Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
I washed out the gasket, let it dry, and put it back in and the machine still labored to get that final bit of air out of the bag. But I pressed down on the middle of the lid and it got it done and sealed the bag.
Thanks to all for the replies. I'm a happy camper.
Had the EXACT issue and bought new seals but didn't fix mine. Funny so many have the Inkbird as backup... I finally caved and used it and LOVE that bag cutter! Will look at that cleaning the valve (when I get REALLY bored) LOL. I think I have extra seals if anyone wants them.
My Game saver has inboard bag storage and a cutter . Love that feature . I washed my seals and it didn't help . I flipped them over just for the heck of it , and it wouldn't even pull a vacuum . I ordered new seals yesterday .
Matt , I would bet they are too . Simple system . I would normally clean the pump while I had it open , but didn't this time .
They're good sealers that have this happen , and people decide they're junk .
I bet mine is 10 years old .
Are you having issues with yours ?
I use the canisters a lot along with the mason jar lid sealers. Do yourself a favor and buy a Harbor Freight Brake Bleeder and Vacuum Pump. It will pull a serious vacuum easily and even works on the regular mouth mason jar lids (My Foodsaver would not pull enough vacuum to hold the small lids on)
Well , new seals showed up and didn't fix it .
It shows no sign of pulling a vacuum . So opened it back up to look at the pump .
Forgot some pics , so hope it makes sense for anyone interested .
The black " cube " back right is the cylinder . That part with the 4 screws would be considered the cylinder head .
I took the head off . The black flap lookin' thing would be intake and exhaust valves .
I found a hunk of scale lodged in the one side .
The valve flap just pulls off . 2 small pins hold it in place .
This is what's underneath .
I remove the junk and tried it . Nothing .
No vacuum at all . I do this because I want to know what the trouble is .
So I check after each action .
So I went ahead and pulled the pump out . Motor attached to the cylinder . This is the bottom of the last pic . Piston , connecting rod and crank .
I force the rod off the crank . Be careful . Then pull the piston out .
You can see some crud on the ring , and it should be coated with white grease .
It's dry , so probably not pumping any air .
I cleaned it all off . Cleaned out the cylinder too . It had junk crusted inside .
I felt around the ring of the piston for burs or cracks . Didn't find any .
I didn't have any white grease so I used garage door lube . Sprays out liquid , then gels into a grease . Put it all back together .
Did a test . I could tell by the sound I was in business . Pulled down tight and auto sealed .
You can't ask for any better than this . I was surprised . Better than new ( so far ) .
I guess we'll see how long it lasts .
Just thought I would update , since I cleaned the valve , it work kind of , then stopped again . Not that hard to work on if you know what to look for , and I figured what can it hurt to try . Wasn't workin' anyway .
I did simular things growing up with oscillating fans. The fan would quit oscillating, I would tear it apart and try to fix it. I fixed about 50% of the fans I worked on.
It was broke anyways, right.
Lol
I have a few welch diaphram vacuum pumps I use for various things. I've done rebuilds on those, the baffles look simular to the food saver.
My food saver is 9 or 10 years old. It never gets a complete vacuum before it seals the bag. Other than that, it works perfectly. I'm going to tear it apart and perform all the great cleaning/repairs all you guys have recommended.
Thanks VERY much for all the great advice. Chop, those pics will be a huge help.
Gary
When my F.S. fails to shut off. I take the hose off the jar sealer and suck up a little white vinegar, maybe a "t" spoon full. I found this tip on a video yrs ago, and it works every time. Sometimes it takes 2-3 tries, but it's always worked.
