be crudely sanitized...? I wonder 🤔
West Maine Model # 19682301 Mfg # C14784WM
@@meganwinters5163 You could, but a primer bulb is going to pull very little vacuum. But, you made me think about the goal of isolating the vacuum chamber from the pump; I think I'll add a valve between the chamber and the vacuum hose. I could then run the vacuum pump to evacuate the chamber and then close the valve and turn off the pump to see if it holds a vacuum.
What if you forgot to close drain valve and now it won’t achieve a seal? I’ve contacted HR. But I’ve been warned I will need to pay for them to tell me what’s wrong and then pay again for them to tell me how to fix it
Again;
Let's see if we can figure this out. (It might not be good)
Which did you forget to close? The drain valve of the vacuum pump or the water drain valve from the chamber? I assume that you mean the vacuum pump.
If the vacuum pump was running without oil, for even a few minutes, I'd be surprised if it's not toast. It uses the oil to seal the pump parts in order to create the vacuum and also to lubricate and keep it cool.
Is yours a pump like the one I use in my current videos or an older one like in this video? czcams.com/video/yLqCCQwfDb0/video.html Or an even newer pump?