Oil in your Harvest Right Freeze Dryer? SOLVED! JB Industries Eliminator Pump valve issue.

[@sea6bear]

I’ve run my second batch and this happened both times....I’m happy to see I’m not the only one ... I’ve just contacted HR 3-9-19, I’ll try your fix ,thx for posting ...Sort of pisses you off when you spend thousands of dollars and have to tweak the item yourself ....

[@kimmididwhat]

As soon as you said oil in hose, I knew... This has been a common problem with the pumps as of late... Some pumps were missing the check valve ball. HR has been great and replaced those pumps for the people in our facebook groups that were affected. I've not had the problem but I bought my FD 'r in Jan 2016. I'm sorry this happened and I hope you're up and running quick. Love seeing you all... 😀

[@EpicenterBryan]

Hi Kimmi... I actually tested the pump tonight with just knocking off the peaks on the check ball down to 400mToor, or so... on and off several times. It looks like the quick fix did the job... and I'm freeze drying seafood tonight. Will address things in another video. Glad to hear that the community has already figured this out. My first random issue popped up on Jan 3rd. We bought our unit in late November. Then no issue for some time....

[@Bear-cm1vl]

Bryan, want a long term answer to this issue that will eliminate this problem? Let me know and I can send you the diagram and parts list we HVAC/R techs have been using for years to protect our vac pumps from loss of power sucking the oil out of the pump heads...

[@c-h-a-k-r-a]

ive been trying to figure this out for weeks. this was the only video that had anything to do with the actaual problem and how to fix it. thanks a lot man

[@justfitz702]

Bryan, love the pointers and experiments you provide on KZbin... I had the oil in the vacuum hose problem the second time I used my NEW unit. I just fixed it today based on your recommendations, it is now working perfectly. I was able to remove the Teflon ball with a chopstick and nicely chewed piece of juicy fruit gum :). make sure you drain the oil from the pump first and carefully stick a corner of a paper town to pull the oil off of the ball before sticking some used gum on it! Sooo, Low tech worked on the first try.. Thanks again for all you and your crews efforts!!! Very much appreciated. About a 10 minute fix!

[@EpicenterBryan]

I'm sorry to hear you ran into that. I have a bunch of Nylon replacement balls (same weight / size but 2x harness) and I'll send you one to try out if you report back. Nylon is harder but does absorb moisture more than Teflon. I don't think it's an issue. These are grade one bearing balls so the surface is very consistent from the get go. My gut says the Teflon balls are getting beat up on the 3 point support inside the pump. Nylon may be a better choice. But I'm also working on a design with an external valve to make it totally bullet proof. If you want to try a Nylon one, drop me a PM.

[@gar351]

Great video! I am not in the freeze drying business but do use this vacuum pump with my HVAC business. I have had the exact same problem, as you describe, happen to me a few times over the last couple weeks. I am going to check the ball and o-ring. Thanks for your detailed explanation of your problem and findings.

[@ollieandson]

Bryan, your video is exactly what I was looking for. You did your research, discovered the issue and pointed out that this was not an machine issue and a pump issue. I just sent along message to one of HarvestRight FB groups regarding work arounds, changing stuff on your machine that does not need to be changed like adding oneway valve.

[@mariejeanpartenrussell2809]

THANK YOU! This happened randomly on my last batch of applesauce. I thought perhaps the compressor was done for. I’m not at all mechanical so I felt quite lost. Your explanations are understandable and hopefully we will be able to remedy this. Again, thank you for your rescues!

[@EpicenterBryan]

Glad it helped!

[@tammygrooms5120]

Thank you, Bryan!! Mine had oil in the vac hose at the beginning of the third run. Needless to say I panicked. It happened during the freeze cycle and hr said it was probably due to a small vacuum forming in the chamber during the freeze. I drained the oil and refilled and just finished the fifth run with no further problems. I have the newest pump that’s being shipped with the hr. Now at least I know what caused it. Thanks again.

[@mikeycam4779]

Love your channel, you guys really do deserve more subscribers and views.

[@EpicenterBryan]

Tell the world!

[@betsy773]

Its always nice when someone assures you...that you are NOT going crazy:)

[@chuckwoodings864]

Bryan, I remembered seeing this video before shortly after we got our FD and now 3 years later when I had the problem I was very glad it was still posted and I found it. Also It was a pleasure to actually talk to you this afternoon. 8/4/2020. I am going to order a new ball and o ring so I will have a second backup pump should I need it. From Chuck W

[@kalikale3969]

I had this happen on my 3rd batch! It scared the daylights out of me! Thanks for the information.

[@Forevertrue]

What a tremendous help that could be for many people. Thanks so much.

[@sandyhess3477]

Thank you! I have run 8 loads in my small size FD. The last time, I saw oil bubbling up about 14 inch into the tube during the mid-point dry cycle after the vac pump came on. I used electrical tape around every connection joint and even around the pump front case, where it meets the rest of the pump casing. It did not get better or worse. Perhaps with this next load, the ball will have shifted position and it won't leak into the hose. If it does, I will try your solution. You, are a GENIUS!

[@EpicenterBryan]

Thanks for the nice comment. Let us know if your problem goes away on the next batch. In a week or two I'll have parts and will do an update video and details on the ultimate fix since others have had similar problems (occasionally).

[@carolpanepinto5484]

Nice troubleshooting Bryan. Seems like they might want to source a more robust/smoother ball for the valve but glad to know that you got to the root of the problem. Love your vidoes.

[@EpicenterBryan]

I'll look at the replacement they are sending. But the nylon ones I ordered and grade 1 bearings so they should be perfectly round and smooth.

[@GEDixon-ni5gk]

Thanks for the diagnostic explanation. on the oil problem, smell and taste. Would you please post a description of the valve you found on E Bay. I didn't see that you had posted it. thanks again

[@EpicenterBryan]

That video was for a pump that hasn't been used in over 5 years. If you still have a JB pump, it's time to replace it.....

[@swtmuzik1]

thanks again Bryan. .. I'll keep a look out. always enjoy your informative videos! can't wait to watch your next one!

[@annieyolkley2208]

Absolutely priceless information! The research value is so appreciated! Thank you for all of your videos!

[@ryanmackin8346]

Because of this video, I have a powered auto-return ball valve with a 4 second cycle; it rotates to open when powered along with the vac pump and closes when power is shut off via the built in capacitance. This will take the pressure off that check ball.

[@j.a.8970]

Which model did you purchase?

[@megzwinn2831]

We love your channel keep it up always looking out for new videos , we never have a issue unless we try to customize a cycle then something always goes wrong, either it will freeze for a couple hours then say it is done, or with the oil coming up the hose during a freeze cycle. I don't even bother trying to customize the cycles anymore so much easier to just run two cycles then to deal with issues always popping up .

[@EpicenterBryan]

Interesting. Are you running the original firmware or did they have you update?

[@quasrealty6000]

this makes sense because I have this happened to my pump. I was scared to see the oil half way to the drain pump and saw the water in the bucket with some oil also. I hope like you said that it did not get into the freezer chamber.

[@EpicenterBryan]

If it's in your bucket it got into your chamber and drained when you did a defrost. Sorry.

[@albrightfs]

Bryan thank you for your videos! We have greatly enjoyed them.. I was so excited to get my freeze dryer. It was a big decision with the cost but I felt would be a great way to preserve our harvests and beef. It arrived last week and yesterday we did its test and then put our first batch in... AND unfortunately this same oil issue. Up thru the hose and into the unit. On its very first run ..

[@EpicenterBryan]

Sorry to hear that. The first thing they will probably have you do is lower the pump. But in your case (first run), I suspect they will send you some parts or have you look to see if the ball was installed. I heard from one guy that JB forgot to install his ball entirely.

[@truthseeker5496]

You have great videos. thank you so much for sharing. My pump did that the very first time I used it. At first I thought it was because of manufactured oils I was supposed to clean out of the FD tank. My whole batch was ruined because of the smell and taste of chemical. I found out after my second batch that a lot of oil got sucked into the tub with my food. I called Harvest Right and they said to just run the pump to unstick whatever was stuck. It continues to happen every single time I run the machine. I need to keep the pump turned off until it starts the drying time, then I turn it on manually. Very frustrating.I have my pump in the garage ready to take apart to clean. Great timing. I'll try this and hope it works. I've been feeling like I got a lemon.

[@EpicenterBryan]

I'm sorry to hear about the problem you have been having with that valve. Drop me a line through our website, or give me a call when you have had a chance to look at that ball.

[@justfitz702]

Had the same issue on my first run of my unit today.. Great post thank you!

[@EpicenterBryan]

Sorry to heat that. Did you see it happen? Was it really quick or did it take some time to notice it.

[@1987haku]

Hello Bryan, I’ve just seen your video, and now I’m a bit worried about my batches… I haven’t noticed anything too out of the ordinary… but how would I know if the oil has been sucked up into the chamber? I bought the FDer about two years ago in 2022 and I use the premier pump. The hose is black… so I’m unable to see what’s inside of the hose… if it were sucked up into the chamber what would the signs be? I took off the side of hose that attaches to the machine and didn’t notice any oil residue on the sides, but did notice a bit of residue on the other end which connects to the actual pump itself. When I remove the hose I can see the white ball bearing inside as well, but your video has me a bit concerned…. Thanks so much in advance!

[@mirlittle7168]

I’m starting to have oil issues as well but I have the newer standards pump that’s being sold. Any idea what would be causing that issue on my pump? It does have a gas ballast. And the newer hoses.

[@BellofattoBrews]

Thanks for the heads up on this possible issue.

[@TacklingTheGiants]

How are we supposed to tell now that they have a black hose???

[@OrganicCultivators]

Running into the exact same issue with a Robinair pump.

[@smoke5-5bbqkitchen66]

This happens to me also. It usually happens to me after the process is complete waiting on more Dry time. It also happened once after defrost was complete and I sealed the door. That was my fault though because I didn't think about the tank pulling a vacuum by temp change.

[@EpicenterBryan]

Wow. It's interesting that so many people have seen this. I thought I was the only guy with this intermittent issue.

[@MsNailgun]

Excellent information. Thank you.

[@dmitrijshotjasevs4124]

Hi Bryan, I use a DV-6E vacuum pump with the Harvest Right FD. I used the same pump for six years and now noticed that it doesn't pull the vacuum below 2500torr, and after a minute or two of the pump running, it starts slowly sucking the oil into the vacuum hose. The longer it runs, the higher the oil goes. I talked to JB, but they couldn't pinpoint the problem over the phone. Have you ever heard about this kind of problem with the pump? I replaced the gaskets on the vacuum hose and checked other connections. The o-ring in the Tee looks okay, along with the ball. Any advice from you would be greatly appreciated.

[@dumahh]

Is very common for those kind of valves to fail, on professional lyophilizers usually have a solenoid connected backwards and is called vacuum brake solenoid, it also helps with the leak rate wich is the way you measure how much vacuum your chamber is leaking. The cheapest way to have a valve to avoid that issue is to install a ball valve on that hose. I fix this kind of machines but the real ones for a living.

[@heatherj3385]

I'm wondering if that's what is happening to my machine. I had a vacuum failure so HR told me to use self fusing silicone tape to seal many places. On my next batch, I noticed a haze on the inside of the door. It's greasy. Unfortunately, my vac hose is black so I can't tell for sure if it's siphoning. Odd thing is, the machine will get down below 500mtorr after the tape fix but as soon as the vacuum pump is turned off...that mtorr number rises quickly. They said that's normal but I don't remember the machine doing that before. 🤷

[@ScottKlohr]

Awesome video! Very informative.

[@travismcdouglas1179]

Thank you for the information. I was wondering what is the size of the ball, because there are many different size Teflon/nylon bearing balls.

[@EpicenterBryan]

7/16".

[@ethankayes3182]

You can purchase laboratory grade Pyrex glass balls. They don’t deformed like nylon balls. They also sell high grade ceramic balls. They both cost about $5. You find these in commercial vacuum pumps for food processing.

[@EpicenterBryan]

I wonder what the weight difference would be. Interesting.

[@ethankayes3182]

EpicenterBryan, my guess with the grade of vacuum it would not make a difference. You can find them at all the laboratory supply companies. I think I saw a kit on amazon

[@STARFIRESOLAR]

I was thinking about buying hey Harvest Right freeze dryer and doing some research when I found this problem made sense to me a glass ceramic or stainless steel ball would be the solution because they would not deform under the pressure. Can you tell me what size ball that is so that I might pre-order them and I will just install the new balls before I even turn the machine on

[@RhondaWiersch-ph8ew]

My eliminator pump does not have so ring seal at the bottom of that park that the vacuum hose hooks to

[@barryculloty2568]

I imagine the amount of vacuum may have caused the divits in your check ball, depending on the hardness of the material, sounds like an engineering issue. I would think a better check valve would be an easy fix, but food grade check valves may be rather hard to procure, I don't know. For 3K I would think it would behoove the manufacturers to fix this and help you veeerrry quickly, this could have a very big impact on their sales! I just started looking and stumbled on this, and I am having some thoughts, I realize it is a rather easy fix, the thing is how fast will they move to fix it, THAT shows the quality of a company! If this is all they sell this type thing could easily sink them! Service of their pricey product should be tantamount to a small company like this.

[@kalikale3969]

Got the new part in and it's doing it again.

[@marilynweber7957]

Do you show somewhere where you empty the oil out of the hose - how to clean it? We bought a new pump and I don't want the hose oil to taint my food ANYMORE! So tired of the oil taste on everything . . .

[@Alex-wm7td]

We have been experiencing the same issues with oil getting inside the freeze dryer and contaminating the food for 6 months now. I posted my video link below to share my finding

[@EpicenterBryan]

I saw your video. I'm working on a fix that involves a valve on the vacuum line. Parts should be here soon and I'll post a video.

[@EpicenterBryan]

Also - here is a note I sent you from your video: The ball used by JB is Teflon, and the surface irregularities we both have seen does now appear to be related to the ball bouncing on top of those 3 pins in the housing (I think they are steel) and the ball damage gets worse with time. JB is the only source I have found for replacement Teflon balls. And oddly, they are not listed as spare parts on their website but can be obtained by calling them. However, I did buy a bunch of Nylon balls and will send you some to fix your pumps and test if you send me a PM with your address. Nylon is nearly twice as hard (on the Rockwell hardness scale) as Teflon is. However, Nylon is more hydroscopic meaning it has a tendency to absorb moisture. I don't think it's as much of an issue as the ball being able to get beat up in use. A harder ball may be a simple fix and they are the same weight. So if you want to do some testing and share what you found - drop me a line and I'll send you some - no charge since I have them and haven't tried them yet.

[@aliciamcnamar8203]

just curious... would a stainless steal ball baring work?

[@chadp5916]

New subscriber here. Appreciate your honesty and solutions. I didn't see a video on the solenoid operated valve you mentioned, if you have that solution could you post a link? If you have not posted yet, I understand that too, life happens! We have received our HR FD but had to travel this week for work so the Mrs and I have not fired it up yet, hoping to get to it next weekend.

[@EpicenterBryan]

I'm still waiting for one more part to come and then I'll get that built and filmed. The solenoid version will be the lest expensive way to go but is a but more complicated than I first thought. At least that version won't need a microcrontroller.

[@sandrawitt2056]

You mentioned there isn't a problem unless it gets into the chamber. What if the oil IS in the chamber and comes out the drain tube? Does that mean the food is contaminated with oil?

[@bdotson4677]

What was the conclusion of the test preformed between the teflon ball vs nylon grade 1 bearing ball or other material? I was looking on Ebay at the 7/16" nylon precision bearing balls, grade 1.

[@mitchbriggs870]

The issue of oil getting sucked up in the chamber is one of the many reasons I stopped freeze drying. The JB pumps are really junk for this purpose. I went through 3 of them in one year.

[@DooDad09]

Agree with Ben Campos. Anyone who is freeze drying foods or thinking about it should subscriube to you channel

[@EpicenterBryan]

Thanks for the comments! Help spread the word.

[@jgriffithpt]

How do you get the oil out of the vac inlet area??

[@davehardin-yn3pb]

Can you send me the part number for the Teflon ball please? I bought a unit from a friend, I’m experiencing just what you had here.

[@glenraymond379]

Do you know the size of the ball that you bought on ebay? Thanks in advance

[@gzigoris]

Any problems with the premiere pump?

[@beema1975]

Have had oil in the drum and drain water for the first four bread test runs on our new equipment. It's a standard pump 2020. HV first told me to set the pump lower than the fd. I lowered it by 1 1/2 ", then 3", and finally on the bottom shelf of the cart. Same issue. They sent me a new check valve, but it was the wrong one. Now the technician says they are sending a longer hose, and I still need to have the pump much lower than the fd. They said a new pump wouldn't solve the problem. I've seen plenty of videos of how others have their fd set up, and most have the fd and pump side by side. Am I getting the runaround?

[@coramdayo]

Hey there, did you get this resolved? My parents just got a new machine and this happened on the first run after the bread run. Did not see oil in the line but the smell on the food and inside the drum was awful. My parent's pump is on a shelf UNDERNEATH the FD so that cannot be the issue with theirs.

[@pacearrow4620]

Hi, does anyone have the ball and gaskets part # or an equivalent? Harvest Right gave me this link but I could not figure it out... I have the original DV-6e pump ... TY!

[@pprudowe]

would a polished steel ball work?

[@OpeeChee1]

Does this also allow oil to be drawn out of the pump while it is running?

[@videosforzipo]

I called JB and ask for information about buying a check valve ball. The CSR told me that part was not available, but I ordered 25 of them from eBay, for $10.

[@EpicenterBryan]

Interesting. Yep, I bought 25 of the Nylon ones on E-bay too. FYI, the replacement teflon ball JB sent me is having the same problem, so I'll try out the nylon one soon.

[@videosforzipo]

I think the check valve on the JB DV-6E will never stop the slow rise of oil in the Harvest Right vacuum hose, because the ball does not float in pump oil. If the ball doesn't float, it can never make a seal against the o-ring. The nylon balls I got off of eBay sink like a rock in pump oil. So, I will be looking for a hollow nylon ball that will float in pump oil and can withstand 25 mTorr, or a spring loaded check valve. Till then, I'll just open the drain valve until it's close to when the vacuum turns on.

[@BruceinMT]

Could you please provide the eBay listing for the nylon ball? A search returned about 50 pages of items.

[@Auggies1956]

Use a stainless steel ball?

[@matthewcapello8121]

I see I'm way late on posting question, sorry, but eh, worth a try, any good news to report on electrovalve install

[@EpicenterBryan]

Yes. I'll be doing a video in a week or so.

[@tonielouder5563]

Thanks that’s good to know 👍

[@williambeckham4656]

I have a newer pump and I have seen this same problem.

[@sundayscomrad4877]

so the freeze dryer is ok if that happens with the pump?

[@Adam_Outlaw]

I've been wondering if it would be possible to run this freeze dryer without the shelves installed? I'd like an open larger size chamber for my purposes.

[@EpicenterBryan]

You can turn off the machine, and plug the pump into the wall to obtain a vacuum if that's what you want to do. But if the machine is on it will know that the shelves are not in there and will warn you about a cable problem and won't operate.

[@Adam_Outlaw]

Thanks for heads-up... perhaps I might be able to pop the center trays rivets to avoid the continuity sensor/ warming elements from faulting. Loving you FD videos Bryan :)

[@alamzeb5631]

My machine vicume gauge is showing 999notcome down pump is ok sencer not work what I do

[@PreppingAngel]

We have a problem with the oil spewing out the exhaust handle like a geyser. Any ideas what could be wrong?

[@EpicenterBryan]

Yes. Watch this video: Also note that the white pipe should be facing up. Some people don't realize that, but it's even better to make what is shown in the video. That totally fixes the issue. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIOXimmNr6mcntU

[@1fltjponr]

Could it be replaced with a metal bearing? It would seal 100% better. I have a problem with mine where it takes for ever to get the pressure to drop below 500. At times loose the pressure completely. Have you come across that problem?

[@EpicenterBryan]

There are several possibilities. Aside from things like not having the fully closed the drain valve on the HR, the most common issue is a bad gasket on the hose. But I also had a hose start leaking at the crimp. I had a local hose builder use their hydraulic hose crimper to crimp the connection harder and the problem was fixed. They didn't even charge me.

[@jeniferburleigh818]

I've got it all cleaned out and now I'm only pulling 80,000 MTOR and it won't go any lower

[@hamite1212]

what size teflon ball dd you order for your pump? My oil is going up about 15 inches up toward the freeze dryer. I appreciate any reply. I have the standard unit and Eliminator DV-6E H93-124 pump. Thanks for any reply Love your videos

[@EpicenterBryan]

Hi Steve. The Teflon balls can be ordered from JB, but only by phone. The ball size is 7/16". I did buy some Nylon ones from BearingBallStore.com. Drop me a line through our website TheEpicenter.com and I could probably get one out to you to try if you will report back on how it worked out. I'm currently running a Teflon one which is again acting up after about 25 batches. I'll try a Nylon one myself soon.

[@hamite1212]

I want to buy extra ones since my pump is around 3 months old. Harvest Right guide me through to have the door not completely sealed so the oil would not be coming up. However, 45 minutes into freezing oil was 15 inches up towards the unit. Let me know which type of ball, nylon, teflon, etc is best by your opinion so that it can not come back on you. I just need your opinion since you are more mechanically minded and I'm not. I also thank you for your quick reply and watched your videos before buy a Harvest Right unit. I also made the oil catcher that goes on the handle to catch the excess oil blowing out. It works great for me. Again, thank you for your reply Steve West, Missouri

[@EpicenterBryan]

Steve, I have not used the Nylon balls yet myself, but have given them to a few people to get their feedback. It solved the problem for them but I have not heard back from anyone about having the same problem with Nylon after X number of batches yet. As I noted, I'm running a replacement Teflon one now which is again starting to act up. I'll try a Nylon one myself (2X harder than Teflon and same weight) next time I take it apart to clean. Also, will be testing an external valve to prevent this - video sometime in the future... One thing you can do until you try a new ball is to unplug the pump from the HR when you see the oil during freeze cycle and for about 5 seconds or so, plug the pump directly into the wall to suck the oil down. That will develop a small amount of vacuum and when you unplug the pump from the wall and plug it back into the HR the ball will pop up and hopefully seal better. You can do it several times if needed, no more than about 30 seconds total unless the items are really frozen. I'll have to explain why in a future video. That's about all I can offer at this point. Glad the Oil / Gunk catcher has worked for you too!

[@hamite1212]

I noticed it's a 7/16 nylon ball but what is the weight in order I do not order a lighter or heavier one? Or do all 7/16 nylon balls weigh the same?

[@EpicenterBryan]

The Nylon balls I have are 1.0 Grams. I have not weighed the Teflon balls but I'm pretty sure the mass per volume of Teflon and Nylon are the same within reason such that it doesn't matter.

[@hamite1212]

Brian, I ordered 7/16 nylon ball that is .08 grams. First and second batch was fine but the third batch the oil was coming up again. However, my original teflon ball did not have spikes but felt a little rough like a few pits but hard to notice them except for the feel. They were so small that I had to feel but they were there. I hope this may help you since it seems no one gives you feed back yet. I am pretty sure they love your troubleshooting on problems that you and several of us had. I believe I would like to see what you come up with on the automatic shut off and open valve. I hope I termed that right on the name of the valve. Thanks again for what you have been letting us all know what and how to solve several issues.

[@mmkucharczyk81]

i had that trouble too . not all the time but if it keeps happing know what to do .

[@EpicenterBryan]

Which pump do you have? And does it happen early on or only after the batch completes?

[@yesink7590]

excellent!

[@swtmuzik1]

so how are things going with your HR FD since you've had this issue? I recently had issues with keeping vacuum pressure since cleaning the inside of the vacuum pump. First it wasn't creating the vacuum because , well... because i simply didn't know the pump was turned off after i put it back together. Since then, i've completed 2 batches of food. As a request from my grandson, we purchased a watermelon the other day and filled all 4 trays.... once it got to the dry cycle, it wouldn't hold the vacuum again. Window said to check valve and seal on the door. After checking it 3 times yesterday. I decided to leave it freezing until i could have more time to take it apart again to see what was going on. still didn't hold vacuum. Boy was i frustrated! I went to my bedroom and prayed. Asking the Lord to guide me to the issue. I had run out of ideas of what it could be and what i could do to fix it. about an hour later, I went to the freezer and rechecked every nut, bolt and hose. I loosened and tightened everything for the 4th time. This time, i turned the freezer off for a couple minutes, rechecked the release valve and found it was a little loose... tightened that AGAIN, then proceeded. let me tell you, God heard my prayer... so far so good. It's up an running smoothly again. So today my lesson was, even if you checked everything over 4x.... it's always better to check a 5th time and ask for some help from above! Just when i was about to give up, i remembered, " i CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH"

[@EpicenterBryan]

I've run 2 more batches since I put the Teflon ball back in with no problems. But parts are starting to arrive including a replacement Teflon ball from JB (but they sent the wrong seal). Also got the Nylon bearing balls (same size) and they look great too. Also got the solenoid and some motorized valves I plan to play with in another video. Should be some interesting videos in the next few weeks.

[@DooDad09]

Give yourself the credit for knowing what to do, not from outside self!

cant you just use a manual ball valve?

[@WilsonBuildings]

What size are the nylon bearings you're speaking of?

[@EpicenterBryan]

7/16"

[@DawnaRo]

I am having this problem. Can you tell me what size and title of part I should look for on ebay? May late husband would have had no problem with this, but I am a woman....Nuff said.

[@EpicenterBryan]

Try this: "7/16" nylon bearing balls"

[@DawnaRo]

Thank you so much.

[@larryjacobs5713]

Could not find plastic ball on eBay could you give additional info

[@EpicenterBryan]

Yes. Look for Natural Nylon Bearing Ball 7/16" diameter grade 1. Or send me an E-mail... bjnelson at theepicenter dot com

[@عيشسعادة]

Nic

[@tylerwernli1193]

The problem isn't with Harvest Right? It sounds to me like the problem IS with harvest right. Maybe I misunderstood though. When you said this was a problem with YOUR pump, did you have your own pump before buying the freeze drier? But wait, shouldn't Harvest Right provide a pump anyway--so it would be their problem.... Either way, nobody should have to take anything apart. I am actually seriously considering a harvest right freeze dryer and am doing some research.

[@tylerwernli1193]

Will the company replace the pump if you complain? Theoretically, would it be possible to leave the thing alone, go about my day, come back, and the oil has already receded, and oil got into the machine without realizing it? Then I use the thing again and break it? Thanks for the information.

[@GoodmanMIke59]

For a $3K system they use a NYLON BALL?

[@EpicenterBryan]

I agree. But that was a decision the pump manufacturer made. There are only so many reasonably prices pump manufacturers out there. But I'm working on a system to make that issue a thing of the past.

[@Bear-cm1vl]

The check valve ball is original to the JB vacuum pump and was never intended to be cycled the way this system does.

[@mrpush2532]

I am seeing a little bit of oil in my drain water after a cycle. I have a premier pump. Thats not cool.....anybody w premier pump see this?

[@EpicenterBryan]

I haven't heard of problems like that with the premier pump. I don't have one of those so you might need to call HR.

[@Kunta1926]

American made with Chinese balls. That’ll be your problem every time.

[@fredcallahan6165]

Could this be replaced with a stainless steel ball bearing? I mean nylon??? Really? You can buy 25 of these from Amazon in polished mirror stainless steel for $5 - I'm sure JB Industries cost would be much cheaper buying in bulk!!! Trying to save a few cents going with nylon over stainless and everyone having this problem tells me JB's president is an accountant.

[@JR-rp7vr]

This is a terrible design! Even if you prevent the oil from coming in, what's to stop toxic oil fumes and/or residue from still getting into your food?