Odds are the problem is the vacuum hose or its end connections, the drain valve, or the door gasket. Based upon my experience I'd double check the fittings while installed on the FDer.
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Ideal vacuum pressure and drying temperature is maintained for each material and preserves freshness and potency
I sent Harvest Right a note with a picture and they immediately shipped me a new display. Great Service again from the support team there! I think water had dripped down the front and the back of the unit and onto the display card shorting it out.
Granted, most of that time is the freeze dryer doing all the work, but the process is not without effort. Once the food is ready it must be put into appropriate containers with oxygen absorbers and sealed properly so they can last.
It's so much easier to stay on a low carb diet when you have things to nibble on. I've been drying meatballs (cut them in half first), and they make a fantastic savory snack. I'll post to the Tried and True thread when I get a chance.
If you’re in the market for a freeze dryer, Harvest Right is the best brand and way to go. So, let’s dig into the various places that are great to buy a freeze dryer, focusing on Harvest Right.
Now that you understand the conditions, you can better understand what happened when we finally turned off our FDer after an extended use in these conditions.
The differing vacuum levels during the system tests would be consistent with either a door seal leak or an drain valve leak.
Freezing a given number of meals means that you’ll only need to pop them in the microwave to defrost, once you’re ready to eat them. On top of that, they won’t go bad for months on end.
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Run full system test with no food in chamber (results, 630 mTorr lowest steady reading - looking through the oil level window, some bubbling seen in oil even after an hour Know More of pumpdown - some "air" noises from pump)
Presumably you have one of the medium sized units that is used for dried flowers, taxidermy etc - those are most common on the market. Lab supply places have very small ones for scientific samples. Food oriented freeze dryers tend to be factory sized.
A couple of other points: There are obvious and easy improvements that could be made, such as using a container with a dispensing faucet (think of a lemonade jar, for example). Also, for the technically savvy, auto-mechanic-type person who may be wondering about it, there is an anti-backflow seal that has to be removed from the oil filter, but that can be removed by cutting through it and pulling it out with needle nose pliers, which is easily done.