Laura McDonough says: 2 years ago We bought one around the Y2K crises which never happened, ended up using it some, then selling it. I will not clutter up my place with useless crap of all kinds in the future, me and friends said (been there done that).
After a few years of research, I finally decided to purchase a freeze dryer. It was one of the best purchases I have ever made. The only regret I have is that I didn’t buy one sooner.
I have no adverse vacuum performance change with the catch can in place. It just catches any oil. I still smell oil vapor when the pump first starts up, but not nearly as much. I've only emptied the can once or twice since I've had it installed. I slightly over filled the pump and it blew out into the can, then ran it with the FDer valve open for a few minutes. Nothing got past the can. I used the outside port as IN and the middle one as out. I did take the port off and the longer one should be the inlet port. It's not a great deal longer. Tony Edited January 22, 2016 by TonyC updated (log)
Over night the FDer warmed up and the next morning we had a massive puddle under it - running off the counter onto the floor. I cleaned up the mess, but the next day the puddle was even bigger. On the 3rd day it was back again just as large even though I left a large towel under the FDer.
6. Warranties and Support: Look for models that come with warranties and reliable customer support options.
While the reduced footprint of the small freeze makes finding a spot to set it up easy to figure out, the power requirements provide another distinct installation advantage. That's because the Harvest Right Small Freeze Dryer requires a standard 110-volt outlet.
I think a community-built troubleshooting manual is a great idea. These machines are simple in some ways, and more complex in others, and having a lot of eyes on the problem is always good.
The system records and maintains a log of the pressure and temperature during all parts of the freeze-dry cycle.
1. Capacity Needs: Assess how much food you plan to freeze dry at once. Smaller models are suitable for individual use, while larger models are better for families or community storage.
I love that the small freeze dryer can be placed on a kitchen counter. Having it in the kitchen makes it convenient and always ready to start the freeze-drying process.
If you don’t have the time or money, or if you believe the food crisis will hit hard very soon, then it makes more sense to buy freeze-dried food instead.
Run full system test with pelo food in chamber (results, 630 mTorr lowest steady reading - looking through the oil level window, some bubbling seen in oil even after an hour of pumpdown - some "air" noises from pump)
Freeze drying seasoned squash and zucchini One of my favorite things to freeze dry is vegetables. It’s so easy to put them in soups or casseroles. Once get more info onions or garlic are processed, they are great to add to food.
The system records and maintains a log of the pressure and temperature during all parts of the freeze-dry cycle.