Vacuum Leaks Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Errors Tips and Tricks, How we fixed ours.

This video is about our learning curve with our Harvest Right Freeze Dryer and Vacuum Errors. We explain in detail the vacuum leaks we had and what we did about them. Our biggest trouble maker was the drain valve. In the video, I show replacing it and WHY it was failing. There are also some temporary fixes that may help you get by until you can make a permanent repair. I also add some general things to check if you are having vacuum errors.
After the video, we were running a candy batch and our mTorr got down below 150. I think this is a WIN!
This is the drain valve we installed:
www.lowes.com/pd/PRO-FLEX-Bra...
The Teflon Tape we used
www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-0-6-in...
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Wishing you happiness, good food and safe storing.
Ann and Wayne

[@user-te9ek1fk5n]

I watched many so called FD Fixers here on youtube and could not fix my machine problem, I spent more than $400 buying tapes, hoses, etc and could not solved the nasty problem for months, i had a tiny leak that was driving me nuts. I followed his advise specially with the hose and fixed my leak once and for all, took all the Teflon tape off as he recommended and used a bit of oil on the O rings, now my Mt go down to 195, great common sense tips. I really appreciate your help with this video, thank you very very much.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for the very kind comment. Helping people like you helps keep us motivated to do more videos and help more people. Have a great day!

[@jlynn77]

Any suggestions on keeping he oring in the oil mister top. It falls out Everytime I take it off

[@tashamitchell06]

Thank you a million times over!!! My machine has not been pulling an adequate vacuum for over 2 months. I have spent countless hours researching, watching youtube videos, ripping apart my vacuum pump, taping everything imaginable, etc. I was at a loss and about to rip the side panels off my machine to take an internal look. But I thought, let's try youtube universe one more time before resorting to this last step. Thank goodness for your video!!! Turns out, the drain valve was not closing 100%. Since replacing, my mTorrs are now as low as 350! It's never been this low. Thanks Again!!!!

[@cookingandstoring]

You are very welcome. The drain valve was also a constant problem for us as well. Good luck going forward and we wish you a great day.

[@handle2468]

Thank goodness for all the help from people on KZbin. With limited help and incomplete info from the company, these videos are so valuable. Thank you

[@cookingandstoring]

I agree, HR could do a MUCH BETTER job on documentations. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@pz8265]

Worse customer service on the planet. Once you buy these machines, you're pretty much on your own and must become a tech to keep it running.

[@Packsalot]

Great video showing possible leak sources. Those stock valve are absolute junk. That is where my failure was. I also replaced mine with a gas valve over a year ago and have not had any problems since. I did put my Teflon tape on wrong but that did not matter. Rookie mistake but it still held. Much better setup now. I get tons of people whom watched our video that said they had the same problem. Apparently this is a problem with most all of the Harvest Right units. Harvest Right should upgrade their setup. Well done on your video. Have a great day.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for the very kind comment. I have looked at your channel and subscribed. I wish I could travel like you have. Be safe and have a great day.

[@Packsalot]

@@cookingandstoring Thank you very much. Hopefully you can get out and travel some too. Don't forget to take the freeze dried goodies! 😃👍 Have a great day.

[@cookingandstoring]

Part of the reason we got the Freeze Dryer was to take food camping, but we have not been able to camp as much as we would like too. Maybe we will get out more this year.

[@brendanb1541]

Replacing the drain valve has my 2 1/2 year old medium sized machine back up and freeze drying. Pulling below 400 mTorr. The old drain valve was getting hard to open/close and when it was off I could see rust inside. Great video, well done. Thank you!!

[@cookingandstoring]

You're welcome. Glad I could help. Thank you for visiting .

[@arnthorsen8491]

After several months of my drier down due to a leek, and spendinding a few hundred dollars on new parts, I came across your video. Thank you for the very informative and slow information. Like I said, I changed several parts and spent $200 to harvest right and my problem was a loos conection from the hose to the pump. Thank you.

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad I could help! Thanks for visiting our channel.

[@jacknathaniel5203]

The backing off and alignment of the hose installation and oil on the o-ring are new to me even after watching days worth of freeze dryer videos. Good stuff. Thank you.

[@cookingandstoring]

It is a small thing but when vacuum leaks are a big problem, it can make a difference between the machine working well or not. Thank you for visiting and we hope you enjoy your freeze dryer.

[@chuckcramer3402]

We’ve had a HarvestRight freeze dryer since March 2022. Early on we experienced frequent vacuum failures. I resealed the epoxy seal on the sensor. It offered som improvement, but I wasn’t satisfied. The vacuum hose was not an issue. Next in line was the demister. I discovered that the plastic threads were worn. So I used Teflon tape on it. I replace the tape each time a change the oil. Since I started using the tape I’ve ran in excess of 250 batches and haven’t had any vacuum failures. What a cheap fix!

[@cookingandstoring]

That's good to know. We have not had that problem, but your tip could help others. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@gusfjeld8750]

Our vacuum pump just stopped working and we had purchased it at tractor supply. I brought it in and they replaced the whole unit. They stand behind their products. Tractor Supply is great and this is some good advice.

[@cookingandstoring]

Good to know! That's awesome. Glad to say we purchased ours there also!

[@DJ-xu4gl]

This is the most helpful video I’ve watched on leaks and I’VE WATCHED A LOT OF VIDEOS!! Thanks!

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad you found it so helpful. Thank you for your kind comment and visiting our channel.

[@FrenkMelk]

Thanks a bunch. I was skeptical about using Teflon tape and I am now employing your oil brush on the brass fittings technique

[@cookingandstoring]

Just on the fittings with an O-Ring in them. Teflon tape on the others. Thank you for visiting and we wish you a great day.

[@user-jq9ev1nb3s]

Hey thanks for your video. I was getting a little frustrated and watching your video and seeing stuff you did some I already new great refresher video. Thanks alot

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching.

[@cheryls3777]

Thank you so much! I was at my wits end! I thank God for you sir. May he bless you richly!

[@cookingandstoring]

You are very welcome! Thank you for your kind comment and visiting.

[@red_beetle4282]

Great info! Well presented! Makes me wonder about the quality of a several thousand dollar appliance if the owner has to do maintenance/ fix it after only owning it for a few weeks! I hope you sent the company a bill for the parts and labor!

[@cookingandstoring]

I don't see as much complaining about vacuum leaks as I did early last year. Maybe their quality has gotten better. I did not send them a bill, I just moved on. Thank you for visiting and we hope you have a great day.

[@HartFarmsGenetics]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing. After all these years of Harvest Right being a sole provider to homes for freeze dryers and commanding a very high price for an appliance it is a shame to see such cheaply sourced parts put in. Cheap 1/2' valve vs a brass one wouldn't really hurt their profit margins. At least 4 freeze dryer manufacturers out there now and I think when i purchase one, it won't be Harvest Right. Unless they lower their prices by 30% Peace from the Canadian prairie.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for visiting our channel. We wish you the best when you start the freeze drying adventure!

[@jeffs-reviews]

You have to understand how each fitting works, the hose fittings that go from the machine to the pump are compression fittins. The threads only pull the compression faces together, they need to mate smoothly or you can't get your vacuum. A little oil on the o ring and the mating surfaces might help, it won't "seal" the fitting but it will allow the fitting to smoothly mate for a better fit. The valve is a common pip fitting which needs teflon tape, I use good teflon takpe with a little pipe thread compund to make sure its tight. If your drain valve leaks make sure its not rusted, my sons rusted and we bought a new, better one.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for your comment and for visiting.

[@T_Barb]

Yes. No matter what has an o-ring, you always lubricate your oil ring. I was a machine repairman (woman) in the skilled trades. It included hydraulics/pneumatics.

[@cookingandstoring]

You are correct and it is sad that HR does not tell people this especially with all the complaints about vacuum leaks. Thank you for the comment and we wish you a great day.

[@livingproof9622]

Thanks for the tips. Our FD arrives this week and I’m going to Lowe’s today to get my new valve rated for propane and proper tape, not the white kind. Thank you for the tips. I subbed you and Ann.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for subscribing to our channel, that means a lot. We wish you the best with your new freeze dryer. We have really enjoyed using ours.

[@threadlovert1393]

Thanks for the video. It was very informative. I'd read that some people were having issues with their valves. Also, since I'd read that part of the installed valve was plastic, it made sense to replace it. I purchased a valve a few weeks ago; however, I like the one you have featured much better, so I bought it online at my local Loews. I'll pick it up tomorrow. I already have the tape. I did buy two replacement gaskets from Harvest Right. Having some parts on hand if/when something fails. Donald’s Freeze Dryer Support and Reviews has a teardown of the unit. I watched that in case I need to do it at some point. He has several; however, the one I watched a few times was the one titled Harvest Right Felix Fix. He mentioned that the incorrect tubing was used to connect the pump to the machine. It's a JIC fitting. I might purchase the proper tubing. I have had a few vacuum seal issues; however, mine was related to the gasket. I need to pull the cord inside the unit on top of the tray. I ensured I did that gently, and I have no more vacuum seal errors. I'm currently on Batch #6. Thus far, it's been produce. I'm slowly making a dent in my deep freezer, which is excellent. I'm looking forward to having one more way to preserve food when it's time to harvest my garden. I can ferment, dehydrate, and now I feeeze dry!

[@cookingandstoring]

I have also watched some of Donald's videos. He and Felix are a great resource. We have also experienced some of the same vacuum leaks you have and most were corrected by cleaning the gasket and pulling the cable on top of the tray rack. But BY FAR our leaks were at the drain valve and after I removed it, and looked inside at the ball part of the ball valve, I knew why. Harvest Right should NEVER use this type of valve. I wish you great success and a great day.

[@threadlovert1393]

@@cookingandstoring I agree with you regarding Harvest Right. It's a shame that they cut corners. I have heard that a few new businesses are now releasing freeze dryers; hopefully, this will cause them to get their act together. However, I think they should have done this from the beginning. Take pride in your work/product, and offer excellent customer service instead of doing the minimum because you have a monopoly on a product. My parents taught my brother and me it and lived through their actions. I have heard several negative stories about customer experiences when contacting HR to address/fix issues. I chose HR anyway, because the companies offering the freeze dryers are new and I know if something happens to my HR freeze dryer I should be able to fix thanks to the detailed videos that are available. I've reached out to HR's customer service, by phone, to purchase additional supplies; some of their supplies aren't featured on their website. The lady I spoke to is actually one that was mentioned on Donald's KZbin page as being a great support tech. When I talked to her on the phone, she was charming and even followed up, via email, with additional information from a product I'd purchased. Because of the videos, I am confident I can handle the issues if/when they occur. My dad was HVAC. He would have been able to troubleshoot issues with no problem. Both of my parents passed away last year. Gone but not forgotten. I'm really enjoying your videos. Wishing you both a great day!

[@butchwilliams825]

Thank you for your simple, straight forward approach to the video. I had tried the "Felix Fix" and a few other things, but you may me remember, go back to the last time that it worked and use proper engineering and repair techniques. In my case, I had moved the pump and had not gotten the hose centered. I oiled the o-ring, sealing surface AND the threads. The threads do not seal, but the oil reduces the friction and makes the torque actually effective, not just used up in turning the nut. Pulled down to 376 in about 20 minutes, the lowest yesterday was 990, in over 3 hours! Liked and subscribe (and loved!!)!

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you for your comment. I think the 2 biggest areas of vacuum leaks is the drain valve and the vacuum hoses. You are correct that Teflon tape (or any other sealer) should not be used on these types of hoses. If the o-ring is not doing the job, correct that, don't bypass it to try and create a seal in some other way. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@kristiaaker9426]

Thank you so much for this video! After following your instructions, I have been using my freeze dryer for the first time! This was a new machine that came with vacuum leaks! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my sanity, after many months of trying everything! God bless!

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad I could help! We're so sorry that you have had such a hard time with your new Freeze Dryer. From our experience and the problems others have also had , this seems to be an issue with a lot of these machines. We are so glad you were able to fix yours and start enjoying it. Strong work, to fix it yourself!

[@kristiaaker9426]

♥

[@SpookyMommaT]

I just received my med FD....before setting up I watched some videos. I have to say yours is by far the best... less intimidating, easily explained set up and fix it I have seen. I was ready to send back with all the confusing, bad reviews etc. THANK YOU I hope you continue with videos. I subscribed to journey with you both as I will be a newbie also

[@cookingandstoring]

Awesome! Thank you! We wish you well in your freeze drying adventure. Thanks for visiting and subscribing.

[@sweett4rt]

Great tips thanks!

[@cookingandstoring]

You're welcome! Thanks for visiting and your kind comment!

[@sueholte451]

Thank you!! This information is so helpful!

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your kind comment and visiting.

[@dominiqueamore9180]

This was very thorough and helpful - thanks

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for visiting and the comment.

[@marizen2]

Excellent. Thank you for sharing!

[@cookingandstoring]

My pleasure! Thanks for visiting our channel.

[@AnneMarieBibby1966]

Thank you! I've been searching KZbin for 2 days, came across your video, and found I do have a bad valve. My hose did start sucking up water immediately in the test you showed. Off to Home Depot! Thanks again

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad You found this video helpful. Thanks for the comment and subscribing. Hope you're back to freeze drying soon!

[@AnneMarieBibby1966]

@cookingandstoring I went to Homedepot last night. I got the same valve you showed and some new drain tubing. I was actually surprised they no longer sell it by the foot, and it's sold by 10 foot packages 😂 but, I did everything exactly, and I have it up and running beautifully. I'm very grateful for your video. As I said, others didn't help me pinpoint the problem and solution. God bless have a beautiful week ahead.

[@cookingandstoring]

Thanks Anne for the wonderful comment, you've made our day. It really makes us happy to know we were able to help someone. We're all about helping people save money and do things for themselves, you might be interested in our other channel, kzbin.info . It is a DIY channel with lots of home repair and gardening videos.

[@elizabethreed3587]

Thank you. Plan to change my valve before I have problems.

[@cookingandstoring]

That is a good plan. Good luck with your Freeze Dryer and have a great day.

[@armymedic574]

Just got ours. Tried to run a few batches, haven't had a successful yet. I ordered a new valve off your link. Fingers crossed it works. I am very disappointed with the high cost of these that they come with a set of problems out of the box.

[@cookingandstoring]

We understand your frustration. We had the same issues when we started. Since we fixed the leaks ect. we have had no additional problems.

[@armymedic574]

@@cookingandstoring I think I got to all the leaks. Mtorr went to 740 in 12 min took an hour and 12 min to get to 498 then I stopped it. Thoughts?

[@williamgras5598]

Thank you very much for your help sir! God bless

[@cookingandstoring]

Glad it helped! Thank you for visiting and your kind words.

[@valeriehunter6945]

very helpful video. im going to try everything you have suggested. hopefully fix my leak.

[@cookingandstoring]

Good luck! I hope you are able to fix your leak. They can be so annoying! Please let me know how it goes. Thank you for visiting our channel.

[@janweaver327]

Your video is organized well, you give thorough & easy to understand instructions, and your visuals are helpful. Best video on this topic I have seen. Would you please make a video addressing how to correct door seal problems? I’ve checked all connections, washed the door gasket just as you instructed, everything you have mentioned. Still have vacuum issues.

[@cookingandstoring]

We have not had problems with our door adjustments, so I have not looked into proper ways to adjust it. If things change, we will make a video. Thank you for visiting and we hope you have a great day.

[@user-zd8dw8gb2n]

I looked at the HR decided not to buy one because of all there problems right out of the box, so I went with a STAY FRESH freeze dryer, glad I did no problems.

[@cookingandstoring]

HR does have some problems but they also sell more than anybody so you would expect to hear more problems. Thank you for the comment and have a great day.

[@user-zd8dw8gb2n]

@@cookingandstoring Your welcome !!!

[@user-li5br8in6z]

You were smart to not buy the HR freeze dryer. I wish i had known about the stay fresh freezer dryer before I bought the HR. The $4000 HR has been a heavy paper weight since about 7 months in. And HR service sucks. They don't have a clue as to what they are doing. Running test over test over test to have no solution to the problem. Also they sell one pump for all their units regardless of the size. The pump is undersized for the larger units. I wouldn't recommend their products to anyone.

[@kathcon2600]

Ive learned more on basic use of tools products. Thank you

[@cookingandstoring]

You are very welcome. Thank you for visiting and we hope you have a great day.

[@ss316eater]

This should help with an issue or two I am having. Thanks :)

[@cookingandstoring]

We hope it does, Thank you for visiting and good luck with your issue.

[@stephaniehorton-realtor5928]

This is a great video

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you, we have not had any vacuum errors after making this video. Almost a year now. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@TheBobelly628]

Thanks for making this video! I’ve had my small FD for 8 days and suddenly experience a vacuum error but it resolved when I tightened the hose. But I decided to purchase a valve to have on hand.Thanks for the link on what to purchase.

[@cookingandstoring]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching Good luck on your freeze drying adventure.

[@PS-pe6nc]

Very nice common sense fixes! I love it when people use their brains . 🧠 Next time you’re in the plumbing department, look for a small container of o-ring silicone grease . It’s commonly used on faucet’s and it’s safe and cheap. Won’t harm the rubber. You may like it better. 😊

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you I will look into that. Have a great day.

[@PS-pe6nc]

@@cookingandstoring Love your videos. Thank you for doing them. God bless you and your wife 🙏

[@cookingandstoring]

You are welcome. We do plan to keep doing them and in the future we plan to do more cooking as well as other ways to store food.

[@buckleybaker9276]

Thank you so much ive been fighting vacume leak and had narrowed it down to the hose i had replaced the o-rings with no luck after oiling the o-rings and holding fitting in line voila got vacume down to 140

[@cookingandstoring]

That's GREAT! I'm so glad it worked for you. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@catslilcreations]

I'm a gardener and love my freeze-dryer.

[@cookingandstoring]

We are enjoying ours as well. Thanks for visiting our channel.

[@mrh829]

Having just got a Harvest Right machine last week, I can say that at least in the manual I received, it specifically states to NOT use Teflon tape on the vacuum hose. Maybe this wasn't specified in the manual on older machines, but at least it's there now.

[@cookingandstoring]

It depends on the type of fitting. The hose from the vacuum pump to the unit is straight threads and seal with an O-Ring. Don't use Teflon Tape here. The drain hose uses tapered threads and the threads make the seal and you DO use Teflon Tape on them. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@pstoneking3418]

Original drain valve has caused a lot of problems with vacuum. Harvest right has gone to an all stainless steel ball valve. In fact because of all my vacuum problems & still under warranty, harvest right was good enough to send me 2 new o-rings and one of their new valves, free of charge. If you do purchase a replacement valve, you can be sure a gas ball valve would be your best replacement.

[@cookingandstoring]

It's good they changed because the one that came with our machine was CRAP! Thank you for the update. We hope you have a great day.

[@danapalmer4286]

On the vacuum hose sometimes the crimpes will leak i use super glue on the outside of the hose to seal the leak on the drain valve i use a stainless valve because the water has a high acid when you put your door gasket on close the door and use a spoon between the gasket and the body to move the gasket against the door good job on your videio

[@cookingandstoring]

Thank you and thanks for the suggestions. Have a great day.

[@Aprild174]

I had trouble with mine last year. It was also having a vaccuum error. I taped everything , still had an issue. Finally change the valve and voila, all good. Now im having an issue again. I believe this time it is my standard pump. I changed the oil , started a test and oil turns cloudy within a few minutes. I will once again change the valve just in case, even though I have the same one in this video. Its been a year, so maybe it is bad again. I hope thats it, because it is a super easy and cheap fix.

[@cookingandstoring]

We have not had that problem but I think there are videos on KZbin about this. Maybe they will help. Good luck and we wish you the best.

[@user-li5br8in6z]

We have the large dryer and the undersized HR pump failed with in the first year and so we replaced it with another manufacturer's pump that was larger. Still having issues with getting the thing to lower to 500 but hopefully this video will help resolve that.

[@rbo2294]

HR door and freeze chamber adjustments. 😊

[@cookingandstoring]

We will add that to our list on future videos. Thanks for visiting.

[@goagirl2003]

Haven't even gotten to use my freeze dryer due to vacuum probs. Tired of messing with it

[@cookingandstoring]

Sorry to hear that. There is a lot of information on KZbin about vacuum errors. I hope you find your solution. Thank you for visiting and we wish you success with your machine and have a great day.

[@bobbymaher4756]

me too, have had lots of problems with leaks. I loved this helpful video though. Back onto the mystery of where the leak is!!

[@LMC444111]

Thanks for the video, Wayne. My problems started after changing the oil. Have never had an issue with my large machine. I admit to tipping the pump when I was draining the oil due to the awkward location of my pump and absentmindedness. Took the demister off and cleaned it after watching another video. Before taking it off, I was at 1586mTorr and, after cleaning and drying, I hit bottom at 1528mTorr so not really any difference at all. My premium pump is also making a different noise... more of a whirring sound and it seems quieter to me. I'm pretty convinced that, whatever I've done, it started with me changing the oil. When I try to run a load, it goes into and 'extra dry time' mode and, as soon as it finishes, it goes straight into Vacuum Freezing and says it's running at over 2500mTorr. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[@cookingandstoring]

Sounds like you have a vacuum leak somewhere. I don't think it is a problem with the pump but I could be wrong. Did you test the drain valve for a vacuum leak, it is the most common problem area from what I have seen. If not the drain valve, I would loosen the hose that goes from the pump to the machine and reseat them like I demonstrated in the video. Good luck and thank you for visiting.

[@kerry1963qld]

Hello from Australia thankyou so much for the great information , I have subscribed , we have the older machine we got back in 2017 but would you know how to change the heat settings for the trays ? as my husbands 5 tray seems to be running hot and food comes out looking like its been dehydrated thanks again

[@cookingandstoring]

We have not had that problem, so I have no experience in that area. Thank you for visiting and good luck with your problem.

[@brianschindler1511]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@cookingandstoring]

Thanks for watching!

[@inthewoods3237]

Good Stuff! What size is that new valve? I’m just going to replace it before we even use ours

[@cookingandstoring]

Here is a link to the one we used. This is the drain valve we installed: www.lowes.com/pd/PRO-FLEX-Brass-3-8-in-Fip-x-3-8-in-Fip-Ball-Valve/1003071900 The Teflon Tape we used www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-0-6-in-x-21-ft-Plumber-s-Tape/4751309 Thanks for visiting and have a great day.

[@inthewoods3237]

@@cookingandstoring Thank You Sir!!!

[@Alphasig336]

Adding a Y after vaccine valve will reduce suction in the drain water if your tubing gets submerged.

[@cookingandstoring]

Yes it can, we cut the tube short so it does not get that far down in the bucket and we empty the bucket often. Thanks for the suggestion and have a great day.

[@michaelbartlett9218]

What did HarvestRight say about the rust on a new product?

[@cookingandstoring]

I did not call them about it. I am a DIY'er and so I just fixed it myself. youtube.com/@diywithwayne Thank you and we hope you have a great day.

[@pamdore9292]

Ours has been working just fine. Now it won’t go up 1150. We will check it all.

[@cookingandstoring]

Good luck with your repair. It sounds like you might have a minor vacuum leak.

[@nationalmatch1]

I was reading the specs over on Lowe's website and it says this valve can only handle 5psi. Is that enough to handle the pressure the Freeze-dryer will exert on it? I'm wondering this because the first time I used it to release the pressure, it only let out a very slight "hiss" of pressure and took about 5-7 minutes to allow the chamber's plexiglass door to be opened. Very odd!!!!.

[@cookingandstoring]

That is the valve we use and it works well. The 5PSI is pressure, we use it for vacuum. I don't know how that relates. If your machine takes 5 to 7 minutes to release the vacuum, there is a problem. We had a problem where there was a kink in the plastic pipe and that caused this. Make sure the pipe after the valve is not getting sucked closed. If not, check that the Teflon tape is not covering the opening on the valve. Good luck and we wish you a happy new year.

[@nationalmatch1]

@@cookingandstoring TY for the reply. I'm not sure what happened but now after 2 freeze-dry cycles, it's working perfectly. I just hope it doesn't happen again. Thank you for all your help!!!!! Happy New year to you and your fam!!

[@MisterEMystery]

When you state “errors” is the machine telling you there’s a problem or do you just experience it? For me, when I opened the drain valve no pressure was released. The machine didn’t think anything was wrong, it had completed the FD’ing of my product. The trays were frozen was the only thing I noticed. I realized as I was watching it may have been the front gasket as there was some “sweat” on the outside of the gasket. I’ve had this thing all of 2 1/2 months. I’ve already filtered the oil once because I lost track of how many batches I had done (maybe 18, maybe more) and thought I should just to be safe. When I refilled the filtered oil I had lost a bit of oil, could this be a separate problem?

[@cookingandstoring]

Yes, Our Machine was giving a vacuum error. The sweat on the gasket is normal. We keep a towel under it to catch the drips. We keep a log of batches and that makes it easy to know how many have been run. You will loose some oil from the demister with the air that is pumped out of the machine. This is normal but it should not go below the low point on the oil level sight glass. Good luck and thank you for visiting.

[@MisterEMystery]

@cookingandstoring thank you for the reply! I guess I still don’t understand why there was no pressure when I opened the valve as it sounds like everything else is normal. I guess I won’t worry about it unless it happens again (haven’t done a batch of anything since, largely due to no product I want to FD).

[@cookingandstoring]

It could be that the pump had turned off. I think that would allow the vacuum to release slowly through the pump. I'm not sure, just guessing. Anyway, good luck with your machine.

[@armymedic574]

My drying time is still running. The timer says 64hours 34 min I have peas and blueberries on 2 trays should I stop it?

[@cookingandstoring]

Blueberries have to be broken in some way. Stick them with a pick of some type, because of the skin and seeds. What are your readings on your machine? 64 hours is way too long for a run. Do you have all four trays in the machine? There is only a sensor on one shelf, so you need to make sure that shelf has a tray. Also make sure your tray holder is not upside down. Send the readings on your display maybe can be more helpful..

[@ContentsOfTable]

What size fitting is connected to the drain valve?

[@cookingandstoring]

This is the one we used: www.lowes.com/pd/PRO-FLEX-Brass-3-8-in-Fip-x-3-8-in-Fip-Ball-Valve/1003071900 Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@gusfjeld8750]

It keeps your hose from tightening

[@cookingandstoring]

You're right on these particular hoses, the Teflon tape can cause problems!

[@denalidude]

Do you ever take a email or call on the computer...

[@mariedillavou6107]

I'm having a problem with my Harvest Right freeze dryer again. I've had it for 1 yr 3 months and has had so many problems! Under warranty was able to finally get each of the 6 problem fixed, but now it's out of warranty and down again with a new problem. It freezes and dries but when it goes into extra dry time it starts freezing again. Anyone else have this problem? Sure could use suggestions before I have to pay 45.00 to fix it again.

[@cookingandstoring]

That sounds like a software problem. If you can, you can try upgrading the software. Good luck and we hope you the best.

[@waynespringer501]

Drain valve should be stainless steel so that it doesn't rust

[@cookingandstoring]

Yep, you are correct and HR should make that change. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.

[@gusfjeld8750]

Do not use Teflon tape

[@cookingandstoring]

Good advice, thanks!

[@peternelson9865]

Sad that you pay that much money for the unit and they use inferior parts. Are these machines made in China?

[@cookingandstoring]

We have had our machine almost a year now. The problems I see people talking about online has decreased a lot over the past year. So, my guess is that the quality has gotten better. I think it is made in China, but what is not? We would purchase again because it does what we need it too. The only problem we had was the bad drain valve and that was an easy fix. Thank you for visiting and have a great day.