I have a Food Saver brand Vacuum Sealer, that all of a sudden stopped working properly. It has no On-Off switch. You simply plug it in, and then put the bag up to the vacuum area and then press down and hold the lid when its vacuuming the air out and then seals the bag closed. When it stopped working, a vacuum bag was placed (as we normally would) and then the lid was put down and pressed.
![Food Food](/uploads/1/2/3/9/123952386/945628658.jpg)
The motor is still running, but normally it makes a louder noise as its vacuuming the air out, and this time it didn't work. Since it wouldn't vacuum the air, it then wouldn't also seal the bag. I checked the single air hole on the unit, and there isn't anything obstructing the flow of air, and the bag was put properly in the machine.
I also tried using a new bag (just in case the other one was defective) but it made no difference. All the bags come off a large roll.
You seal one end, fill it, and then vacuum the air and finally it seals. I've been using this machine for several years with no issues, and this isn't a new roll of bags. Any ideas on what to do to service it and hopefully get it working again?
I also have a malfunctioning vac 420. My unit seals when there is no bag involved (or put only on the sealing strip, and not in the vacuum chamber 'valley'), but if there is anything in the vacuum chamber 95% of the time it will not seal. I've tried to blow into the pressure valve, and adjust the screw ( in both directions) but it just doesn't seem to be working. I oiled the seals but as I said, it only seals as expected when it does not have to evacuate anything.
Could my pump just be running a little under it's original specs and need to be oiled / reserviced / replaced - or do you think I should try to open the pressure check? Update, when the pump sounds good (i.e. When the sealer activates and the 'sound' is right) I get a measurement of a little under -25 inHg, when the bag is inserted and completely evacuated the measurement is more like -10 inHg. Could this be due to the functioning of the pump (as in, it should be running more like -28 and down to -18 or something when it activates the seal) or do you think this is all related to the seals themselves? Because the vacuum slowly dissipates without hitting the cancel button, I think this is proof positive that I have something wrong with my sealing gaskets (they are clearly not airtight).
I'll try replacing those and post here my results. Solution: It looks very much like it is mostly the lower seal (the one made of foam) that is the culprit. Wetting it thoroughly with water helped the problem immensely, and more or less solved the problem on its own.
Character writer 4.0 reviews. It is potentially possible that the all rubber (not really designed to be removed or replaced) gasket on the top half is also not in good condition anymore, but as it does not compress as much/frequently; the lower one is more likely to be the culprit. A video online showed someone using (foodsafe hopefully) 'red rtv - high temp gasket maker' which he then applied a thin even layer of using a credit card to the top gasket and allowed it to dry for several days (to make sure as much of that nasty solvent evaporates away as possible before use). Between that and replacing the foam I am sure to have the solution. In my case neither the pump nor the vacuum limit gauge seem to be having any issue. The replacement gaskets can be purchased online, but weather sealant strip tape looks AWFULLY similar. My seal-a-meal, when I put one end of the bag in to make the first seal, the motor runs but it doesn't make that high-pitched noise like when it's sucking and it never seals.
Oddly, when I remove the bag and close it (with nothing in there) it DOES make the high pitched-noise, the green light comes on (hands free) and then does the sealing, even though there is nothing to seal. But when I put the bag in - nothing but the motor running consistently with no change in intonation of the motor and the green light doesn't come on and it doesn't seal. My seal-a-meal, when I put one end of the bag in to make the first seal, the motor runs but it doesn't make that high-pitched noise like when it's sucking and it never seals. Oddly, when I remove the bag and close it (with nothing in there) it DOES make the high pitched-noise, the green light comes on (hands free) and then does the sealing, even though there is nothing to seal. But when I put the bag in - nothing but the motor running consistently with no change in intonation of the motor and the green light doesn't come on and it doesn't seal. I also want to thank the folks on this thread (even though it's older) for their various advice and expertise.I picked up a FoodSaver at a thrift store - motor and vacuum worked, it just wouldn't seal. Thanks to the advice in this thread, I also narrowed down the problem to the pressure sensor switch.
Had to un-solder it, and then open up the hex screw, but after cleaning the switch (q-tips & rubbing alcohol) my unit is working. YAY!I would add that I wasn't super careful in noticing how far the hex screw was adjusted, so it took a couple tries to get it adjusted back to the right pressure. If you haven't already done so, I would suggest doing a thorough inspection of the sealing system. Using a good magnifying glass, check the wire under the Teflon sealing strip for any obvious breaks or discoloration (such as a burn mark).
If that appears fine, open up the unit. You should see that the sealing strip wire is held under tension with small coil springs on either end.
Check that there is still tension on both ends. If not, it would indicate that there is a break along the wire and it would need to be replaced.
If you have access to a multimeter, you could also use that to check for any breaks in the sealing strip. If the sealing strip is okay, I would check the wiring from the sealing strip to the switch (that controls the vacuum and sealing operations). My unit makes a pretty obvious 'click' noise when the bag is vacuumed and it begins the sealing; but if you're not hearing that, it could mean a problem at the switch.
Beyond that, check all the connectors to the motor and the circuit board for any obvious problems. Let me know how it works out. I just broke mine out after about 2 years, and it seemed to evacuate the bag ok, but not quite enough to have it seal the bag. I had stored it for so long, the foam rubber gasket was a little compressed so wasn't working as well as it should. I left it out (open) all night and it works fine again this morning. I think when I store it from now on, I'll put something in there so it won't close all the way and compress the gaskets.
Nice that I didn't have to crack it open. Since I was on this page, I was obviously ready. If you look closely in the pic with the motor (pump) & the green circuit board, there is a block. Easy fix, go to a pet store & get 'fish pump air line', & replace that section, less than $1. Check the red barrel connected to the brown side of the circuit board. This a sensor to vary the 'pressure limit' before the sealing process is triggered. If anything is sucked into it, the sensor will not work.
If you like small items, You can take it apart & clean it. Unscrew the hexagon screw. Install windows sdk 6.0a windows 7.
A small flat bladed screw driver, fits quite well. (& count turns until unscrewed, so you can put it back; exactly the way it was). Carefully remove the spring hidden inside. Spider man 2001 pc game download full version. Inside is a metal plate mounted on a piece of rubber; (non-removable).
Use a Q-tip & alcohol to clean the metal plate, let dry. Re-install spring & screw back in the hexagon screw; exactly the way it was. I just want to thank you, tvandyke. Your instructions to canucksgirl on the pressure switch and how to clean it saved my Foodsaver v345 from certain demise. The pump was working great, but the unit wouldn't seal.
Foodsaver Instruction Manual
After some Googling, I found this post and did what you said. Foodsaver is back in action. The one thing you didn't mention but that I figured out from another website is you need to desolder the pressure valve off the circuit board to successfully remove the hex screw. But I needed an excuse to buy a soldering station (my first) and learn how to solder.
Now what to do with it? Time to build a drone!!:).
QuickStartV1085For important safety information and helpful tips, please refer to the FoodSaver Reference Guide included in your kit. Visit us at www.foodsaver.com or call 1-800-777-5452 (U.S.) or1-877-804-5383 (Canada). Get tips on vacuum packaging and order FoodSaver accessories.Accessory PortSeal Control Switch (2-Position)Accessory HoseFEDIndicator LightOpen/Cancel ButtonInstant Seal ButtonCBAVacuum ChannelSealing StripHGAntibacterial Drip TrayRubber GasketJIFeatures of Your FoodSaver ApplianceFeaturesQS.1085v2.1 5/26/04 11:32 AM Page 1.
We carry compatible replacement heating wires and sealing strips for your FoodSaver and Rival Seal-A-meal vacuum sealers. Rather than purchase a new FoodSaver, purchase replacement parts at a fraction of the price. A sealer (including the FoodSaver vacuum sealer) requires maintenance as part of the natural wear and tear cycle of the machine. If you are using your vacuum sealer often, most likely you will need to change the heating wire and sealing strip on a regular basis.Sealing Strip - This is a PTFE adhesive that serves as a barrier between the heating element and body of the sealer. When the sealer's heating wire has burned through the sealing strip, the heating element will break which could also result in more damage to other sealer parts.
We recommend changing the sealing strip whenever you see that the strip appears worn or discolored. The sealing strip we carry measures 14' x 1/2' (L x W) which is slightly wider than FoodSaver sealing strips, but will work on your FoodSaver sealers. We also carry lengths in 10 and 36 yards.Heating Element / Wire - After heavy use of the vacuum sealer, it is natural for the heating element to break. The amount of seals per sealing wire is dependent on your timer setting, how often you use your vacuum sealer and how thick your vacuum bags are.
When you replace the heating element, we usually recommend you replace the sealing strip as well. Different machines have different sizes of heating elements but we carry five stock elements.Stock Element #1 (Model No.
HE-14-FS-1) will work for the following FoodSaver models: Vac 350, 365, 375, 550, and 750. Our stock heating wire #1 measures: #1 - 15 3/4' (Outside of Eyelet to Outside of Eyelet), #2 - 15 1/2' (Back of Eyelet Hole to Back of Eyelet Hole) and #3 - 2mm (Width of Element).Stock Element #2 (Model No. HE-14-FS-2) will work for the following models: FoodSaver V2040, V2060, Rival Seal-a-Meal VS110, VS220 and VS230. Our in stock heating wire #2 measures: #1 - 13 1/2' (Outside of Eyelet to Outside of Eyelet), #2 - 13 3/8' (Back of Eyelet Hole to Back of Eyelet Hole) and #3 - 2mm (Width of Element).Stock Element #3 (Model No. HE-14-FS-3) will work for the following models: FoodSaver V825, V835 and V845.
Our in stock heating wire #3 measures: #1 - 14 1/2' (Outside of Eyelet to Outside of Eyelet), #2 - 14 1/4' (Back of Eyelet Hole to Back of Eyelet Hole) and #3 - 2mm (Width of Element).Stock Element #4 (Model No. HE-14-FS-4) will work for the following models: FoodSaver Professional, GameSaver Turbo. Our in stock heating wire #4 measures: #1 - 15' (Outside of Eyelet to End) - ONLY ONE EYELET HOLE FOR THIS ELEMENT and #3 - 2mm (Width of Element). If the element is too long, you may cut to your dimensions as there is only one eyelet for this element.Stock Element #5 (Model No. HE-14-FS-5) will work for the following models: VS75, VS106 Our in stock heating wire #5 measures: #1 - 13 1/4' (Outside of Eyelet to Outside of Eyelet), #2 - 13 1/8' (Back of Eyelet Hole to Back of Eyelet Hole) and #3 - 2mm (Width of Element).Stock Element Custom (Model No. HE-14-CUSTOM) is available if your measurements do not fit the above. Please provide us with your element measurements using our and we can try and make a custom element for you.
Please include Measurement #1, #2, and #3 for your order. Note: Custom elements are NON-REFUNDABLE.If you do not find what you are looking for, please and we will gladly be of assistance.Please visit our sister website for FoodSaver compatible bags and rolls.