Hello😊 We tried this as per Harvest Right’s fix for us after we had just purchased and experienced this. It worked a couple of times and then we were back to major fog.. How have we successfully fixed it for the last 6 months with absolutely no trouble?? JBWeld in the hole, not the paper…Seriously, after we talked with the company they said the hole in the future would be not there, they (the pump company) planned to modify the plastic and not have it there, so my husband put the JB Weld in there, we washed all the parts and put it all back together and we have had no trouble. Hope this helps more people 😊 Blessings!

@johnhenryholiday4964

2 жыл бұрын

I had to look at your screen name a couple of times... I love it... Blessings to you as well sister... Doc

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I would love to here you r results in the future. I am a little leery to completely seal it but it's good to know.

@Yeshuasavedmichelle

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. Will keep you updated😊 It has been six months so far and no issues😊

@shophacks

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. all of the pumps coming from Harvestright now have the check valve hole completely sealed. Double check with them to be sure but it came from the factory completely sealed on a unit a friend who bought about 3 months ago. They made this change shortly after I posted my laser particle count test data in one of the Facebook groups. I can't remember if it was your group or a different one.

@johnjj2637

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple.My gen 2 pump came with that hole filled with epoxy. Unfortunately the glue seeped down to the threads around where you take the inner piece out. I had to torque it so hard, I broke a small piece off when I tried to take it apart. HR sent me a replacement demister and it was also inadvertently glued together too. Both work, but I damaged the second unit slightly too. On another note HR suggested that I fill the oil slightly above the center lime for better efficiency. From what I have observed, I think they are correct. Thank you for your videos.

Thank You for the information!! When my pump started fogging I knew I would find the answer as to why on your KZread channel 💜💜💜

Thank you for making this video

"Common problem" should be the tag line for Harvest Right. So many issues fit into that category.

What effect does plugging the hole have on the pump operation? Does plugging the hole stop the water vapor from escaping and keeps moisture in the oil.

Love you videos. They have helped me so much!

@live.life.simple.

11 ай бұрын

Happy to help!

Great fix I want a premier pump! I'm such with the original original and have figured out how to fix it to!

@derekzimmerman988

2 жыл бұрын

They don't sell that version premier pump anymore. They sell a 1/2 hp version that isn't the same.

When I first got mine, it fogged up everything single time. Finally I just asked it I could order a new "demister" since I had done all the maintenance and still had fog. I got a new one (demister only) and haven't had a problem since. I think my first one was faulty.

Good information, but maintenance isn’t really my thing, so I wish you had shown cleaning and reassembling it, also. For those of us who are on our own and NOT handy! Hahahahaha!! Thank you for your patience!

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Here is another video that will give you some additional info

@collene21

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. do you have a link?

@Motherheckin

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. video?

@gtc1961

Жыл бұрын

@@collene21 kzread.info/dash/bejne/h2aVx7SNfcvckcY.html

@angelamarie79

4 ай бұрын

video wasn't linked :)@@live.life.simple.

We called Harvest Right recently and they recommended this! It worked great and we no longer have the fog problem!

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

👍

@mrjoshua2791

Жыл бұрын

Do you leave the paper towel plugged in the hole when reassembling or is that just temporary to keep things from falling out while disassembling.😮

great info, though 2 of the steps are already in the manual that comes with the pump. What is that wad of paper suppose to do again? does it do something else the filter is not doing already?

I guess I'll take a shot where do I get oil filter replacements for the cheap regular pump

Thank you SO much for sharing your expertise! My question: I can't get my oil cap off. I've had it off before, obviously, to put the oil in. But now it seems to be stuck--will reverse for a bit, but then tightens again. I'm wondering if it's cross-threaded, but it went on smoothly last time I had it off. Have you ever had this happen? I'm afraid I'm going to break something if I really torque on it, but I'd like to add more oil since mine dropped slightly below half with my first batch. Thank you for any suggestions that you might have!

Brian thanks for the video I had the same problem with my standard prompt before I changed it and bought a new one. However I want to repair the old one and use it as a backup. Can you please either post a comment or another video on how to clean the standard pump demeister. Thanks for all your videos.

@irishprepper7199

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/inmrutdycbqxZpM.html

We need a K&N version of this filter!

@waynechien-vovietchongmy9724

2 жыл бұрын

K&Ns are garbage. They destroy MAF sensors w thier fucking oil Just saying 🤔😉

Great information but do you fully submerse the filter to clean it?

HR now uses green loctite on the threads where the innermost element threads in to the middle cover. The fiber filter element may not be serviceable. I barely got mine apart. The check ball is now plastic.

Batches can be ruined because of the mist in the air if you open the valve it gets sucked right in the chamber. I made a sound proof cooling box that exhausts the mist and heat. It keeps the pump 10f cooler you can't hear it or smell it. Thanks for the heads up on the water separator/filter. I have a DSZH WK-8BM Intelligent vacuum pump, so not sure if my filter comes apart.

Glad to hear this so I'm not surprised. I just picked up my medium freeze dryer an hour ago. Have one issue though, my pump doesn't plug into the back of the freeze dryer. I'm curious if I received a pump for a large size? Has anyone else seen or heard of this?

@matt56849

2 жыл бұрын

There should be a standard receptacle on the back of your FD. The pump is the same for a medium or the large. The female plug with male pins is for your power cable from a wall outlet to your FD to supply power.

@jasonderks890

2 жыл бұрын

@@matt56849. Thank you. It turned out it was sent with the wrong pump it had a European style plug instead of just a 110. Glad it was just the pump and not the freeze dryer. Not sure how it happened but I'm good now. The store I purchased from had a pump in the box yet from the display model so they swapped me so I'm up and running.

Thanks the video in the manual has you just unscrewing by hand. Mine is more like yours but on really bad so I thought I was going to break it.

Do you know if Harvest Right sells the part with the white filter around it, mine is really gross and probably just needs replaced.

Thank you but why did you put a tiny dab of cotton in where the ball bearing goes? Thanks

What about the ball you removed? Do you put it back in after cleaning? Thank you.

Have not had a fog as yet, After a very long run have been getting a sucking gurgle sound , found the demister was quite saturated . Waiting for it to dry after cleaning . would you recomend changing the oil at this time? it is still clear >

HR doesn't sell that version premier pump anymore. The one in this video is the 3/4 hp pump. The premier pump they sell now is only 1/2 hp and is totally different. Im hoping my 1/2 hp premier pump will hold up as well as your 3/4 hp has. Only time will tell.

So you leave the paper in the hole and don't put the ball bearing back in when you put it back together?

I keep getting moisture in the hose that connects the pump and the vacuum chamber. It also fogs up the oil site glass after every cycle. How do I fix this?

Does this prob happen with the new premier pump??? Doesn’t seem like paper towel will last very long

I wonder if an automotive oil catchcan setup would condense the oil fog and collect it.

Do i soak the white and silver filter piece im scared to do that?

Would prefer to see more comparison videos and make your money back videos. Those are the most interesting.

I am trying to do this for the first time and my upper rubber housing is stuck and doesn’t come off when I squeeze the thumb points. Any tips?

Is it possible that burnt oil, or oil mist could be gassing into the air when it's running?

First time ever. Seeing a whole bunch of tiny bubbles moving around! In my premier pump.

Are there any deals for people who bought a Harvest Right in the last year before they were including the premier pump as part of the package? Will they send me one??

You should use an air quality meter to see how much or how little good you are doing. Even with no visible fog the air quality easily goes into the very unhealthy range. Replacing the ball with a paper towel reduces the dangerous particle emissions by about 90% but still allows the particle concentration to go into the dangerous range. Using a high flow air filtration system the air in the room my freeze dryer is in remains in the dangerous category. The rest of the house air remains in the poor category. Before I plugged the hole and started running an air filtration system the whole house air quality remained in the dangerous category. Invest in an air quality meter. You will be glad you did.

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I am curious what is in the dangerous air that makes it dangerous?

@shophacks

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. I used a laser particle counter that measures the concentration of particles in the air that are 0.5 microns or larger. Before sealing the breather check valve the particle concentration in my house would go from about 20,000 particles per cubic foot to around 6,500,000. I.E. over a 300x increase. After sealing the breather check valve the concentration went down to around 200,000 (10x higher than normal). Adding an air filtration system or running my furnace blower continuously with a high quality filter helped even more. To be fair, my laser particle counter doesn't have a way to distinguish how toxic the particles are. It can only measure concentration. The concentration lables it lists are probably related to dust. Since the relative humidity of my house doesn't go up when I operate the vacuum pump the 300x increase in particle concentration must be from the vaporized pump oil. I don't know how unhealthy it is to breathe vaporized pump oil 24/7 but the pump oil bottle includes the warning, "harmful or fatal if swallowed". If it's unsafe to drink it I think it's reasonable to assume it's unsafe to breathe it in a nebulizer form. You could probably make a lot of money selling a product that condenses and filters the oil vapor before it escapes. It's easy to prove there's a safety issue and it would be easy to prove you solved it.

@shophacks

2 жыл бұрын

@@MochaZilla the laser particle counter I use is probably overkill for this. I suggest searching air quality meters on Amazon and reading reviews. The products in this area are evolving so quickly that anything someone recommends will be outdated in six months. The last time I looked you could find a decent system for about $150. The system doesn't have to be super accurate. Just compare readings with outside air and before and after any modifications you make. That will give you a good indication of whether or not your changes are helping or not. A couple things to keep in mind... Water vapor is made of water particles so if the humidity is high a particle counter will read high. Cooking almost always produces smoke so particle counts typically go high during and after cooking so don't do comparison readings with high humidity or after cooking.

@yesreally7438

2 жыл бұрын

​@@live.life.simple. We just started using our FD this week and had the white smoke, thus watching this vid (thanks, btw!). I called HR asking them exactly what the oil type is / if it's safe to breathe the vapor (since we're in TX and need to keep it indoors), and they said their oil is food-grade mineral oil. Didn't answer the question squarely per se but by implication it sounds safe, I may go down the rabbit hole deeper later esp if the smoke persists

@robg8720

Жыл бұрын

@@yesreally7438 I’m not certified in any way, however, it is not healthy to be breathing in >ANY< oil vapour/mist. Industry guidelines state anything above 5 mg/m^3 is hazardous pertaining to mineral oil. If enough of this gets into your lungs, it could interfere with gas exchange. In HR’s literature, they advise “the appliance must be operated in a clean and open area that has plenty of airflow”. In the manual for the premiere pump it also advises you to “use in a well ventilated rooms”… “when using an oil pump, vaporization of oil is not expected at ambient temperatures. The oil is not expected to cause inhalation-related disorders under anticipated conditions of use”, and finally, the other cautionary advice in the pump manual is to “not sleep in a room or other location where the freeze dryer and vacuum pump are being used”.

Had same issue after 1 year. It is not water vapor thought, it’s oil. Next to the pump everything has a layer of oil “water vapor”. This is a cheaper designed filter and seems like should have a recall or recommend being able to change the actual filter out.

Our premier pumps little window sucked in on itself 2 days ago. Oil everywhere. We kept it clean etc. We have no idea why this happened. Ours smelled of chemical etc also. Anybody have this prob? We have used it alot and kept everything up to par. Frustrated in Wyoming

👍👍👍👍👍

question can you use vacume seler bags "clear" to store freezedried foods?

@jesuschristismylordandsavi6108

2 жыл бұрын

Yes you can but in my experience, the seal only last up to about 2 years. Mylar will last much much longer. Most of my clear bags, I use for freezing produce.

Question: Do you repeat this process over time ( Change out the paper towel ) and clean it?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Yes if it gets saturated or wet. See above comment talking about plugging it completely

Very confused as to what you were doing with the ball bearing paper towel replacement. Could you please explain?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

you can remove the ball and replace with a paper towel or other material that will plug the small hole in the pocket that it fits into. You can then put the retainer clip back in

Approximately how often would you recommend the cleaning of the demister, perhaps once a month? I found I only got the fog after a month. Also I setup a cheap $40 paper filter electric air cleaner next to the premier pump. Then I plugged air cleaner and premier pump into a power bar, then back of harvest right. So the air cleaner turns on with the pump, and I think it keeps the pump running cooler, also its a backup way to remove any oil mist.

@matt56849

2 жыл бұрын

The biggest thing I found with my Gen 1 premier was to keep the oil just, about 1/16" to 1/8" below middle. Once I had that set, I just weighed the oil drained and put that much oil back into the pump. It has always ended up at the right level, with no fog.

@avibhatt2013

2 жыл бұрын

@@matt56849 thanks!

Do you put the ball back and don't leave the paper in it's place???

Thank you for the video. I was able to get my exhaust thing apart... but mine did not have a pin or ball (stainless or plastic). Are they no longer placing them on these pumps? Or is this a manufacturing oops? purchased mine in May 2024.

@live.life.simple.

19 күн бұрын

This is the first version of the premier. I believe they eliminated them on the newer versions

So you don’t put the ball bearing back in? How often do you change that paper wad?

@waynechien-vovietchongmy9724

2 жыл бұрын

You dont It stops the oil from being....fogged

Just thought I’d share that I’ve been talking to support almost daily at HR for months and according to them this premier pump should be at 3/4 level, not half. I have the 2nd gen, once it’s running it drops a 1/4 level and is usually below the half line once it’s running and I have it filled to 3/4. Not sure which is best just letting you know what they told me. I told them I filled it to half and they said no 3/4

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

They change their mind often, I guess.😁 i appreciate you letting me know

@ThePatriotPirate

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. pretty sure a few months back a different tech told me 1/2 way. I’ve had my first unit like 4 months and still haven’t been able to use it, arrived DOA. Still going through fixes to make it usable.

@davidswenson3620

2 жыл бұрын

Haha, a tech told me my best bet was filling the oil to only the 1/4 line.

@jsigmo

2 жыл бұрын

Well, now I'm completely unsure of how full to keep the oil! Maybe I need to give them a call and get yet another random opinion. ;)

@TrueEdistonian

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for posting this. The book says half. I filled it to half. Once it had been running for several hours I noticed the oil level was about 1/4. I added oil to bring me back to just under half. I don't think you can hurt the pump with more oil. I am, however, very worried about running my brand new pump with too little oil. I'm annoyed that the techs say something contrary to the manual but I'm super grateful for the community of support!

I took the demister off the pump, removed the outer case but can’t budge the filter from the inner case. It’s locked on. I see that you are rotating the filter counter clockwise but I can’t get it to move and I’m fairly strong. Can I use a pair of pliers on the metal threads (with a piece of fabric to protect them) and try to unscrew it that way? I have the premiere Gen 2 pump. Thanks.

@live.life.simple.

Жыл бұрын

Maybe a rubber filter wrench would work best.

So the ball bearing is NOT put back in again after the wad of paper towel...? I'm assuming the paper towel needs changed each time the oil is changed....?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

You can discard the ball and fill it with all types of things. It doesn't have to be a paper towel

The seven CFM ones that I look for for months online and just gave up looking for where do I find replacements for them can you please help me

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

NAVAC manufactured them for HR. They might be able to help

One year later: still having issues with fog. Does anyone know the specs on hole where the filter threads into the pump? I put a thread gauge on it and it appears to be 18 threads per inch. And the inside diameter in the pump appears to be 1-1/8". I took the filter to the local DIY store (they're pretty smart) and they said they don't have anything that would fit. What I want to do is stop messing around, and build an adapter that goes from the pump to a garden hose and vent it to outside of my house. I'm tired of the garage fogging up and I am concerned that oil vapor is ending up on my food.

So you are replacing the ball bearing with cotton swab ?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

or some type of material that will plug the pinhole in that chamber.

Why does replacing the ball with the paper towel help? Also, why did you put the paper towel in before you washed everything? Wouldn't you want to do that last?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I showed the paper towel during the disassembly because it was relevant to what was happening. and yes, you would want to put it in after washing

what cart do you use for holding your freeze dryer.?

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I use one from Harbor Freight

There's a large o ring in the groove on the bottom of the Dempster. Mine fell out and I can't get it to stay back in. Any ideas?

@barbaramandy8708

2 жыл бұрын

Mine too. I'm having all sorts of vacuum issues

@kevinrowbotham545

Жыл бұрын

A light coat of mineral oil on the o-ring should help keep it in place until the demister is reinstalled.

My pump did not come with a ball bearing in the de-mister. It is filled solid with some type of resin. It is the second generation pump.

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe. I think HR was planning on filling that spot in future models. Maybe they already have?

I have a question. Some say use a fan on your pump because it gets so hot while others say don't use a fan. Please tell me your thoughts on this issue. Thank you.

@live.life.simple.

Жыл бұрын

If you live in a very hot climate or your freeze drying area is not well ventilated, I would go with a fan.

Are you suggesting that we clean the demister filter with soapy water? Just want to get this straight before we do it.

No pin or ball on my machine? Just purchased and used three time , now we have water/ smoke.

@live.life.simple.

Жыл бұрын

Maybe they have tweaked that on the newer models

So, I'm confused. I saw you take out the ball bearing and insert tissue, but never noticed you put the bearing back. Do we leave in the tissue?

Mine has no ball or pin, it is new. What do I do then?

@live.life.simple.

Жыл бұрын

It was probably eliminated

Hey Brian, I got to thinking how, when you drop your cell phone in water, the common remedy is to put it in rice to draw the moisture off. I dont have the resources to experiment, but i wonder if a person took out the battery, would the freeze dryer remove the water? I know, sounds nuts but...?

@ddhrsa

2 жыл бұрын

Low temp would probably ruin the electronics

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I did a video on it a few weeks back

My pump fogged bad at first but stopped after 10-15 batches.

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Cool. I wouldn't mess with it unless it starts fogging again

My pump works well and no fog, but recently started a heavy oil smell, like when I change the oil on my car and the garage smells of that oil. Changed the oil, cleaned the demister but smell still continues. Now even worse since I have a dedicated room in the basement for my freeze drier. Any one had a similar issue.????

@TerryFrenchy

Жыл бұрын

-> some drops of oil during oil change fell on the case of the pump and are slowly burning when the pump is hot.

The mesh filter on the inside of the demister is pretty oily. I washed it as well as I could, but is it OK that there is oil on it?

If HR is now including the Premier pump with all freeze dryers, does that mean they’ve increased the price for the freeze dryers?

@matt56849

2 жыл бұрын

If you catch the sales, which seem to be always but some are better than others, it can be a little less than the cost of adding a premier pump to a standard freeze dryer order.

@erindud8106

2 жыл бұрын

North 40 I've found to have the best price.

I went with the oil_LESS pump and have not yet hooked it up. I've read several reviews that the oil pump can leak into the food causing a bad taste. This concerns me because even if you don't taste it, if it's possible this can happen, that means your food is toxic and you won't even know it.. This is the reason I went with the oil-less pump but now I'm reading tons of reviews of the oil less pump that cost me over $1,000 has breakdown issues constantly. I'm really disappointed with all of these things I now know and I still haven't even started my first batch.

@yesreally7438

2 жыл бұрын

I called HR asking them exactly what the oil type is, and they said their oil is food-grade mineral oil

@jaserand6001

Жыл бұрын

We had the oil_less pump the first round. A lot more noise and lasted about 2 years. To rebuild it, it costs over 350 dollars. So, we went the oil based pump this time. Much more quiet.

Is it vapor or smoke? Or both?

@rivforest2395

Жыл бұрын

That’s my question too. Just water vapor is safe, but anything else may not be.

What did you mean by gen 2 oil level half way up the circle? The top circle? Sorry lol

@live.life.simple.

Жыл бұрын

The sight glass on a gen 2 is circular

So you put paper in that white part with the cotter pin and then said to wash all of those parts and dry well….so the paper will be wet so I don’t understand that part at all. Just using my FD for the second time (1st was bread run) and now it’s fogging with a load of zucchini in. 🙄

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

Put paper in after

With respect--DO NOT put paper towel or any paper into that hole. I did this, and later, it was gone...must have partially dissolved and went into the pump. To be clear, the paper I put in was not loose or anything like that, it was a snug fit. No idea how this is going to affect my pump in the long run. If you have to plug it--there are other people saying to use JB weld or similar to plug it. But my suggestion is to NOT use any paper products, as they can break down and fall into the pump.

I just close the vacuum pump turn knob thingy. No more fog.

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I would recommend that. I am assuming the "thingy" you are referring to is the ballast. It will damage your pump over time. It will also require you to change the oil much more frequent

@lindapeterson3483

2 жыл бұрын

@@live.life.simple. Did you mean to say you would NOT recommend it?

@derekzimmerman988

2 жыл бұрын

Brian meant "He WOULDNT recommend doing that". Typo

Nice video except you forgot to let the operator know that removal of the inner filter oil/water separator portion by using a common screwdriver is somewhat more of a chore than you have indicated. You must have found a solution prior to the video. I have NEVER seen one come apart as easily as the one you used for demonstration. Obviously, you had removed it prior to the demonstration. Actually its almost impossible without damaging the plastic filter top where the philips screw must be re-inserted. If you are going to make a useful service video please indicate the obstacles and maybe the solution you used. To date, I have not found a non damaging solution to this issue and decided to leave it in place. I have, however, found a secondary solution to the demister outer material/filter contamination. Replace the demister canister.

To inform everyone if you buy a home freeze dryer through home-depot or tractor supply they do not offer the premier pump. When he says any home freeze dryer he means through harvest right

@jsigmo

2 жыл бұрын

This might be a case of old stock working its way through the system, but I just bought a medium HR freeze dryer from Tractor Supply, and it came with the premier pump. So maybe the old kits have gotten flushed out of the system (at least where I live).

@laurawhite5013

9 ай бұрын

I bought my harvest right through tractor supply, and I received a premier pump

The common theme with Harvest Right machine is plagued with problems lots of problems. I wish I knew before getting this expensive paper weight.

@alfonse5043

Жыл бұрын

I will buy your machine for $500

@greengateacreshomestead4324

Жыл бұрын

@@alfonse5043 I used it for target practice.

@shophacks

Жыл бұрын

I have over 3000 hours on my medium with zero issues so far. That doesn't mean there are no issues with other machines but mine has been great.

@alexgrau5495

Ай бұрын

@@shophacks what about the oil misting? Im concerned it being in my bedroom where i sleep

How can you promote a company with the worst customer service!! I’m so disappointed in them these things are not cheap!!

@live.life.simple.

2 жыл бұрын

I promote things I have had success with. I have not had bad experiences with them, therefore, it's easy for me to promote them.

@rce2553

2 жыл бұрын

I just used their customer service last week, they are located in the USA , so it was easy to call and talk with them. They helped me greatly with my freeze dryer machine and I didn’t even purchase it directly from them, I actually bought mine from Tractor Supply. In my experience so far the quality of the machine and the customer service is A+. Further more with what’s going on in the world right now, I’m happy to own a freeze dryer.

👍👍👍👍👍