There are 3 ports on the chamber that I made slits in the plastic to get around and taped them up once around them. Do not tape to the insulation. Tape only to the vapor barrier plastic. It doesn't take long, just be careful. After the plastic is in place and secure around the chamber I sealed the plastic to the back of the front and back panels using the packing tape. All the way around the front and back of the chamber to completely seal the chamber from outside air and humidity.
Mylar bags keep food fresh for years The enemies to freeze dried food are moisture, oxygen, and light. Ideally, the food should be stored in a mylar bag with an oxygen absorber. The bag should be heat sealed to keep air from getting in. For best results, use a mylar bag 7 millimeters thick.
Looking at the picture you can see the water drops on the insulation and where the water had flowed down the back of the front panel.
I would prefer those fittings to have internal Este rings and knurled thread on ports (similar to R134a vacuum gauge sets) that do not require high torque compression fittings. Finger tight and you are good to go. You spot a leak, change the Este ring and you're back in business.
Another option that can work well is teaming up with like-minded friends or family members to purchase a freeze dryer together.
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.
I think a community-built troubleshooting manual is a great idea. These machines are simple in some ways, and more website complex in others, and having a lot of eyes on the problem is always good.
The freeze dried food can be used for everyday eating, camping and of course, long term storage. I freeze dry as much as I can while times are good, I won’t plan to freeze dry if I go off-grid or don’t have electricity.
And therein lies the cons to buying a freeze dryer. It takes time to make them cost effective. Depending on humidity in your area, a single run can take up to two days to complete.
Freeze drying definitely saves my family money. We have a lot less food waste because leftover food can be freeze dried for later use.
Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) On 12/1/2015 at 0:16 PM, Jenipher said: Tony, if you see this, I went ahead and purchased the catch can. Do you think it's okay to just purchase a reducer to go from the size of the exhaust to the size of the hose that came with the can? Hopefully I said that in a way that makes sense! As well, does it matter which port is used as "in" and which as "out"? Thanks so much, Jen Hi Jen, Sorry to be gone so long. I did exactly as you proposed. I purchased a brass reducer and pushed the blue hose over it.
This is why so many people are buying their own freeze dryers to use at home. The market is essentially cornered by Harvest Right, which isn’t a bad thing since their quality and customer service are both superb.
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Unfortunately, freeze-dried food can often be very expensive. We’ve seen this first hand as the only company that sells both frozen beef boxes to store in the freezer for up to a year as well as freeze-dried beef cubes to store in the closet for over a decade.