Reliable Prepper - Technician775
Reliable Prepper - Technician775
Covering a wide array of topics from Long Term Food Storage, Beekeeping, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, to whatever you would like to see. We are located in south Louisiana and have good weather pretty much year round. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to voice your opinions, concerns, corrections or comments. Remember, their is NO dumb question, only the ones we have not answered yet. We were born with the ability to learn, not the knowledge.
Thank you for taking time to watch our videos. We hope you have picked up a tip or two or shared something with us as well.
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You still alive and kicking? I had a question....
hiya...yep...still here!
Our machine is not giving frost rings or freezing and can not find videos to help us diagnose this issue. Is there any advice that you have as to what we can do to track down our problem and fix the issue?
hi...I can try, open the door and go to function test, turn on cooling or freezer, door open, let it run for about 30 minutes then check the freeze rings, also, when the unit comes on the freeze test, listen for the fan running, if you are not sure, get a flashlight and look to see if you can see it, also, check with a flashlight the front of the condenser, ensure there is nothing blocking it like dust, dirt, etc, sounds silly, but it moves a lot of air and it does pick up a lot of hair, dust etc, check the freezevring, should be at least half to full freeze line. also listen for the compressor to come on....let me know the results, ty!
how old and how much use, hours etc, is it in a hot room??
It is in a cold room (our basement) About 68 to 71 degrees. I did what you said. There are no frost rings. Even the copper lines aren't getting cold.
We have had it for a year and 12 days, So harvest right said we were out of warranty.
@@danielpittman2188...ok, check and see if the compressor is coming on and staying on also see if the fan is running.......let me know....
Great video
TY!!!!!!
What is the name of that tape and where can I find it?
Hi...look on the video, they have a picture of it and you can buy it online and any home improvement store, ty!!!...I don't have the wrapper anymore....
Ultra possessed are not real honey and I would call them fake honey not from the bees.
ultra processed honey is not good....
Not getting an error, the pressure is just not dropping below 500, so all long batches are being ruined.
are you getting a vacuum error on regular freeze drying ...or even the candy mode???
@@stevenducote7466 No sir.
@@stevenducote7466 We did a batch of ice cream yesterday, $50 worth, the temp didn't really go above 22 F during the drying cycle, then when final dry kicked in, the ice cream melted then boiled. What a mess.
sounds like you have a faulty relay board, that would be my guess....if you do not get a vacuum error, vacuum is just fine...but from what you told me..I would check the relay board.....easy fix though...
@@stevenducote7466 Thanks. I just replaced the relay board. Will try your sealing tips in this video. Great video by the way. God bless.
A few things I'm glad to know! Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks, have everything ordered. Will be working on it as soon as the supplies arrive. My error said not vacuuming …but also said In a later message that the sensor may be bad. Trying this first.
good luck with everything!...let me know if you have questions...
I had a leak problem in my H/V frz dryer that i could not find ,then i saw your video and used your method .Viola !! it solved the leak !THANKS so much !!!
great!!!!....you are welcome!... now for some freeze dryin!
Excellent video. Wish I found you months ago. I am trying everything you suggested using the same product suggested. Running my FD now for 24 hours and see what happens! Thanks sooooo much
Good luck...let me know if you have questions! and you are welcome!
@@stevenducote7466 So I ran it for 24 hours and the lowest Mtorr was 1018 so there is still something going on. It should get down to 500 with no problem. The tech from HR is supposed to call me today. thanks again
Awesome Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
I know what you mean. Too bad that the pump manufacturers have to be so secretive about their lubricant design criteria. Are you using parafenic mineral oils or synthetics? Do you have any idea what viscosity oil the Premier pumps need? The most common are #32, #46 and #68, (Dairyland and Cloverleaf available at TSC) are #68 parafinic mineral oils, identical except for the name and have absolutely no detergents, as many folks believe. I think almost all of the common brands are nearly the same oil except for added dyes and intended viscosity. Sadly the pump people want you as a captive oil customer customer, so they claim that their oil is especially designed for their respective pumps. Frustrating! Dan
wow!...you know your lubricants, I just buy the stuff from Amazon by the case.......easy for us....thanks for the lesson!!!!
Steve, which pumps are you using? I was just about to retire our standard pump and purchase a Premier XL from Harvest Right or maybe Navac 12-CFM, but I'm researching any and all pump option. Any suggestions?
Dan, we use the premiere pump, I have tried them all and settled on the premiere. in my opinion, the big oil less are a waste of money...I had about 8 of them and after a time they can be rebuilt only so many times....you have to rebuild the motors as well along with the pump....I like the premiere with regular oil changes using FRESH oil each time, I do not clean and reuse the oil.....it is too cheap and pumps cost too much to take a chance on a few cents worth of oil.....
I'm running the original Harvest Right Standard for now. I've got less than 80 batches on it. I may have to hook up my secret weapon. I happened on a 5.5 CFM Welsch vacuum pump at a local government surplus auction and I'm thinking it will perform better than this old Harvest Right model. Still tinkering with vacuum line filtration and moisture traps!
Absolutely appreciate your prompt response. I just removed all the panels and will star the long clean-up of each and every fitting that could leak any pressure off the chamber. Hopefully this effort will cure my leak and I can get caught up on a couple freezers full of goodies. I'll let you know if I achieve your level of perfection. Have fun, Dan
glad to help.....what type of pump do you have and how old is it??
good luck with all of that!!!!
Hey Fellow Techy Fix-it Guy!!! Please tell me; have you ever needed to remove the seals made with liquid and rubber splicing tape? I'm about ready to perform all your suggested sealing tips but worry a little bit about getting to the harness in the future. Also, do you have a parts list anywhere of the replacement parts you use, especially drain valves and fittings? Thanks for your hard work and willingness to share.
Hiya Dan, nope, never had to remove all the stuff, but....if I would, a good pair of needle nose pliers would do the trick I would think. If you need drain valves, Harvest Right has some nice ones, the vacuum hose is from HR too and orings.....You can use a 3/8 gas valve from any Hardware store, bring the old drain valve with you to match up the ends....last machine we sealed up, held a vacuum for 72 hours....and was still holding, but we needed to use the machine.....good luck and thanks for the nice words. .
I have done every single thing you have mentioned to do in a repair for my freeze dryer. In the past when my freeze dryer was working fine. Then There was an issue where I had to send my freeze dryer in for repair. After it was returned to me I couldn’t keep a vacuum every so often, and I would crank my valve as hard as I could shut, and then it would finish the batch. Little by little, it became more and more frequent that I could not keep vacuum. That’s when I ordered a new valve from Harvest Right, installed it and nothing changed. I couldn’t keep a vacuum. My vacuum pump stayed home while it had repairs. I have changed the valve to a gas valve. I have used the liquid tape and the stretchy tape you recommended and used the that you recommended. Also check the door the tray inside the freeze dryer for adequate space. The only thing I haven’t done is adjust the door and I don’t think it’s necessary because it looks like I have a seal around the ring. Does that make any sense?what would you do if you were me.😢 I have a no oil pump . I will do a full freeze dried bread test. Just in case you’re tired of answering these questions.
When you say seal the heated tray leads, do you mean inside the machine word attaches to the wall or where exactly? I’m really troubleshooting this vacuum that I have. Also, should I be able to pull a vacuum before I put the stretchy tape on? And do I put the stretchy tape on everywhere that I have put liquid tape?
the outside only.....
yes, I usually pull a vacuum before I put the liquid tape on.....let it sit for an hour or two...then put the stretchy tape on......except for the wiring harness...I do not use the stretchy tape there...just the liquid tape....under a vacuum....
Can I check for a good vacuum without putting the stretchy tape on? I’m afraid if I put the stretchy tape on I might have to take it off to do more liquid tape? Or I could just put on more liquid tape and wait and put the stretchy tape on. What would you do? Thank you for your help.
I did what you said to do, I got it down to 500 the first time I did the test. I put everything back together and now I can’t get it down below 700. I am getting so frustrated. I feel like throwing this freeze dryer out the door. Do you have any suggestions on what else it could be? Or what I can do?
wow...I can sense the fustration....ok.....try another bread run....just trying to pull a vacuum might not work....let it go the entire process....check the mtorrs at the end. let me know....we can get it fixed...!!!
Ok, I will do another bread test.
ok...gives a good baseline....write down the temps and the vacuum numbers....
mT went down 130. Temp is at 125.
perfect!!!!!
Do you put the nylog on the O-ring or just on the thread? also, what you’re callingRTV. I have opaque on top of a foam like washer on top of the piece that goes into the breeze drawer. How do you get that stuff off the wires without damaging it? Do I really have to get that hardened opaque glue off the wires?
I put the nylog on the threads and a little on the face that mates with the oring....rtv is a rubbery substance usually surounding the wires where they come out of the plug....i am not sure what you have...my appologies....
I may just have an opaque color of rtv. I’m just getting off as much as I can.
could possibly have...I am not sure...I would clean like you are doing...then ensure it gets a really good coating...
I have a number 10 chuck on my 1502. Should the rollers on the left and right actually be touching the chuck when they come in to do their parts of the sealing? To what degree should they be touching the chuck, if any? Thanks.
hi....the manufacturer has an excellent adjustment guide. it does touch, that is why they tell you to remove one side when adjusting. you can go to WAF Wisconsin aluminium foundry website, look up that model and it will have a maintenance manual with the instructions for adjustment. I hope this helps, if not reach out for more help....no problem.....ty!!!
Do you have a video on how to take the side panels off the back panel and the top panel came off fine but I need a little instruction! I will share your channel for for sure❤ if you have Venmo, I’d be happy to pay you for a little technical support
Hi, thank you for the offer...Harvest Right has videos on how to remove the side panels...they have 2 screws on each side, one lower at the back and one upper in the top front, you will need to remove the power plug panel to access the one on the bottom. I do suggest while you have the panels off, clean the condenser coils with a soft brush. and thank you for the offer again...I am here to help if you need...no charge!
check to see if you have a one piece vacuum connection from the panel to the drum...if so, their is nothing to seal....if you have a fitting like in my video, you will have to seal that, not the brass vacuum hose....
Why didnt the company manufacture it better instead of having customer do this fix
Hi...I cannot answer that.....I have some machines right out of the box that works fantastic....and some that needed help......like in the video, just like anything else.....but I can not answer that question.....thanks for watching!
@@stevenducote7466 I have a 3 month old machine that's already had lcd and electronics board replace, now a water in vacuum pump and 1500 Mtorr probably vacuum leak. Harvest Right wasting my time by "helping me" diagnose the problem. Such a poorly made machine.
Did you say to put tape around the areas you put the liquid seal?
Hi, yes, except for the big plug on top...the big plug on top, remove all the rtv, make a tape dam and ensure a vacuum is pulled on the machine, add the liquid tape until it covers across the top of the plug, leave the vacuum for a couple of hours. .
Can I use the brand Loctite thread locker blue 242? It’s removable works in 10 minutes.
I would NOT, it is a thread locker, not a sealer, not the same....
@@stevenducote7466 👍
@@stevenducote7466 thank you so much. You have been a great help and even though you hadn’t videoed in a long time, it was still very helpful. Thank you. I’m gonna give it all a try and see what happens.
Please provide the links for people to be able to find the cans, kids, and other can sealing items
Go to House of Cans or Berlin Packaging. they have the cams.ty!
I like the use of the liquid tape but I am curious why you don't use the self sealing silicone tape for the overwrap vs the rubber sealing tape. I think silicone tape would be better
hi...that is what I had...it does sound like a good idea though.....ty!!!!!
Hi Steve, We think our hose is leaking from the pump. Its spins like you show in the video. Do you know where to get anotber one? Thanks
Not sure if i answered this one, HR has replacement hoses, about 20.00 or so, I would try a new one, ask for a couple spare o-rings too. TY!
How local is local? If we are trying to get all of the benefits of local honey, how many miles from our home should we be looking for?
generally 50 miles or so...some say 75...but keep it as close as possible....
Do you need an oxygen absorber if you vacuum seal the jars?
Hi....I normally do both....it is cheap insurance...you can not get all the oxygen out with just the vacuum....ty for watching!
I want to thank for for this video. We had tried multiple things to fix our $4000 paperweight with no resolve. There were vacuum leaks that even harvest right was zero help in resolving. We just put only the liquid sealer on all the joints you specified and turned on the pump and after about an hour we have finally reached 450 mtor and slowly going lower. We couldn't get the freeze dryer anywhere close to 500 before we followed your video. You sir are awesome!
Thank you for the kind words!. .glad you got it fixed...sometimes even the best equipment needs some TLC, good luck with your freeze drying ...if you need any help, please feel free to ask! ty for watching!!!
Are they still freshish
we gave them away during an emergency locally...it does keep very well in mason jars, not food saver bags....
Hi it s 2024 Now and ww3 might start this year...ANYWAYS is your knors storage still lasting strong and still able to eat?
well......not sure...we gave most if not all away a few years ago after one of the disasters locally. we are storing a lot of Mountain House foods and we did pack some Zatarains jambalaya and sides....hopefully we will not need it...but I am afraid we might....
I didn't realize putting honey in hot liquids have that effect. I make vinaigrettes using raw honey, does vinegar or lemon (acids) affect the quality of the honey also? I hope not. It's so delicious!
I am not sure...I will do some research and find out!
@@stevenducote7466 thanks
Watched a nutritionalist talk about honey in the cute bear containers in the stores, and most of it is coming from China. It's toxic stuff. Definitely buy local!!
500gr weekly never seen doctor and never been sick at age 64.....
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
Thank you so much your easy to follow video it work perfectly. Took a little while but now I get 180mT. Harvest Right wanted to charge me $40 to talk to a technician.
great!!!!! glad it worked out!!!!ty for watching!
if everything is sealed up...I would look at a new pump...do you know anyone in your area that can lend you a pump to try??.... how is the vacuum hose??...after tightening...can you still turn the hose section??...if so...look at a new hose....the tray rack still has me puzzled....did you remove all the old sealant before applying the liquid tape???
you are welcome, you will need a new demister, I highly suggest getting the new premiere pump...I do not know of any rebuild kits for the pumps except the oil less...and then I do not recommend those either...we rum all premiere pumps here and have tried them all.....HR can sell you a new demister for your pump....ty for watching and the comment!
also...I think HR still has the old style pumps for sale....might ask for a discount....
I'd love to afford the Premier Pump from Harvest RIght, but we just don't use the freeze dryer enough to merit that amount of money. I will absolutely miss not having a ballast gas release on any of the standard arvest Right pumps. Got the Veor in, but need to install a drain valve and a different fitting for the Harvest Right hoses. Any chance you can share the thread siz and type and the flare fitting angle? I'm thinking that it isn't a common flare design, but an alternate angle from the common gas fiiting flare angle. Wish you were my neighbor, I'd invite you over for supper and a little brain picking. Thanks!
Awesome tricks!!! I can't thank you enough. Personally, my brain would have never come up with these products for sealing vacuum leaks. I've used 3M rubber tape and Scotchkote doing underground cable splicing for decades, same basic products, I think. I just had my first vacuum related failure after 76 trouble free batches, and I'll absolutely try this trick and rule out the vacuum pump. We have a standard vacuum pump that seemed weak and cheap from the get-go. I improved our pump operation after the first few runs, simply by changing to Dairyland oil. But I think our pump may be failing, leaking back vacuum pressure. In a pump test today, I couldn't get below 650 mTorr and the "demister" was blowing a light, stinky airstream that we've never had. Any ideas where to get a re-vane and re-seal kit for the standard pumps? I may try to rebuild it if the line and fitting sealant doesn't fix our leaks, but we still have to deal with the demister issue. Any discussion regarding tech related stuff is welcome! Have you ever tried a Vevor brand, 10-12 CFM, 1 HP, double vane vacuum pump? I ordered one, so I'll let you know. Thanks Again for Sharing the Knowledge! Dan
Has can ever gotten stuck on the chuck? That my issue.
yes I have had that happen....I had to use a pair of pliers to carefully pry it off.....let me know if you need help....
Did you ever have an issue where the can stops turning and half of the can is sloppy crimped?
yes I have....look at the manufactures owners manual, they will have how to adjust the rollers, study the instructions until you understand them completely, then make the adjustments, that will fix your problem....ty!
we update all pur machines...never had any problem.....
Ok, perhaps I should do an update on my software then. I had heard awhile back that the newer updates allow it to run higher mtorrs without alarming. That was a long time ago, so not sure it is accurate.
HR releases software updates so that their poor performing machines don't throw errors when industry standard metrics are not met. Software updates don't fix the problem, they just lower the standard for which you'll get alarms. The problem still exists, HR just updates the software to not alert you when the machine is performing poorly.
ok...let me know how it works....
Well ran most of a bread run without issues, but about halfway thru I get the inadequate vacuum with a pressure of 525mTorrs. Kept alarming but was going down in pressure, very slowly. I turned it off when it was staying about 517mTorrs. I just turned it on again and am going to run another bread run and see what it does. I have no clue what else to try. It runs great without the rack in the chamber, going down into the low 300s mTorrs. But put the tray rack in and it wants to stay in the upper 400s and lower 500s. What the heck. I gooped the heck out of the epoxy harness thing and wires. I have an extra harness that HR sent me in the beginning cause I was having troubles inititally(turned out to be loose wires on the tray rack. ) I could go ahead and install that, but how the heck am I going to get all that dried liquid tape off of it? Oh my. I just wish it would work. I appreciate any ideas you might have cause I have no clue what to do.
I don't think it is the wire harness.....is any part of the door seal touching the tray??...if you just slide the tray in without connecting the harness...does it work??? is the machine brand new or have some time on it...I can't remember....
Oh was going to mention that I am using a fairly old platform. I heard people were having problems with updates, so just left mine. v5.2.23 is what I am running
No, none of the the rack is touching since I notched my rubber gaskets right at the two corners that were touching it originally. I only made small notches but that seemed to keep it from touching the rack. I will try to run it without the rack plugged in if the run fails again. My Machine is a couple years old, but have only been using it for a bit more than a year. Had lots of issues because the wires on the tray rack were cut to short and every time I moved the rack it would disconnect a wire inside the rack. Took a long time to figure that one out. @@stevenducote7466
Hi again, just thought I would update you on my progress. I updated my software to v5.2.25. I ran 2 bread runs and both failed with a Inadequate Vacuum alarm, while the pressures were in the mid-500mTorr range. So I ran two more tests, one with NO TRAY RACK in the chamber and it got down to the low 300 mTorr range. But again with the rack in the chamber BUT NOT PLUGGED in, that one would not get below the mid-500mTorr ranges, and SAME result with the tray rack in and plugged in. It just will not get below 500mTorrs with the tray rack in the chamber, but it does fine without it in the chamber. I am so puzzled. I did more gas leak tests using windex and cannot find a gas leak anywhere. No clue what else to check. Guess I am going to have to pay to have HR look into the issue. So very frustrating. But at least your fix DID my pressure range so it does get down below 500 without the tray rack. Wouldnt do that before the fix.
First, let me say thank you so much for your video. I had tried a couple of the other fixes for vacuum leaks and was left with my machine not pulling ANY vacuum. I had been using if for serveral months with it only going in the the 500s and 600s, just took a lot longer to finish a batch. I finally decide to do the FIX thing, and like I said, ended up with not even going less than 1000. Well saw your video and did everything you said as you said. I was so excited that it was finally down in the 300s after using the liquid tape. Got ready to put the tray rack back in to run a batch, and decided to do a test to see how low it went with the tray rack back in, to my huge disappointment, it only got down to the 600s! So took the tray rack out, and tried again, it now is in the low 300s after 20 minutes. What the heck??? I made small notches in the gasket where the rack touches, and the cord is up off the bottom of the drum. I really am puzzled. Do you have any idea why having the rack in the drum would prevent the pressure from going below 600? What can I do? So frustrated.
hi.....put some bread in it and run a batch...something cheap.....check the mtorrs...it will be high at first...as the cycle progresses it will lower a little bit at a time....check when the cycle is almost complete, if it does not say " inadequate vacuum" it is good....some go lower than others...but underv500 is good...hope this helps....feel free to ask if you have more questions....ps....the mtors will not drop to the lowest it will go ...on just the test.... ty for watching!!!
Thank you! I will give that a try.@@stevenducote7466
When I get my HR freeze dryer what to look for on first inspection.
when I get a new machine, I do a bread run to see where the machine is....most times you do not have to do anything......after the bread run...do some cheap veggies to break the machine in...check the mtorr, all the way thru the cycle...it will start high...as the cycle progresses it will drop and the try temp will go up....feel free if you have problems, please reach out....ty!
Look to make sure it doesn't have a Harvest Right logo on it. That means you were smart and bought another brand.
all my freeze dryers are harvest right...9 of them and run the 8 hours a day plus some on 40 hour cycles...no issues after some i had to fix the vacuums...i am not sure if i would use anything else....and most of the help i have gives is operator error.
Sounds like an HR affiliate. This very video is fixing problems that are not operator error so there goes that argument. Use one of the other brands, particularly Stay Fresh, and you'd never use HR again.
and I will argue all might about operator error and machine problems...when you operate 9 machines and repair everything on them...we can talk....but until then...the argument is still on......
Beekeepers are some of the sweetest people I know
yes we are 😊 thank you.....
my wife will argue that point about me ! lol!!!
if a farmers market one was heated to have it runny, would it not destroy the goodness nutrition of the honey?.... u think it best to get thick raw honey and heat it slightly ourselves, as I imagin all the runny honey in any store is excessily heated
I don't worry about runny honey that much....as long as it is fresh and pure.....
All honey is very processed. Just not by humans.
very true!
My machine Temp gets to maybe -20...the pump kicks on for maybe a minute then kicks off. Machine says needs more freeze time. Does this over and over. In the test mode the pressure won't go below 740 but if I run the freeze test with it it will drop to under 300. Will not take me to the freeze/vacuum mode. I borrowed a friends pump and had same issue so I believe the pump is ok. I checked all the outside connections and the gasket. Everything seems fine. Does this sound familiar and would opening the back and liquid sealing solve this?
Hi.. 11 years into this video... Where do you get all these supplies? I live in the Caribbean and want to support my family of 11 and my extended family of 14. Thanks.
Hi, look for a LDS family food storage place, or start collecting mason jars, oxygen absorbers, you can get rice and beans pretty easily where you are. Hope this helps !
@@stevenducote7466 thanks but we don't have that luxury where we are.
@@R.Sampson a lot of places will ship to the Caribbean....look for mylar bags, 7 mil usda approved, look for LDS, they ship worldwide....it is the church LATTER Day Saints, they have places all over the world. hope this helps...mylar bags would ship the cheapest and easiest...check out pack fresh usa...they may ship to you.....