How to fix ALL of the Vacuum issues on the Harvest Right Freeze Dryer

[@2guysandacooler]

Here are the items that we talked about in this video. For an additional 10% off use the coupon code: 2Guys Vacuum Leak Kit: tinyurl.com/mv5ujmrn Upgraded 4ft Hose: tinyurl.com/4j6r23cf Upgraded 6ft Hose: tinyurl.com/3x6z5pf3

[@jdthomas9334]

Can you buy the upgraded hose at plumbing store

[@2guysandacooler]

@@jdthomas9334 sure. Just make sure the fitting is the same and the hose is rated for high vacuum pressures

[@myfriendhenry1]

I'm an hvac guy and have my first repair coming up for one of these. Your videos are seriously the best I have seen not only for freeze dryers, but nearly any other appliance. Excellent production. Thank you!

[@2guysandacooler]

Thank you!! The harvest right is a fairly simple machine to maintenance. There's been lots of evaporator coil leaks so that might be a problem. Vacuum issues are also a big problem. Hope it goes well for you😎.

[@PhonePhone-sf8te]

how did it go?

[@chickenstead6586]

WOW, what a great video!!!! All of your videos are worthy of praise. You are a very, very good instructor. Probably the best I have seen

[@jesuschristismylordandsavi6108]

I have had problems with my freeze dryer for years now. It will not pull a vacuume below 960 now. I am taking it down and stripping the cover. Tomorrow I am going to do a total seal of everything I have found on videos like yours. Thank you so much for the help. Lord bless and be with you and yours.

[@markg1490]

Great video. Clear instructions and demonstration. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. We become immortal as we share knowledge.

[@kathyduncan6227]

Thank you for this video! I have just started having vacuum leaks. Now to get it repaired. I think I can do it!

[@lizard2425]

Outstanding video! Clear, concise, and complete. Thank you!

[@ContentsOfTable]

I've never seen anyone else ever suggest this, but I have a tip to add to the pool. When I worked in the US Navy we used a product for High Pressure air systems within the air drier unit called Dow Corning Molykote 111. Its a food grade silicone sealant meant for sealing air/water systems under high/low pressure and also high/low temperature. I only recommend trying it where there are rubber o-rings found and also when facing troubles with the door seal where the rubber meets the metal drum (not the door touching the seal). With a q-tip one could also dab some of this onto the walls of the venting ball valve when closed. Just dab some on and then cycle the valve at least ten times to distribute the silicone within. Follow-up with the valve open and wipe away the excess with the dry side of the q-tip. Use a paper towel to wipe off your hands from the goop you end up with on the skin as it very difficult to get off anything it touches such as clothing or electronics. One more tip for the pool that I don't see anywhere suggested is to substitute teflon tape with food grade PTFE ladened `thread sealant` a.k.a. `pipe dope`. Use this only where one would have used teflon tape and be careful not to get any inside the machine or the pressure sensor port.

[@slabhand]

I've used DC111 in many vacuum applications. It's great for o rings. Don't get it anywhere near any type of metal thead.

[@walthersidabutar]

oh finally i found this, this really helpful.. would you please tell us how to fix the issue of the process stops at vacuum freezing, it just keep repeating at that point. many thanks

[@theaerogardenhomestead]

I did all these and it worked once until I put everything back together. Opened it back up and did some extra wraps with the self sealing tape and nothing. How frustrating. Harvest Right customer service really isn't that helpful. We obviously weren't under warranty so basically instead of recommending a few things first, they immediately jumped to a service call for money. I appreciate your video. It was timely but ultimately something else must be going on. I might have to service the pump, replace the filter, and/or replace the hose. I'm at my wits end here.

[@2guysandacooler]

That sucks!! It must be either the pump, the filter, or the hose.. These fixes will take care of the machine stuff. Sorry you are having issues with your machine. Hope it works out!

[@theaerogardenhomestead]

@@2guysandacooler I took it apart again and re did everything. Turns out there might have been a tiny piece of missed foam sticking out of the silicone. Fingers crossed that was the issue.

[@ronsellew5696]

I just did the vacuum fixes, could you now do one on how to get that thing back together?

[@unclebubba5584]

Since watching your videos, I've decided to continue evaluating all freeze dryers until I find 1 that matches your recommendations and repairs. No sense spending money on a low quality piece of equipment, that needs repairs/modifications right out of the box.

[@2guysandacooler]

It's hard to disagree with that!!

[@ericlotze7724]

This. If this was something cheap of Alibaba, i could understand having to do this level of fit and finish work / modifications. But for some expensive and supposedly finished/high quality thing this is a bit ridiculous. *ESPECIALLY* if that other comment is right and the money is going to the top, not the workers or heck even the consumer!

[@PhonePhone-sf8te]

@@ericlotze7724 because they're probably building these in china at the same factories as the alibaba ones.

[@robertmalis4493]

Harvest Right needs to hire you to do their videos. The bigger hose puts less strain on the pump too. Is that hose one you had made or can you get it from Harvest Right?

[@elijahseyes7312]

How does your tray temp read ~ -40 degrees when your freeze setting is off on the functional testing screen? My unit won’t pass the vacuum test if my freeze setting is off Great video, thank you.

[@xthe_moonx]

imagine harvest right making a product that worked optimally out of the box? nah gotta give the CEO a bonus instead.

[@rexhavoc2982]

And have the customers make all repairs.

[@TheRealBatCave]

​​@@rexhavoc2982lol right? It's crazy, and I'm in Canada so its even worse

[@PhonePhone-sf8te]

good news, theres other brands out there now that give a crap. stayfresh and blue alpine are supposed to be much better made.

[@annemariereese3551]

Had an issue with vacuum, turned out the wiring harness was stopping the tray holder from going back far enough. Got that working but now it errors on freezing. 3 wk old unit….3 days working with technician…. Also pump is pulling 32 amps every time it kicks on. For whatever reason, they wanted pics of circuit breaker… 20amp separate circuit for the FD.

[@2guysandacooler]

OH NO!!! Get ready for what many are calling the Harvest Right Hell Train😬. It's going to be a bumpy ride. I am so sorry. It really sucks that they don't spend more money on building a better machine. What you are about to go through, I wouldn't wish on anyone. I had mt Large Freeze Dryer break only after 4 months of having it and maybe 10 cycles. After it was all said and done, I had to personally fix it myself. Their support staff was a joke.

[@renevanpetegem7995]

You can almost make your own freeze dryer. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😂😂

[@deborahsorenson9300]

Hi, I saw you asked a commenter this question "Does it start the process and the door seals but never gets to the appropriate mtorrs?" This is my exact problem. Does the answer 'yes' to this question point you to a specific issue? I'd hate to go through all of the sealing to find out that isn't my problem. I replaced the relay board a month ago. That wasn't fun. I've got harvest waiting to be freeze-dried. Bummed.

[@NatashaOxford]

I am getting ready to replace the valve but notice that there is always a little fluid in the tube that gets sucked back into the machine when I release the valve after a run. Would replacing the valve get rid of fluid getting into the tube during a run or is there something that can get connected to the valve that can stop everything but air from passing back into the machine.

[@debodeeful]

I have an oiless pump. Any suggestions. Valve is good. Seal is sealed well. One thing is while almost done freezing and Code #8 pops on, we have to stop FD, because we cannot open door, without opening valve, so we open valve, takes time like normal to release seal. We open door, take black gasket off, and notice ice forming on the outer barrel , thus having to Pope teays back into deep Freezer and defrost FD. This last batch, at the moment it was getting ready to flip to dry, it was stuck on freezing and oiless pump was making the loud noise it makes, when one is done drying, you open valve to release pressure. I recorded both the computer screen and the sound to hopefully get to the bottom of this not moving to drying. Any help would be appreciated.

[@jumper123910]

Great Video thanks. I'm still researching. Alas my options are more limited as I don't live in the USA and I have the European voltage / frequency (230v 50Hz) and Harvest Right make models to suit. I'm looking at a medium then adding an XL as I will have a nice little What of these upgrades are required on the new Pro models? I assume the vacuum hose is still a relevant upgrade. They have fixed the drain valve, what about the resealing of the pressure sensor and wiring harness (you made a vague mention of older and newer machines)? With the exception of the hose I assume you wait until A. The warranty has expired and B. A vacuum problem starts to occur. Does the vacuum pump run all the time a vacuum is required? As the chamber is vacuum sealed I would assume the pump is only required to run to get down to vacuum and then it would only start again as the vacuum decreases due the food releasing air and the changes from gas to to ice as this is a compressor in reverse or do they use the vacuum pump running as the valve to stop air entering the chamber(I have seen other videos that is making me a little suspicious)?

[@2guysandacooler]

Just so you know the Stay Fresh Unit has European voltage as well (tinyurl.com/3b4ve4r4) in the event you were looking for more options. As far as the upgrades to fix the vacuum issues on the Pro. You can tape off the hose where the connection is made at the pump and the drum. You can silicone the area where the drain valve is as well as where the drain hose connects to the drum. The wiring harness has been upgraded so that area shouldn't leak but the sensor area could benefit from some silicone like I showed in this video. Truth is, I would let the unit run until you have issues. I've been using the pro model now for about 6 months and I haven't experienced any vacuum issues. the upgraded hose would be great no matter what though. The vacuum pump does run all the time. It only turns off when the cycle is complete.

[@kathcon2600]

My vaccum leak was the door gasket itself . They have backorder its now 6 weeks.

[@christyh.4092]

I have a brand new pro XL and have not been able to get it to hold a vacuum yet. I paid several thousand dollars for this piece of carp and am very disappointed. Today I processed ten lbs of apples and I had to put them into my two dehydrators, one of which is about 45 years old. Both dehydrators together didn't cost $200 and they are as dependable as hammers. We'll keep trying to get my new FD to actually work, but I really wish I hadn't bought it.

[@2guysandacooler]

Does it start the process and the door seals but never gets to the appropriate mtorrs?

[@PhonePhone-sf8te]

hey, did you get everything worked out?

[@RichardPurdy-m3b]

I hae narrowed my problem down to the wiring harness feed-through. I don't need the teflon tape or ball valve. Can you recommend a source for just the silicone? Would window caulking you buy at the hardware store work:

[@2guysandacooler]

yep

[@scott6252]

Well done video, seems like half the problem is the cheap Chinese vacuum hose the give with the machine.

[@ericlotze7724]

All this drama just makes me want a damn Open Source Hardware project on this. If i could get a good fab shop/makerspace dammit… (ALSO you could do things like a separate condensation chamber for more ice capacity, make a microwave freeze dryer, *maybe* figure out that “Pulsed Electric Processing” / electroporation type stuff, all sorts of cool things)

[@lucindabeauford7298]

I just set up my freeze dryer and my pump won't even turn on. It seems like the on off switch is not working... Is that something you have had problems with before? Hope you can give me some suggestions... Thank you

[@2guysandacooler]

Oh NO!!! Did you try plugging it directly into the wall and turning it on to see if it's the pump or perhaps the wiring on the freeze dryer

[@brianschindler1511]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@shmilyforrest]

Wow, What a n Excellent Video. Thank You!

[@TheRealBatCave]

What about "failing to cool" warning, while the machine is still cooling......

[@laurim9833]

I love that y’all show how you fix these but it sure makes me not want to get one any more. They cost too much to be breaking down.

[@rexhavoc2982]

They are broke down right out of the box.

[@rexhavoc2982]

The customer gets to buy a tool kit and parts and do the repairs at no cost to HR

[@thedude2367]

It took me about 30 minutes to fix this issue, using harvestrights’s advice from over the phone (squeeze in some silicone around the wire input to the chamber and run it for a few hours to suck the silicone in and seal it) also replace the drain valve with a better one, and it’s been working flawlessly since at about 16 hours a day every day for the last three years making freeze dried candy to raise money for a cat rescue, with no issues whatsoever. The thing is a tank.

[@laurim9833]

@@thedude2367 very good to know. Thank you!!!!

[@deborahelliott8460]

This doesn't exactly entice me to purchase one if this issue isn't going to be corrected before shipping. AND, if this is still an ongoing issue, for the increased money for this item will make me wait before purchasing.

[@rexhavoc2982]

No go on taping the JIC fittings, . the threads do not help the sealing on JIC. The small ID hose stops more water and food dust, Small ID hose keeps the oil clean for many more loads..

[@2guysandacooler]

Are you saying that because you've used both and have compared the 2? I know from my experience that the JIC hose pulls a better vacuum and faster. It also keeps a better vacuum through the cycle (as demonstrated in this video). Not sure why, I don't think it's the threads, I think it may have to do with the angle of the fittings lining up perfectly and tightening. As far as the oil getting dirty, that is certainly something to consider. I have found that as long as your food is frozen and you don't overload your freeze dryer (HUGE ISSUE), the size of the hose shouldn't matter. The problem usually happens when people put too much food in their freeze dryer that's not at the right temp or the chamber wall isn't cold enough to properly allow sublimated vapor to stick to the walls. That's when the vapor gets sucked into the hose. Arguably that can happen regardless of the size hose that is used. Not sure if you recall the time in this video when I opened my demister. It was incredibly stained and full off gunk. That situation happened after 4 candy batches using the small Harvest Right hose. It would have happened using the larger hose as well but I'm just saying.

[@rexhavoc2982]

@@2guysandacooler A JIC fitting can be used on any size hose, they have a metal to metal sealing face . Most tractors with 3000 PSI systems use them. A thin Teflon washer can be used as a face seal repair. HR has some with a small O-ring in the FM fitting, hand tight only. Mine work fine. A large ID hose will pull a faster vacuum and suck more dust and vapor, A small ID hose will pull slower and not move the air as fast , reducing the dust and water vapor. Leaving the vapor to collect as ice. Once the chamber has reached max vacuum it can be valved off and the pump turned off for the drying cycle If you have no vacuum leaks. You don't drive around with a air hose on your car tires. Sucking with no air flow is not doing anything. My answer to all the pump problems is not having a in-line suction filter.. your oil will never get dirty if you pull the water and dust out before it gets to the pump. Every pump system you have in your home has a suction filter. Do you clean the compressor oil in your fridge or freezer ? I don't see food volume as a problem, Why keep sucking on chamber that is at full vacuum? Let the freezer do its job. I will say I think the whole system would work better at zero torr. HR junk pumps are not up to the task. Lets work on a suction filter that will catch the water and dust even if it needs to be re stuffed with a couple of feet of toilet paper each load.Thanks for your thoughts.

[@PhonePhone-sf8te]

lol I was about to buy one of these, the construction quality is abismal. Harvest right? more like garbage right.

[@MarkSavides]

it kills me to watch you wrap tape on the threads. flip that roll around so you are unrolling from the roll and wrapping at the same time. LOL. (Been using teflon tape for years.)

[@rexhavoc2982]

To pick your brain, how can a dirty demister cause a vacuum problem? When you buy a new car , do you take it home and adjust the doors? I added a T on the drain hose added a vacuum gauge and a new valve on the end of the T. My pump pulls the system to zero torr in 15 seconds. The 500 torr in 30 minutes just proves the system is not responding The torr gauge on the LCD is not reading fast enough, it takes hours to show 500 torr even though the system has been at zerro the whole time. The computer is being fed false info and adding a ton of run time. I think the vacuum sensor is bad. and how is that my job to fix ? The cabinet sides should be held with Velcro instead of screws. Think about why run the pump if the system is at zerro with out leaks ?

[@2guysandacooler]

LOL, not sure what the car doors have to do with the way a car performs. Perhaps a dirt air filter yes. I'm assuming that you own a harvest right machine. What size pump are you using? The old one or the new one? 15 seconds is hard to believe. I do believe that the system doesn't measure the information accurately causing it to run very inefficiently. I agree about the Velcro!! I've taken my unit apart 15 times at least in the last year!! It sucks every time. I suppose the pump would have to continuously run because the chamber is not a sealed system. The vacuum hose that is connected to the chamber is open. It would be cool if there was an automatic shut off for the pump when zero was achieved.

[@rexhavoc2982]

@@2guysandacooler my point is, why do we need to adjust the door on a new machine? I have the premium oil pump with the oval sight glass. I am not happy with the staff at Freeze Right, plenty of song and dance, long days between emails and phone calls. Maybe you can help me, I have added 2 new ball valves and vacuum gauges on both the JIC suction hose and the drain hose. The pump will pull the chamber down to zero torr or 30 In/Hg in 30 seconds, I close the suction hose valve and turn off the pump, the vacuum in the chamber will stay at zero all day. No leaks, when I open the valve to the pump all the vacuum is lost through the pump demister port, it will suck your hand down hard for a few minutes until all vacuum is gone. Should the pump have a check valve in it and hold the vacuum? When under full vacuum and the valves are closed, the mtorr on the LCD is 1800 and after a few hours hangs around 500 mtorr. I think the vacuum sensor is bad and sending the wrong message to the computer adding to run time. Why is a gauge at zero mtorr and the LCD at 500 mtorr? My way of thinking is, pull the chamber down to zero and close the valve and turn off the pump for the next 30 hours. Why suck on a non leaking chamber ? no air is being exchanged. My other question is , when I put in frozen trays of food into the machine that has been freezing for the recommended 15 minutes with frost on the walls, it takes 7 more hours of freeze time before the suction starts. The ice is front to back and even. I hope this all makes a bit of sense, and you have some suggestions.-Mike 95682

[@travisburks1]

You keep saying Torr, but it's mTorr, as in milliTorr (0.001 Torr). Your vacuum gauge probably has a scale that reads 0 to 760 torr (aka 0 InHg) and in no way is designed to measure mTorr.

[@rexhavoc2982]

@@travisburks1 Yep I see that mtorr is breaking down a torr into 100 parts of a torr. I still dont know when the torr switches to Mtorr. I have seen 290 mtorr after 30 hours of run time. I hate how long it takes the machine to read the vacuum sensor and post it on the screen. A vacuum gauge works fast.in real time.

[@123STEP23]

no one can figure out why mine don’t work Even harvest right . Big expensive dust collector Mines analogue

[@123STEP23]

Mine vacuumed perfectly empty .. once food in won’t vavume it if it occasionally does it takes3-5 day to work and still does not complete.

[@dburton7929]

Using channel lock pliers, the signature of a true professional……. NOT !!

[@2guysandacooler]

Who said anything about being a pro, I'm a chef 🤣🤣🤣.

[@kennethmathe8969]

Anyone who says to put teflon tape on a jic fitting has no clue what they are doing and no one should listen to their advise. Jic fittings are compression fittings never apply teflon tape, the seal is created on the tapered part not the threads.

[@2guysandacooler]

anyone who comments on a video before watching it all the way through has no clue as to what they are talking about🤣.

[@AWOLCookies]

@@2guysandacoolerI watched all the way through. You aren’t supposed to put teflon tape on a JIC. You’re giving poor advice.

[@2guysandacooler]

@@AWOLCookies I can't believe I'm wasting my time with this comment...... Here we go. At 6:34 I wrap tape around the JIC connection on both the Drum body and the pump. I then attach the Harvest Right hose to both connections. At 7:00 I explain that this hose is not the best hose for your harvest right....... At 23:18 I literally go into why this isn't the best hose and it's because the Harvest Right Hose is NOT JIC fitted. Its retro fitted with a gasket. So, there is no flare that makes a tight seal (reason for the gasket). Adding Teflon tape improves the quality of that seal. In that same segment I show a new "Upgraded" hose. The new hose is JIC fitted, and at 24:00 I place that hose onto the machine. At 24:09 I remove the old hose and if you look carefully there is no tape on the threads, and I literally say, "Look how I'm not adding tape". So do me a favor. The next time you want to reprimand a content creator for bad information WATCH THE VIDOE TO THE END AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE INFORMATION. Some people🤨🤨

[@AWOLCookies]

@ let me explain for you. You do not ever put Teflon tape on a JIC. Teflon tape on a JIC actually causes leaks and doesn’t fix any seal at all. It doesn’t matter if you think the hose they include isn’t up to your standards. You fail to mention what to even check for with the hoses themselves to be sure they’re still good. But regardless, YOU DON’T USE TEFLON TAPE ON A JIC!! Anyone reading this should heed the advice of not following yours. There are far better videos out there that explain how to check for and fix leaks on an HR. And those videos are made by people who regularly use HR and have multiple HR FD. Not some guy who wants to seem cool and get likes

[@2guysandacooler]

@@AWOLCookies I would normally agree with but when a JIC is being used with a NON-JIC then all bets are off. The connection is no longer the same. In this video we immediately got a better vacuum by adding Teflon tape to the JIC that was connected to a NON JIC so while I appreciate your concern, your perspective only applies to JIC connecting to JIC. It's the reason why Harvest right uses a gasket in their connection (which you should never do if you are doing a true JIC to JIC, and it's the reason I said "Notice I'm not putting any tape on this JIC fitting" when I used a true JIC to JIC). I made this video to help others and since posting it we've helped hundreds of people fix their Harvest Right leaks. If you want to help people fix their Harvest Right Vacuum issues, then I suggest making a video and publishing it. Since you are new to this channel, let me explain, not only am I a professional Sausage Maker and Chef but I also own a commercial kitchen as well as a commercial Freeze-drying business. I own 2 large Harvest Right machines and 2 Stay fresh freeze dryers (one being a mega). Matter of fact, I've made a series on my experience with harvest right and even showed how I had to completely fix my own system (freon leak) because of their horrible customer service. You should check out that series if you really want to see something wild (basically redesigned their unit to make it get colder faster)!! You like so many others are quick to make judgements. You should be a little more reserved with your judgements as one day you will be judged by the same measure you judge others. Not a good place😬😬

[@mauriciomedina9612]

It kills me to see you use channel lock pliers instead of an adjustable wrench. Booo!

[@2guysandacooler]

😂😂 You should watch my video on doing my own refrigeration leak repair!! If the tool I used in this video bums you out, you'll be blown away by what I had to do in the other🤣🤣