Chamber Vacuum Sealers, 2014–

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, chromedome said:

 

You're a retro programming languages hobbyist?

 

Vacuum sealing things is pretty basic.

 

[chromedome]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Vacuum sealing things is pretty basic.

 

Sorry, it was a poor joke. Back when I was a pup in the computer-selling business, when DOS 3.0 was shiny and new, Pascal was a popular programming language.

 

I have no idea why Lemniscate actually settled on that name, it just momentarily struck me as funny and the filter that often keeps those things in my head, where they belong, failed me. I refer to this as "anaerobic" humor...funny in my head, but dies when exposed to the outside air.

[lemniscate]

3 hours ago, chromedome said:

 

You're a retro programming languages hobbyist?

@chromedome  Pascal

 

@JoNorvelleWalker  the BASIC joke was pretty freaking funny too.

[chromedome]

(Facepalm) LOL It's even worse when you misinterpret the followup.

Clearly there's a strong case for "early to bed" tonight.

[EsaK]

I've been struggling to find information on the kind of oil you can put in Henkelman Jumbo machines. They only say "Foodmax Air PAO 32" is the preferred oil, but I can't find that from Finland. Problem is, I have no idea what an equivalent oil would be.. Anybody able to help out? Thanks in advance!

[dscheidt]

On 10/31/2019 at 3:02 AM, EsaK said:

I've been struggling to find information on the kind of oil you can put in Henkelman Jumbo machines. They only say "Foodmax Air PAO 32" is the preferred oil, but I can't find that from Finland. Problem is, I have no idea what an equivalent oil would be.. Anybody able to help out? Thanks in advance!

 

PAO is 'polyalphaolefin', a variety of syntheic base oil.  32 is the ISO viscosity.  I expect that any vacuum oil with that viscosity would be suitable.  The big feature of oils specified for vacuum pumps is the low foaming, and low vapor pressure.  from a lubrication stand point, it's not a terribly tough job. 

[rotuts]

@EsaK

 

if you are still having trouble finding oil  ,

 

why not canvas higher end restaurants , and find one that has a vac sealer and does SV

 

and go ask them where they get their oil ?

[Nowayout]

On 10/31/2019 at 2:02 AM, EsaK said:

I've been struggling to find information on the kind of oil you can put in Henkelman Jumbo machines. They only say "Foodmax Air PAO 32" is the preferred oil, but I can't find that from Finland. Problem is, I have no idea what an equivalent oil would be.. Anybody able to help out? Thanks in advance!

Your Henkelman Jumbo has a Busch pump, not sure of the size though.  Busch recommends their R580 oil which is a synthetic. It looks like R530 can be used as well.

 

Busch Vacuum Oil Specs

 

Honestly I only use Busch oil. I don't change it that often due to relatively low use, so the price or having to order it isn't a big issue. 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

[Nowayout]

3 hours ago, Nowayout said:

Your Henkelman Jumbo has a Busch pump, not sure of the size though.  Busch recommends their R580 oil which is a synthetic. It looks like R530 can be used as well.

 

Busch Vacuum Oil Specs

 

Honestly I only use Busch oil. I don't change it that often due to relatively low use, so the price or having to order it isn't a big issue. 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

Also here is Busch's info for Finland. Email them and ask who the dealers are.  They will have oil.

 

Busch Vakuumteknik Oy

Sinikellontie 401300Vantaa

Phone: +358 (0)9 774 60 60

info@busch.fi

www.buschvacuum.com/fi

[m61376]

Polyscience 300 - I have the machine a little over a year and a half and yesterday the lights flashed and wouldn’t shut off without unplugging. When I plugged it back in and reran it I got an E1 message. On closer examination the 2 brass pieces that come up, which the seal bar sits on, popped up about a quarter of an inch, so the lid wouldn’t close completely. 
this morning they settled back down and, when I called tech support, it just kept on vacuuming and never releasing, and I had to unplug to shut it off; i couldn’t open the lid. Tech said to plug it back in and try to get it to release the pressure- initially saw a LP error then it released and I was able to open it, and notice again those brass pieces are elevated (normally there’s a partial horizontal flange that’s flush with the top of the bolts but it pops up on both sides). 

Polyscience wants 499 to repair it- very frustrating. Wonder if anyone has come across this and has any suggestions. 
Im torn whether to repair or think about the new Vacmaster 220, which will fit on my pull-out
 

[rotuts]

@m61376 

 

that's 1/2 the price of a VP215  @ https://vacuumsealersunlimited.com/shop/commercial-chamber-vacuum-sealing-machines-accessories-parts/vacmaster-commercial-vacuum-sealing-machines/vacmaster-vp215-chamber-vacuum-sealing-machine/

 

tough decision .  personal economics are important here.

 

if you can afford a new machine , Id do that.

 

make sure you understand the different types of pumps these machines have

 

and get one that is not affected by water and humidity fro the bag.

 

good luck

[m61376]

29 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@m61376 

 

that's 1/2 the price of a VP215  @ https://vacuumsealersunlimited.com/shop/commercial-chamber-vacuum-sealing-machines-accessories-parts/vacmaster-commercial-vacuum-sealing-machines/vacmaster-vp215-chamber-vacuum-sealing-machine/

 

tough decision .  personal economics are important here.

 

if you can afford a new machine , Id do that.

 

make sure you understand the different types of pumps these machines have

 

and get one that is not affected by water and humidity fro the bag.

 

good luck

Thanks- yeah, that's why I'm not sure if I should repair it.

The other one that was interesting is the new Vacmaster 220- I like the size and the no maintenance. It's really for light home use so not sure I need/want the maintenance of an oil pump. It's a new machine- any thoughts?

Anyone have any ideas on how to repair it easily?

[rotuts]

I know nothing about it.

 

the people at vaccuumsealers are very knowledgeable 

 

their prices for bags and etc are very attractive.

 

just make sure that the pump in the 220 will not be affected by water or water vapor

 

if they see this as a significant improvement  over the VP 215

 

and you can or choose to afford it :

 

go for it.    

 

it comes by truck.    make sure you can get the machine off the truck and into your home.

 

good luck

[horseflesh]

A $500 repair on a ~$1000 gadget is hard to swallow without knowing more about what needs to be repaired.

 

Since a new Vacmaster unit with an oil-filled pump is "only" twice the repair cost, I too think that this looks like a good opportunity to upgrade. 

 

[m61376]

If I do decide to replace it, do you really think the oil filled pump is that important. I’d really prefer not to gave them maintenance since it would require being lifted off the pull out to access the back. I’ve never had a moisture problem. The new 220 has great dimensions. Any thoughts on that machine?

[m61376]

The other thing is I wonder if the issue could just be with the seal bar- can a defective seal bar cause the issues I’m experiencing?

[horseflesh]

The oil-filled pump is the difference between being able to seal anything you want, even if it is hot and steamy, and having to be careful and cool everything first. I absolutely love the freedom to never worry about anything. 

 

> The other thing is I wonder if the issue could just be with the seal bar- can a defective seal bar cause the issues I’m experiencing?

In my unit and I think most others, the seal bar lifts under vacuum power. It does seem like your problem could be as simple as a sticky piston, broken bushing, or other mechanical issue. The machine surely has switches inside that tell it if the bar is up or down, hence your error code. It might be easy to fix, if you could get to the problem... but it also might require a specific Polyscience part that they won't sell you. 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by horseflesh (log)

[rotuts]

ask the folks at vaccumsealers about your concerns.

 

they are not going to make anything up to sell you a slightly more expensive machine 

 

maybe the pumps in these machines are very different then they used to be.

 

vacuum are not going to sell you a 220 that is not going to do all the things a 215 does and more.

 

I dont work for them , either.

[EMichels]

 

52 minutes ago, m61376 said:

Thanks- yeah, that's why I'm not sure if I should repair it.

The other one that was interesting is the new Vacmaster 220- I like the size and the no maintenance. It's really for light home use so not sure I need/want the maintenance of an oil pump. It's a new machine- any thoughts?

Anyone have any ideas on how to repair it easily?

 

On my Vacmaster those pins are secured by threaded nuts. The pins on the Polyscience have to be attached somehow and it wouldn't surprise me if it were similar. As they protrude into the vacuum chamber the space below the chamber (where it sounds like your problem lies) should be accessible (not sealed). I would definitely pop it open before pursuing either the Polyscience repair or purchasing a replacement machine.

 

[teonzo]

Try looking if there is a makers club (related to the maker culture) near you. If so, you can try asking for their help.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Nowayout]

Who makes the Polyscience 300?  I don’t think they make it themselves.  
 

How old is the machine? How many cycles?
 

Have you pulled the cover and looked at the sealing plungers and the bellows?   It sounds like a mechanical issue, maybe a split tube, or they plungers need to be lubed.  

[Nowayout]

Oh and what city are you located in? 

[horseflesh]

9 minutes ago, Nowayout said:

Who makes the Polyscience 300?  I don’t think they make it themselves.  
 

How old is the machine? How many cycles?
 

Have you pulled the cover and looked at the sealing plungers and the bellows?   It sounds like a mechanical issue, maybe a split tube, or they plungers need to be lubed.  

 

I agree a mechanical issue seems likely and worth a closer look. 

 

Need to be careful about lubricant, some kinds of pistons are made to operate dry.

[m61376]

I’m on Long Island in NY

Polyscience is their own company- they also make the sous  Vide circulators. They’re now a division of Breville. 
Interestingly after being insistent the supervisor spoke with a tech person and he recommended putting a degreaser on the seal bar supports that are getting stuck in the up position. He said to put Dawn or Palmolive dish detergent on and let it sit I overnight and then wash off with hot water. I always thought that area was supposed to stay dry but that’s what they recommended. 
I would have thought it needed a lubricant like WD40 or the line but they said no lubricant but a degreasing. So we’ll see. 
what they said is that when it seals the seal bar supports should lift up and then slip back down, but mine are getting stuck in the up position. 
Very frustrating because even if it’s a simple mechanical problem they charge the same fee. 
I love having the machine but in reality maybe run it an hour or so total a month, so it prob has 20 hours or so of use. 

Ugh- degreasing didn’t make a difference. Their tech people won’t even talk to you; had to elicit the help of a supervisor who acted as an intermediary, and their follow-up advice was to send it in for repair. Polyscience certainly isn’t a user friendly company. 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by m61376 (log)

[Nowayout]

Have you tried looking at the bladder modules?   I ran into this bladder rebuild kit/info page (below).  It is for a Minipack MVS (which I have) but I am pretty sure all chamber vacs with an internal seal bar that extend and retract function about the same. 

I would open it up and inspect them for defects etc.  I am betting some moisture has gotten inside.

 

Doug Care Minipack MVS Bladder Rebuild

 

Lots of good info on his site.

 

Hope this helps!