Great Video and very timely. We needed to tear down our pump to clean it and it was GREAT to have step by step directions/video to follow to accomplish this. Pump is working great now. Thanks Phil
Great video with step-by-step instructions. One thing I noticed when cleaning my pump was the "butterfly" valve is shorter on one end then the other. You need to look at the holes that it covers and determine which end covers the proper holes when putting it back in place.
THANK YOU MR. WIZARD!! Hopefully, you have saved me $800 on a new pump. As always, your vids are clear and so beneficial. Can't wait to get my hands oily.
Were you able to find replacement parts? I tried ordering from HR they won't sell them to us. They insist on us either sending ours to them or buy a refurbished one for $395.
@@tiasmithfollowerofJesusChrist Fortunately, I didn't need any parts. Phil did a great job describing the process. However, at 14:35 he mentioned not taking the spring out that has a valve behind it. I found that the spring easily slides out, as does the valve. I am glad I "broke ranks" with Phil and took the spring and valve out. The valve was dirty, which may or may not have been an issue, so I cleaned it. My biggest concern was getting the gasket off without breaking it, but using a razor blade as he directed (and holding my breath) I got it off in one piece. It's been about five months and it's been working famously. Have you pulled yours apart yet and if so, did you need any parts? ⚠ONE MORE THING! Scroll down to read "@felsinferguson1125's" comments before you pull yours apart. It is long, but well worth the time to read. He has some helpful suggestions to Phil's directions, ESPECIALLY ABOUT NOT REMOVING THE GASKET. I wish I had read that before starting my project.
@@cyclingarizona7453 Thank you for your comment. Have not taken apart yet. I got discouraged after contacting HR. I may now after reading your comment. I will also read the one you suggested. Thanks!
@@tiasmithfollowerofJesusChrist As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Be sure that you check everything else that you can before you dive into the pump. If you do pull it apart, it is likely that you will find that it is only a bit dirty and not in need of any parts. I would be surprised if you do. BTW, I don't understand why Phil removed my comment and the other one that I suggested you read. That's disappointing. The other comment had several great things to add to Phil's already great video. Keep up the great work, Phil and my apologies if I said something offensive. Maranatha!
@@cyclingarizona7453 I read the comment before it was taken down. Now, remembering it all is another story! LOL My pump is definitely broken I have a video on my channel at the very end it actually stopped its real odd.
Phil looked for a video to clean . The premier pump excellent video. Had a problem the other day with pump. All of a sudden the oil level went up in the pump after a load. I found the internal delisted screens full of f food particles. Changed the oil full of water and some food particles. After tearing pump apart the internal screen was the culprit. Just rinsed out with dish soap plus hot water. The rest of pump looked fine. Glad I caught it before damage was done. Bill
Thank you so very much for sharing this. Harvest Right is sending me parts and I was scared to tackle this job. I believe, with the help of this video, I can do this .
This is a great video and thank you for sharing. My vacuum pump stopped working and this video helped me fix my issue. Thank you for taking the time to make it and post it. You were very detailed and explained everything thoroughly.
Had to do a similar teardown on ours - after sitting idle for about 2 months (because the weather was so hot that doing ANYTHING was too much) we tried to run a batch, and hit EXACTLY the same symptoms - turn it on, it starts to try to run, does nothing, then dies when the thermal cutout pops.Turn it off and let it sit long enough for the thermal cutout to reset, power it up, same thing again - try to spin up, then stop. Short version, the oil had congealed like paint, effectively gluing the vanes to the chamber walls.Took a whole lot of brake cleaner, Dawn dish soap, and elbow grease, but got it cleaned up (and cleaned out) and put back together. For the past year, it's been working better than it ever did before the problem - prior to the trouble, the best it ever managed was pumping down the (empty for test purposes) freeze-dryer chamber to about 280-300 mTorr (as reported by the test screen on the unit) and took the better part of 45 minutes to get there. After the teardown/clean/rebuild, it routinely gets into the 110-130 mTorr range (again, as reported by the test screen) from "door standing wide open" in about 15-20 minutes. Some commentary on your method: Every time you pulled out something metal to "persuade" parts to come loose (The claw-hammer tapping on the case - particularly when I saw that you had a rubber mallet sitting within arm's reach, was bad - the pliers to pop the bushing off the shaft was even worse!) I was cringing... A vac-pump, especially one intended to pull as hard a vacuum as these guys are, is a RIDICULOUSLY precisely machined piece of hardware that even a slight scratch - slight enough that you can't even detect it by touch or with the naked eye - can severely impair, if not outright destroy, its functionality. Next time, use wood or plastic tools! You should have been using a plastic or wooden punch to drive out the alignment pins, too (mushroom them even slightly by using a steel punch as it looked like you were, and lotsa luck getting them to go back where they belong!) There is also no reason to even attempt to remove the gasket (unless it's visibly damaged, or you know beyond a doubt it needs replacing, and have a replacement on-hand (or have the know-how to make one), you should *NEVER* remove a gasket - ANY gasket, in anything - that's "stuck down") on the motor end of the unit - Leave it there! The permatex-like stuff will usually hold it in place, and if, for whatever reason, it DOES decide to fall off on its own, that's fine too. But if it's stuck down, and you have any other option available, you should NEVER mess with a "glued down" gasket. It's one less thing to screw up. Also, why did you not at least TRY to turn the pump shaft by hand before you got crazy and started tearing things apart? Or did you do that off-camera? Either way, that can give you an idea of what you're dealing with, and may save you the effort of a full teardown by verifying that you actually NEED to do the teardown. I don't think that the epoxy on the primary rotor assembly was the problem - That rotor should never (unless something else is so badly broken that there's no hope of repairing it) make a close enough approach to the chamber walls to make any difference whatsoever, unless you're talking about chunks that protrude from it far enough to make contact, which I saw absolutely no sign of - The vanes are the only thing that should ever get close enough to the walls to touch. The rotor body itself should spin in free-space, supported only by the shaft that drives it and the bearings/bushings/sockets/whatever that support the shaft. I suspect that the more likely problem was that the unit was frozen by congealed oil the way ours was, and disassembling/reassembling it broke things loose. The motor on these units is a surprisingly low-torque unit, so even a small amount of "sticking" can be too much for it to get things turning. Oh, and one last thing, just because I think it's interesting (since I'm currently "obsessed" with 'em because I'm trying to do the CAD work to be able to 3D print one for a project I'm working on): That oil pump on the motor end is called a "gerotor" pump - It's a portmanteau of "generated rotor" - and they've been around in one form or another since at least the 1600s that we can be sure about, and perhaps even earlier. They're about the simplest (though not to draw accurately - there's some pretty ugly math involved), most effective, and smallest/lightest medium to medium-high pressure pump you can get for "thicker than water" fluids like oil. Almost anything that uses hydraulics to work has one (or several) pumping the oil. Even your vehicle probably has one in its engine to circulate the oil. The more you know... :)
That's a lot to take in. Thanks for the feedback. I was trying to do the work with tools most people would have. I understand and appreciate your cringe.
I was thinking the exact same thing. There's no way aa small amount of contamination on the surface of the drive hub would "seize" the pump. Make even more sense if, as you say the motors are low torque. Good video all the same. Thanks for making it.
@@chrisrees1699 I think it is funny they typed up that long critique, but failed to read the manual saying not to leave the oil sitting in the pump unused for a long time.....
Great video, from start to finish. The problem I'm having is oil is leaking from under the green casing. Under the knob, there's a brass valve, and it seems to be dripping from the casing itself. It's already tight, so not sure what else to check. Great tutorial!!
Great job on showing the teardown and rebuild of the Premier pump. The Premier pump is the best option for freeze drying. Have you evaluated whether the position of the pump, i.e. above or below the freeze dryer makes any difference in the performance or wear or tear in these pumps. There is an ongoing debate on where to place the pump in relation to the freeze dryer. Also, whether to cool the pump during operation with a fan...
Having a fan blowing on it for cooling can only help prolong its life. The only downside is that if you spill oil on the case, the dust that the fan will be moving along with the air will stick to it, and may make it cosmetically ugly. As for where it sits in relation to the dryer itself, so long as it's within the range allowed by the length of the hose without kinking, there's very little realistic difference whether it's above, level with, or below. Put it where you like/wherever is most convenient - but for noise-reduction, pick someplace that isn't gonna act as a resonator - We use a chunk cut out of an old rubber horse-stall mat (3/4 inch thick rubber) sitting on top of a concrete block on the floor next to the dryer, and other than the whirring sound, it's nearly silent.
@@felsinferguson1125 A surface coating of oil will also slow down heat transfer. You're on the right track. Check out this video: ruclips.net/video/kcXvetyutew/видео.html
This is very useful we watch a lot of your stuff, thanks for doing these. We have a HR machine that had the USB board fail. HR replaced the board. We ran one cycle fine and then the next cycle we had an overheat alarm (over 300 degrees f). HR tech support had us move the heater relay contacts to the spare relay and program the unit to use the aux relay. We ran 2 cycles fine and then had another overheat failure that apparently when on for some time as it cracked the Plexiglas door and damaged the insulation panels on the top and bottom of the tray assembly. HR is reviewing the log files and will advise as to what to do next. The fuse link on the tray assembly should have prevented this from getting this hot. While waiting for them, I looked at the pump (premier version) and the oil looked cloudy so I ran the pump to heat it up, drained it and it is awful cloudy and gooey. The outside of the pump has a film of oil everywhere and with the oil drained the sight glass has residue on it, that might be from the heat in the chamber. So I am tempted to disassemble the pump, clean it and see if that will be useful unless you think we should just put new oil in and run it and then change the oil again? Ideas appreciated.
Cloudy oil is a sign of water in the oil. You might want to try using Black Gold Oil for a while before cleaning your pump. ruclips.net/video/qPJ1sdce0NM/видео.html
We do use black gold. Our problem was the machine ran for 8 hours at 300 degrees while drying raw meat. The meat was cooked as a result, and the moisture from the cooking meat promptly was sucked into the pump. HR tells me the overheating was the result of the relay board, but I have my doubts. The heat cutoff switch in the tray assembly is a 400 degree trigger which honestly is useless and HR admitted that might be a thought for revising the design later. I tore down the pump, cleaned out the mess, reassembled and refilled with new oil, seems good to go.@@Philat4800feet
Great video but I have a separate question if you don’t mind , what is the purpose of the sensor that hangs/clips on the back of the cooler radiator? I would send a picture, but it’s not letting me.
That would be the temperature sensor on the condenser. It measures the ambient "room" temperature and monitors the function of the cooler. If the temp gets above 80 degrees it will give a high heat warning.
Awesome job! I will keep this video bookmarked for future reference. Where did you get your JIC adapter for your micron gauge? I have looked and haven't been able to find one, I would like to have one for testing with my micron gauge in the future if my Primer pump needs troubleshooting.
Harvest Right said they're "working on it". There are rebuild kits for other pumps that have 80% of the parts, but not all. ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html
What is the Adapter You Used to connect Your Micron Gauge? The connector fitting on a Harvest Right Pump is as follows: This is known as a Hydraulic Fitting, not an SAE compression fitting. The hoses provided by Harvest Right are specialized fittings with an O-Ring interface that is not standard for hydraulics. This has to be manufactured especially for Harvest Right. This is the reason I have been so frustrated trying to find the information. No one in the vacuum pump manufacturing business uses this fitting on their pumps. Vacuum Pumps are typically used in the HVAC industry and use SAE J512 standard compression fittings. This is why tracking down this has been such a problem. To re-iterate the Harvest Right Pump fitting is a Hydraulic type: JIC J514 37° Size 3/4"-"Dash" 12 with 12 Threads per Inch.
I wish they would redesign the demister cap, I couldn't get mine apart while cleaning, tried using channel locks and a rag to grip the threads, because this design has nothing to hold onto with your hands to separate the cap, and it broke the pot metal part that holds the BB ball, so mine's missing the ball in it now. Pump still works fine but can definitely smell the oil spray a bit when the pump first kicks on.
I’ve spent the last day breaking down my pump. The entire this was coated in nasty brown goo. I’m nearly finished putting it back together. When you took it apart, the silver washer and o ring were under the thick ring but when you put it back together, you placed them on top of it. I want to make sure I do not have to take it apart again. Do the o ring and washer go on the top of the thick ring with three screws, or under?
If I understand your question, I placed the "thick" ring retainer, held on with the three screws on first and then the bushing, O-ring, and silver washer. It was easier to do it that way since those three pieces protruded past the retainer. I hope this makes sense. You should be ok.
Thanks. While doing an overnight freeze-dry, I check the next morning and my oil site glass was popped out and was in the oil casing. I took apart the front part to fix. What do you recommend to pop back the site glass in the casing? On other teardowns people use Loctite. Any recommendations?
Haven't had this problem. At this point you might what to upgrade. HR has a kit to replace the pump cover and gasket from the round sight glass to an oval. if not, an oil resistant loctite product could be used.
Great video, I’ve taken 2 of ours apart a few times. This really helps maintain the life of the pump. The gasket is worn and would like to replace. Ive looked online for that gasket material, can you recommend any online vendors or where can I get a gasket? Thanks
Love your videos. I'm trying to diagnose an oil leak in my premier pump, but cleaning the reservoir and reconnecting everything didn't resolve it, at least not fully. Not sure if I'm up for a total rebuild, but what would you advice I check next? The gasket inside looked ok, but maybe I missed something?
There only three locations for a leak: sight glass, drain, and cover gasket. If your pump is assembled, clean the outside really good and tape and wrap tissue paper around those locations. Wait a day or two and check for seepage.
@@Philat4800feet I tried this and the leak seemed to come from the bottom of the unit. I measured before and after and it lost nearly a quarter cup of oil. Hmmmmm. Not sure.
@@Philat4800feet Thanks for the info. HR keeps having me run tests, send photos and such but so far no problems emerge. I'm so frantic I can't stand it. I'm trying to find a local technician in Portland, OR but so far no luck. Would you happen to know anyone? Thanks, Kathy
@@icebreakers7843 Yes, I noticed the retaining ring was rotated I assume for oil hole alignment. Going back towards the beginning of the video, the oil holes are lined up vertically.
Without looking. I believe the OEM fittings (threads) are compression fittings that use NPT around 5/16" or 3/8". If you're looking for fittings, check a hydraulic shop/supply that makes replacement hydraulic hoses. Most pumps are going to be built in China for American use. There is a slight chance the threads could be metric.
Hey, doing a tear down on mine and it seems that gasket failed that you said be delicate with. I’ve had oil inside the motor windings. Was still working but leaking slowly. Is its salvage you think? Even the board below was soaked with to insure oil.
High quality vacuum pump can run around $1000. The vacuum pumps from HR are somewhat "disposable" pumps. By the time you track down all the parts it may be better to buy a replacement from HR and keep your old pump for parts.
@ so spoke with a pump repair company and they ran into my issue as well and they claim it’s not the gasket itself it’s the shaft seal. Navac claims they don’t make it but it’s their and the repair place said they went back and forth as that one part isn’t on. Their parts list for any other their pumps like you’d find with JB pumps for example. So I’m questioning my life choices now.
I took my pump apart for the second time. I’m hoping that I got it thoroughly clean. I’ve noticed that when the pump comes on, the oil takes a minute or two to start bubbling in the small window. It vacuums right from the start. Do you know if that is a problem? I really appreciate this video! Thank you!
I have a leak at the bottom of my reservoir. HR’s fix was to replace the reservoir and gasket but my pump is 3 years old and they’ve changed models since then so the parts they sent me are a totally different size and shape. Do you know where to get parts for the older model? I took everything apart and cleaned the outside of the pump but not the inside. Cleaned the gasket and the reservoir but it’s still leaking.
Unless there is a crack, which I doubt, your gasket is most likely leaking. You have at least two choices: 1. use some black RTV gasket sealer with your current seal or, 2. make a new seal. Does this make sense? Which pump do you have? What is the shape of the sight glass?
Love the video. I used to be a hydraulic tech for Nucor steel for many years. Retired now. Because of the many different hydraulic pumps that I have rebuild in my life, is it possible to get the vanes in the wrong direction or does it matter on this type of pump. Your instructions are right on.
Do you know if the outer black plastic is spinning or if the threads are stripped? ruclips.net/video/qtpE7PLd0gQ/видео.html If the threads are stripped, try pulling it upwards as you turn it counterclockwise. You may need to remove the cover and see what's going on from inside. The video link shows how to remove the outer cover.
@@Philat4800feet We removed the outer black and are trying to turn the inner black. Cannot tell what is spinning or not. Tried pulling upward as we turned counter clockwise without much luck. If the threads are striped what will we need to do get a new demister and cover? Thank you so much for the assistance
Hi Phil. We have tried researching our problem with no success and hoping you might be able to help. We've done over 200 loads with our medium fd. Recently it has been omitting a bad oil smell. We don't notice a mist or haze in the room but it smells horrible. We have changed oil and demisters and it continues to smell. We took off the oil reservoir and removed the vacuum pump from the electric motor. Everything looked clean. Can't figure out what is causing this awful smell. Next step we will break down the vacuum pump. Any thoughts or ideas would e greatly appreciated! Thank you for providing useful informational videos!
Could it be your oil mist filter cap? The filter medium could support mold and bacteria growth: ruclips.net/video/qtpE7PLd0gQ/видео.html How often to you change/filter your oil?
@@Philat4800feet we changed the entire demister assembly with a new one from HR and the first load was good up until I checked weights and added more dry time. As soon as the pump kicked back on it started to smell. I change the oil when it tells me to or shortly after that message. The filter I replaced looked good other than a slight rust discoloration. It did appear to have some oil on it but not dripping oil. We did notice that when looking at the pump when running it looked as though it was almost like the oil was waterfalling if that makes sense. I use Robinair oil and I only overfillled it once and had a mist in the air from it. When that happened we immediately stopped it once we noticed it, washed the filter, dried and reassembled. Still had the smell and just replaced the entire demister assembly. That was quite a while ago though. I'll see if I can figure out how to attach the video showing the oil movement. Thanks for your time in helping us figure this out. :)
How much egg? The path the egg would take is through the check valve, primary and secondary vanes, and end up your oil. The egg would have be blended with the oil. Does the pump still work well?
Hey Phil. Do you have any experience with the XL Premier pumps pulling in water and not evaporating it out? My pump is pulling in water and has corrosion in the outer portion you can see when you remove the main cover. I have cleaned it. Done lots of troubleshooting and within 4 months it’s corroded again.
Thank you for the reply. This pump was new in June of last year. It just started retaining water around January. I have done loads of troubleshooting with Harvest Right, fixed the epoxy plug leak in January, cleaned my pump, and bought a new demister as it was severely corroded. When I cleaned my pump I only removed the cover and cleaned the exterior as I was told if I go any further it will void my warranty. I finally sent my pump back to them to diagnose and clean. They sent it back saying nothing was wrong. I removed the cover and it’s covered in rust again. Would the exterior rust cause damage to the inside of the pump?
This is where HR and I don't see eye to eye. the vapor entering the vacuum pump is acidic (on the PH scale) and having any moisture within the pump isn't good. After every batch, and while hot, I would drain and filter the oil while the pump is tipped forward. The drain valve should remain open until the next batch when you're ready to refill with oil. The demister cap should remain off and upright on a paper towel. I would only use a vacuum pump oil with R & O additives such as Black Gold. ruclips.net/video/qPJ1sdce0NM/видео.html
Thank you so much for this!! I have a request though... I can not get the black demister apart to clean the filter in there. I have no problems with removing the cover, cotter pin, the tiny ball, the rubber disc... but no matter what I use to insert into the slot (quarter, small wrench, screw driver) it simply will not unscrew to expose the filter. I've seen other videos showing people doing it so they can clean the filter but mine simply will not budge. Do you have any insight or suggestions on what I can use/do? Thanks Phil =)
Hi Phil, I’m wondering if you could help me out. I’m looking for a replacement gasket for my premier pump. It leaks a small amount of oil and I’m pretty sure the oil is escaping at this gasket.
@@Philat4800feet apparently Harvest Right won’t sell this gasket… this makes no sense to me. Why sell a product and not be willing to make some money by selling a delegate part?
I accidentally left the drain valve open and I think it went for an hour or two before I caught it. Is that bad? It seems to still be creating a vacuum, but I’m going to change the oil.
Thank you. I actually was able to retrieve the data from the machine and uploaded on my computer and I was looking through it and it looks like it only ran for about five minutes that way and then shut down. It says it went back into freezing mode. I think I’m good. I think there might be an emergency thing that stopped it.
Any insite on why the premier pump is capable of 20 plus batch loads without any oil degrigation? Othr pumps have gas balast valves and still nneed changed every 2 to 3 loads.
The two main issues could be temperature and moisture. Heat is a major cause of oil degrition. I still have my old standard pump. I should hook it up and measure the temp during a batch. Moisture, being PH acidic, is another factor. If not all ballasts are the same, perhaps HR's pump is just better.
Additional info: Vacuum pump oil degradation can be influenced by several factors. Exposure to high temperatures, contamination with process gases or byproducts, and the presence of water or oxygen are common culprits. Additionally, mechanical wear and tear on the pump can contribute to oil breakdown. Regular maintenance and monitoring can help extend the life of the oil and the pump
Phil.. Have had mine about one month.. Did a pickle run.. Changed oil.. Did a candy run and got burned oil. I'm a industrial tech.. So went in unit.. The front small veins.. had a black gunk.. gummy. I did not go into the big section or oil pump. First question is about the Spring.. you did not remove.. Mine was loose.. I assume it's a check valve.. How is it suppose to be.. you didn't do anything with it in video? Should spring be held on to the valve.. I was told on Group to find your Skittles and oil vids.. lol I want to figure out if the pickles and sugar caused this black gummy goo. Pump was doing great and oil was clear. I'm trying to retire from fixing. Currently do Appliance Repair. Looks like I could have a side gig fixing pumps.. We used a bunch of pumps for epoxy molds.. in the Aviation industry. Had to rebuild often. Is there a rebuild kit for these? Thanks For great video.. I did one as I took mine apart. I'm probably going to go back in and check my primary, big veins. Confidence is High seeing your Vid.
So far there is not a 100% rebuild kit but this is close: ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html I have tried and tried to get HR to carry a rebuild kit but without luck. I have found an ingredient, within Skittles, that can release goo, rust, and other gunk inside a vacuum pump: ruclips.net/video/ydAXpKy-1zE/видео.html I have spent hours and hours trying to find who makes the Harvest Right pumps.
After watching the Video I wonder if the Gunk you Scrapped off the Rotors was sugar-laden Water vapor from the Freeze drying of some kind of candy Like Skittles or Taffy. It makes sense if the water vapor taken from the candy was moved to that hot rotor the sugar may melt onto that hot rotor and stick to it. The water would then be removed by the vapor trap but the sugar could coat that hot rotor. I am going to reconsider running pure sugary items in the freeze dryer. The cost of a rebuilt premium pump is $399 and they don't sell pump parts and a new pump is over $700. I was told that the pumps are proprietary and they won't sell parts or tell you who the manufacturer Is. Today I went to their brand New Facility in Northwest Salt Lake, It is 2-3 times the size of their previous building, They must be making bank to afford this new facility. I went there to exchange a Door Gasket I purchased nearly a year ago as a spare and set aside. When I went to put it on my freeze dryer I realized it was for a large and not a medium dryer. I had Inadequate vacuum errors the last time I ran some Skittles, My Kids liked them but I could never finish the batch. I have been frustrated trying to find the vacuum leak, and have come to the conclusion it is not a leak problem but a pump problem. I had them Test the pump and they said it would not pull down. When I went to exchange the door gasket they told me I would have to pay for a new one because it was out of warranty. I pointed out the gasket had never been used and it was their mistake it was the wrong size for my machine. They didn't care it was out of warranty regardless of them making the mistake in the size of my machine. This really pissed me off and I demanded to see the manager and she said she was the manager, then I demanded to see the owner because I know him personally. He was not there. It's my opinion they don't take care of their customers unless you make a big stink. This should not have happened they need to take care of their customers and be fair with them. After making a big stink I was able to get the right size gasket, They tested my pump and feed Hose, and They said both were bad and needed to be replaced. I purchased a new Hose but could not afford a used rebuilt pump for $400. I went home and tested with the new hose it made no difference. There is nothing wrong with my hoses. So if they were wrong about the hoses are they also wrong about the pump. I am going to tear down my pump and clean it up just like you did and see if I get a similar result. I sure hope so.
You might want to invest in a cheap vacuum micron gauge for around $125 or so. This will let you know the condition of your pump. I'm working on a replacement part list.
I performed the same Cleanup on My Pump and was able to get an improvement in how low the pump would go with the chamber empty. Before cleanup, it was 1200 MT After cleanup, it was 434 MT I have started a batch of Strawberries and it's been running for over 27 hours. I really think the machine has a vacuum leak somewhere. I purchased a vacuum meter but don't yet have the fittings to test anything. Why won't the strawberries process with the Mili-TOR at 434 MT that is below 500? The connection parts ordered from Amazon are still not here. But the Strawberries Ran 57 hours before they were dry enough to take out of the machine. The machine never transitioned to process complete after 57 hours of drying. I finally just took them out. They looked and felt like they were done. That is over $5 in electricity cost for one batch of strawberries, and twice too long. Looks like there is a leak or the pump is bad.
If the issue is with the key-way, I would try a pick tool. If the issue is with the "oil pump", try tapping the front shaft from front to back with a soft mallet.
thanks, already assembled everything back. this part did not move forward, but wab able to push it to the other side. this went smoothly. thanks for this video, i owe you a lot
Great video. Looks like an easy do it yourself fix to try. HOWEVER, Harvest Right will NOT sell the parts needed that you mentioned in the video. Meaning the Secondary & Primary Veins or the front bushings or the two oil seals. Soooooo, only option is to send ours in to be fixed, we pay shipping plus the parts and labor or purchase a refurbished one. It's terrible they have the market cornered on this and people can't fix their own. Sidenote, HR said these premiere pumps life is 3-5 years. Mine is a few months shy of 3 years.
Phil, I'm wondering why you're comparing the Navac 12 CFM to the Harvest Right 7 CFM Premier pump? Have you looked at alternative Navac models, maybe there's a model using the same pump as in the Harvest Right. I can see by the exploded parts diagrams on Navac product spec sheets, (available online), that the manufacturer uses lots of different combinations of pumps, motors, oil tanks and plastic/aluminum motor housings. If you've identified the actual manufacturer that both Harvest Right and Navac are apparently using, please let me know. Sure do appreciate what you do. We seem to think a lot alike. Thanks Again, Dan
About 70% of the parts are the same with a bunch left over. The only critical part not found in the rebuild kit is the secondary vanes. I'm still looking for the perfect match. HR has said they will make a rebuild kit available soon. That was over a year ago.
If HR wants you to fix this pump as a video project to help owners repair there own pump with out having it replaced. HR asked me to send my pump to them for a few day test at their new building. I did not want to be with out using my machine for 2 weeks. But I also think a new pump that wont pull a full vacuum should be replaced. I wonder if any one knows how to work on pumps at HR.. HR just pulls the box sets out of a Sea Container and shipps it out. With out any in house QC.It's crazy how they are pulling this home repair idea off. The sides should have Velcrow instead of screws.
Take a taste of the gunk you scraped off the rotor, I bet its sugar. The drive key is called a key and the groove is the key way. Most vacuum pumps use a catch jar before the pump inlet, you can find them on line. I question why HR calls the vacuum, pressure? Thanks for your time.
Pretty sad that they didn’t include a rebuild kit for you. Seal and gasket kit at the very least. In the vacuum industry these pumps are not highly regarded at all. Cheap imported junk. Lack of repair parts available unlike a reputable vacuum pump. Also 69 microns is terrible. It should be under 10.
As an owner of this pump... this video being added to the maintenance library. Very Nice.
Great Video and very timely. We needed to tear down our pump to clean it and it was GREAT to have step by step directions/video to follow to accomplish this. Pump is working great now. Thanks Phil
Happy it was helpful
Great video with step-by-step instructions. One thing I noticed when cleaning my pump was the "butterfly" valve is shorter on one end then the other. You need to look at the holes that it covers and determine which end covers the proper holes when putting it back in place.
THANK YOU MR. WIZARD!! Hopefully, you have saved me $800 on a new pump. As always, your vids are clear and so beneficial. Can't wait to get my hands oily.
Were you able to find replacement parts? I tried ordering from HR they won't sell them to us. They insist on us either sending ours to them or buy a refurbished one for $395.
@@tiasmithfollowerofJesusChrist Fortunately, I didn't need any parts. Phil did a great job describing the process. However, at 14:35 he mentioned not taking the spring out that has a valve behind it. I found that the spring easily slides out, as does the valve. I am glad I "broke ranks" with Phil and took the spring and valve out. The valve was dirty, which may or may not have been an issue, so I cleaned it. My biggest concern was getting the gasket off without breaking it, but using a razor blade as he directed (and holding my breath) I got it off in one piece. It's been about five months and it's been working famously. Have you pulled yours apart yet and if so, did you need any parts? ⚠ONE MORE THING! Scroll down to read "@felsinferguson1125's" comments before you pull yours apart. It is long, but well worth the time to read. He has some helpful suggestions to Phil's directions, ESPECIALLY ABOUT NOT REMOVING THE GASKET. I wish I had read that before starting my project.
@@cyclingarizona7453 Thank you for your comment. Have not taken apart yet. I got discouraged after contacting HR. I may now after reading your comment. I will also read the one you suggested. Thanks!
@@tiasmithfollowerofJesusChrist As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Be sure that you check everything else that you can before you dive into the pump. If you do pull it apart, it is likely that you will find that it is only a bit dirty and not in need of any parts. I would be surprised if you do. BTW, I don't understand why Phil removed my comment and the other one that I suggested you read. That's disappointing. The other comment had several great things to add to Phil's already great video. Keep up the great work, Phil and my apologies if I said something offensive. Maranatha!
@@cyclingarizona7453 I read the comment before it was taken down. Now, remembering it all is another story! LOL My pump is definitely broken I have a video on my channel at the very end it actually stopped its real odd.
Great video. Thank you! I don't look forward to the day it becomes useful in practice, but I'm glad you made this.
Phil looked for a video to clean . The premier pump excellent video. Had a problem the other day with pump. All of a sudden the oil level went up in the pump after a load. I found the internal delisted screens full of f food particles. Changed the oil full of water and some food particles. After tearing pump apart the internal screen was the culprit. Just rinsed out with dish soap plus hot water. The rest of pump looked fine. Glad I caught it before damage was done. Bill
Good for you
Thank you so very much for sharing this. Harvest Right is sending me parts and I was scared to tackle this job. I believe, with the help of this video, I can do this .
Learn something new every day
Really appreciate these videos. Great for the ‘novice’ mechanic.
Thank you so much for this detailed video. This gives me confidence to take care of this valuable piece of equipment.
Very informative! Hope we never have to do this but makes me a little less intimidated about my pump 😊. Thanks Phil.
This is a great video and thank you for sharing. My vacuum pump stopped working and this video helped me fix my issue. Thank you for taking the time to make it and post it. You were very detailed and explained everything thoroughly.
Glad it helped
Thanks for information Phil. Help those of us that want to maintain our equipment ourselves.
Another excellent video, thanks. I not only bookmarked it, I downloaded it for future reference.
Had to do a similar teardown on ours - after sitting idle for about 2 months (because the weather was so hot that doing ANYTHING was too much) we tried to run a batch, and hit EXACTLY the same symptoms - turn it on, it starts to try to run, does nothing, then dies when the thermal cutout pops.Turn it off and let it sit long enough for the thermal cutout to reset, power it up, same thing again - try to spin up, then stop. Short version, the oil had congealed like paint, effectively gluing the vanes to the chamber walls.Took a whole lot of brake cleaner, Dawn dish soap, and elbow grease, but got it cleaned up (and cleaned out) and put back together. For the past year, it's been working better than it ever did before the problem - prior to the trouble, the best it ever managed was pumping down the (empty for test purposes) freeze-dryer chamber to about 280-300 mTorr (as reported by the test screen on the unit) and took the better part of 45 minutes to get there. After the teardown/clean/rebuild, it routinely gets into the 110-130 mTorr range (again, as reported by the test screen) from "door standing wide open" in about 15-20 minutes.
Some commentary on your method: Every time you pulled out something metal to "persuade" parts to come loose (The claw-hammer tapping on the case - particularly when I saw that you had a rubber mallet sitting within arm's reach, was bad - the pliers to pop the bushing off the shaft was even worse!) I was cringing... A vac-pump, especially one intended to pull as hard a vacuum as these guys are, is a RIDICULOUSLY precisely machined piece of hardware that even a slight scratch - slight enough that you can't even detect it by touch or with the naked eye - can severely impair, if not outright destroy, its functionality. Next time, use wood or plastic tools! You should have been using a plastic or wooden punch to drive out the alignment pins, too (mushroom them even slightly by using a steel punch as it looked like you were, and lotsa luck getting them to go back where they belong!) There is also no reason to even attempt to remove the gasket (unless it's visibly damaged, or you know beyond a doubt it needs replacing, and have a replacement on-hand (or have the know-how to make one), you should *NEVER* remove a gasket - ANY gasket, in anything - that's "stuck down") on the motor end of the unit - Leave it there! The permatex-like stuff will usually hold it in place, and if, for whatever reason, it DOES decide to fall off on its own, that's fine too. But if it's stuck down, and you have any other option available, you should NEVER mess with a "glued down" gasket. It's one less thing to screw up. Also, why did you not at least TRY to turn the pump shaft by hand before you got crazy and started tearing things apart? Or did you do that off-camera? Either way, that can give you an idea of what you're dealing with, and may save you the effort of a full teardown by verifying that you actually NEED to do the teardown.
I don't think that the epoxy on the primary rotor assembly was the problem - That rotor should never (unless something else is so badly broken that there's no hope of repairing it) make a close enough approach to the chamber walls to make any difference whatsoever, unless you're talking about chunks that protrude from it far enough to make contact, which I saw absolutely no sign of - The vanes are the only thing that should ever get close enough to the walls to touch. The rotor body itself should spin in free-space, supported only by the shaft that drives it and the bearings/bushings/sockets/whatever that support the shaft. I suspect that the more likely problem was that the unit was frozen by congealed oil the way ours was, and disassembling/reassembling it broke things loose. The motor on these units is a surprisingly low-torque unit, so even a small amount of "sticking" can be too much for it to get things turning.
Oh, and one last thing, just because I think it's interesting (since I'm currently "obsessed" with 'em because I'm trying to do the CAD work to be able to 3D print one for a project I'm working on): That oil pump on the motor end is called a "gerotor" pump - It's a portmanteau of "generated rotor" - and they've been around in one form or another since at least the 1600s that we can be sure about, and perhaps even earlier. They're about the simplest (though not to draw accurately - there's some pretty ugly math involved), most effective, and smallest/lightest medium to medium-high pressure pump you can get for "thicker than water" fluids like oil. Almost anything that uses hydraulics to work has one (or several) pumping the oil. Even your vehicle probably has one in its engine to circulate the oil. The more you know... :)
That's a lot to take in. Thanks for the feedback. I was trying to do the work with tools most people would have. I understand and appreciate your cringe.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
There's no way aa small amount of contamination on the surface of the drive hub would "seize" the pump.
Make even more sense if, as you say the motors are low torque.
Good video all the same. Thanks for making it.
Great job Phil! Ignore the lazy useless people who complain about yours, but are unwilling to make their own videos.
@@chrisrees1699 I think it is funny they typed up that long critique, but failed to read the manual saying not to leave the oil sitting in the pump unused for a long time.....
Instant classic. Bookmarked. Thank you.
Excellent tutorial!
Seeing the bushing reminds me of when I was on Hill AFB assembling the brakes and bushings for the many aircrafts up there.
I spent time with the 419th
@@Philat4800feet Sweet!
Thank you for the great video!
Found another Taft,
Very nicely done video. I have been wanting to rebuild one myself...
This one had some odd problems
So incredibly helpful!
Sometimes cleaning solves a host of problems.
Great video, from start to finish. The problem I'm having is oil is leaking from under the green casing. Under the knob, there's a brass valve, and it seems to be dripping from the casing itself. It's already tight, so not sure what else to check. Great tutorial!!
If it's the large o-ring, around the case, I believe HR has those in stock. if it's from the drain valve, it may just be teflon tape.
Fantastic! thanks so much for this!!!
Awesome video. Thank you
Great job on showing the teardown and rebuild of the Premier pump. The Premier pump is the best option for freeze drying. Have you evaluated whether the position of the pump, i.e. above or below the freeze dryer makes any difference in the performance or wear or tear in these pumps. There is an ongoing debate on where to place the pump in relation to the freeze dryer. Also, whether to cool the pump during operation with a fan...
Be careful what you ask for:
ruclips.net/video/kcXvetyutew/видео.html
Having a fan blowing on it for cooling can only help prolong its life. The only downside is that if you spill oil on the case, the dust that the fan will be moving along with the air will stick to it, and may make it cosmetically ugly. As for where it sits in relation to the dryer itself, so long as it's within the range allowed by the length of the hose without kinking, there's very little realistic difference whether it's above, level with, or below. Put it where you like/wherever is most convenient - but for noise-reduction, pick someplace that isn't gonna act as a resonator - We use a chunk cut out of an old rubber horse-stall mat (3/4 inch thick rubber) sitting on top of a concrete block on the floor next to the dryer, and other than the whirring sound, it's nearly silent.
@@felsinferguson1125 A surface coating of oil will also slow down heat transfer. You're on the right track. Check out this video:
ruclips.net/video/kcXvetyutew/видео.html
This is very useful we watch a lot of your stuff, thanks for doing these. We have a HR machine that had the USB board fail. HR replaced the board. We ran one cycle fine and then the next cycle we had an overheat alarm (over 300 degrees f). HR tech support had us move the heater relay contacts to the spare relay and program the unit to use the aux relay. We ran 2 cycles fine and then had another overheat failure that apparently when on for some time as it cracked the Plexiglas door and damaged the insulation panels on the top and bottom of the tray assembly. HR is reviewing the log files and will advise as to what to do next. The fuse link on the tray assembly should have prevented this from getting this hot. While waiting for them, I looked at the pump (premier version) and the oil looked cloudy so I ran the pump to heat it up, drained it and it is awful cloudy and gooey. The outside of the pump has a film of oil everywhere and with the oil drained the sight glass has residue on it, that might be from the heat in the chamber. So I am tempted to disassemble the pump, clean it and see if that will be useful unless you think we should just put new oil in and run it and then change the oil again? Ideas appreciated.
Cloudy oil is a sign of water in the oil. You might want to try using Black Gold Oil for a while before cleaning your pump.
ruclips.net/video/qPJ1sdce0NM/видео.html
We do use black gold. Our problem was the machine ran for 8 hours at 300 degrees while drying raw meat. The meat was cooked as a result, and the moisture from the cooking meat promptly was sucked into the pump. HR tells me the overheating was the result of the relay board, but I have my doubts. The heat cutoff switch in the tray assembly is a 400 degree trigger which honestly is useless and HR admitted that might be a thought for revising the design later. I tore down the pump, cleaned out the mess, reassembled and refilled with new oil, seems good to go.@@Philat4800feet
Great video but I have a separate question if you don’t mind , what is the purpose of the sensor that hangs/clips on the back of the cooler radiator? I would send a picture, but it’s not letting me.
That would be the temperature sensor on the condenser. It measures the ambient "room" temperature and monitors the function of the cooler. If the temp gets above 80 degrees it will give a high heat warning.
@@Philat4800feet
thank you so much, i try to watch all your videos and share to people that need your help.
Wish there were some videos on how to service the low profile white pump. Pretty sure ours is giving up the ghost.
Not a fan of oil-less pumps
I wish there was a video on the white oil less pump also. We have 2 of them neither work. Such a waste.
Awesome job!
I will keep this video bookmarked for future reference.
Where did you get your JIC adapter for your micron gauge? I have looked and haven't been able to find one, I would like to have one for testing with my micron gauge in the future if my Primer pump needs troubleshooting.
Go to any shop that makes hydraulic hoses. it's a #12 JIC (each unit is an 1/8") #12 is 3/4"
Very Nice, thanks for sharing
Great video! If the "wear parts" need replacing, is there a rebuild kit available, and where can we purchase it?
Harvest Right said they're "working on it". There are rebuild kits for other pumps that have 80% of the parts, but not all. ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html
What is the Adapter You Used to connect Your Micron Gauge?
The connector fitting on a Harvest Right Pump is as follows:
This is known as a Hydraulic Fitting, not an SAE compression fitting.
The hoses provided by Harvest Right are specialized fittings with an O-Ring interface that is not standard for hydraulics. This has to be manufactured especially for Harvest Right.
This is the reason I have been so frustrated trying to find the information. No one in the vacuum pump manufacturing business uses this fitting on their pumps.
Vacuum Pumps are typically used in the HVAC industry and use SAE J512 standard compression fittings. This is why tracking down this has been such a problem.
To re-iterate the Harvest Right Pump fitting is a Hydraulic type:
JIC J514 37° Size 3/4"-"Dash" 12 with 12 Threads per Inch.
Contact a hydraulic hose shop
Wow. Great detailed vid.
Glad you liked it
I wish they would redesign the demister cap, I couldn't get mine apart while cleaning, tried using channel locks and a rag to grip the threads, because this design has nothing to hold onto with your hands to separate the cap, and it broke the pot metal part that holds the BB ball, so mine's missing the ball in it now. Pump still works fine but can definitely smell the oil spray a bit when the pump first kicks on.
You can get an entire demister filter from HR.
Hello thank Great Video!! btw is this pump consider Brushless so it can work on A2L regrigerants?
Not into HVAC so I can't tell you.
Will this work on the older standard pumps I have 3 of them sitting around. I now own 2 premire pumps
Same principles but different parts
I’ve spent the last day breaking down my pump. The entire this was coated in nasty brown goo. I’m nearly finished putting it back together. When you took it apart, the silver washer and o ring were under the thick ring but when you put it back together, you placed them on top of it. I want to make sure I do not have to take it apart again. Do the o ring and washer go on the top of the thick ring with three screws, or under?
If I understand your question, I placed the "thick" ring retainer, held on with the three screws on first and then the bushing, O-ring, and silver washer. It was easier to do it that way since those three pieces protruded past the retainer. I hope this makes sense. You should be ok.
@@Philat4800feet thank you!
Thanks. While doing an overnight freeze-dry, I check the next morning and my oil site glass was popped out and was in the oil casing. I took apart the front part to fix. What do you recommend to pop back the site glass in the casing? On other teardowns people use Loctite. Any recommendations?
Haven't had this problem. At this point you might what to upgrade. HR has a kit to replace the pump cover and gasket from the round sight glass to an oval. if not, an oil resistant loctite product could be used.
Great video, I’ve taken 2 of ours apart a few times. This really helps maintain the life of the pump. The gasket is worn and would like to replace. Ive looked online for that gasket material, can you recommend any online vendors or where can I get a gasket? Thanks
Working on a list
👍🏻
Love your videos. I'm trying to diagnose an oil leak in my premier pump, but cleaning the reservoir and reconnecting everything didn't resolve it, at least not fully. Not sure if I'm up for a total rebuild, but what would you advice I check next? The gasket inside looked ok, but maybe I missed something?
There only three locations for a leak: sight glass, drain, and cover gasket. If your pump is assembled, clean the outside really good and tape and wrap tissue paper around those locations. Wait a day or two and check for seepage.
@@Philat4800feet I tried this and the leak seemed to come from the bottom of the unit. I measured before and after and it lost nearly a quarter cup of oil. Hmmmmm. Not sure.
Only the front cover gasket would extend under the pump
@@Philat4800feet Thanks for the info. HR keeps having me run tests, send photos and such but so far no problems emerge. I'm so frantic I can't stand it. I'm trying to find a local technician in Portland, OR but so far no luck. Would you happen to know anyone? Thanks, Kathy
Have you replaced the cover gasket?
Very helpful thank you
Nice catch on that seal plate.🧐
Was that before or after I pulled out the seals?
Drain holes when you were reassembling.
@@icebreakers7843 Yes, I noticed the retaining ring was rotated I assume for oil hole alignment. Going back towards the beginning of the video, the oil holes are lined up vertically.
do you know what the threads are on the inlet fitting? not the 3/4 JIC side the threads into the pump.
Without looking. I believe the OEM fittings (threads) are compression fittings that use NPT around 5/16" or 3/8". If you're looking for fittings, check a hydraulic shop/supply that makes replacement hydraulic hoses. Most pumps are going to be built in China for American use. There is a slight chance the threads could be metric.
Hey, doing a tear down on mine and it seems that gasket failed that you said be delicate with. I’ve had oil inside the motor windings. Was still working but leaking slowly. Is its salvage you think? Even the board below was soaked with to insure oil.
High quality vacuum pump can run around $1000. The vacuum pumps from HR are somewhat "disposable" pumps. By the time you track down all the parts it may be better to buy a replacement from HR and keep your old pump for parts.
@ so spoke with a pump repair company and they ran into my issue as well and they claim it’s not the gasket itself it’s the shaft seal. Navac claims they don’t make it but it’s their and the repair place said they went back and forth as that one part isn’t on. Their parts list for any other their pumps like you’d find with JB pumps for example. So I’m questioning my life choices now.
I took my pump apart for the second time. I’m hoping that I got it thoroughly clean. I’ve noticed that when the pump comes on, the oil takes a minute or two to start bubbling in the small window. It vacuums right from the start. Do you know if that is a problem? I really appreciate this video! Thank you!
This started before I opened up the pump the first time, several months ago.
I think you're good
The question is if I ever have to tear it down where can I get the internal parts from
I'm working on a solution.
Following
loved the vid! did harvest also send you a parts list and a place to buy them if needed?
Nope. I'm finding them on my own.
I have a leak at the bottom of my reservoir. HR’s fix was to replace the reservoir and gasket but my pump is 3 years old and they’ve changed models since then so the parts they sent me are a totally different size and shape. Do you know where to get parts for the older model? I took everything apart and cleaned the outside of the pump but not the inside. Cleaned the gasket and the reservoir but it’s still leaking.
Unless there is a crack, which I doubt, your gasket is most likely leaking. You have at least two choices: 1. use some black RTV gasket sealer with your current seal or, 2. make a new seal. Does this make sense?
Which pump do you have? What is the shape of the sight glass?
Love the video. I used to be a hydraulic tech for Nucor steel for many years. Retired now. Because of the many different hydraulic pumps that I have rebuild in my life, is it possible to get the vanes in the wrong direction or does it matter on this type of pump. Your instructions are right on.
The vanes appear to be symmetrical
Can you tell me what size the connector is on the micron gauge? I'm trying to find a connector to fit onto my
premier pump brass air inlet.
In most cases, I believe it's a 3/8" compression fitting going to a #12 JIC
@@Philat4800feet Thanks!
Loved the video, but my demister cap will not unscrew from the base. Any ideas? It just spins and spins.
Do you know if the outer black plastic is spinning or if the threads are stripped?
ruclips.net/video/qtpE7PLd0gQ/видео.html
If the threads are stripped, try pulling it upwards as you turn it counterclockwise. You may need to remove the cover and see what's going on from inside. The video link shows how to remove the outer cover.
@@Philat4800feet We removed the outer black and are trying to turn the inner black. Cannot tell what is spinning or not. Tried pulling upward as we turned counter clockwise without much luck. If the threads are striped what will we need to do get a new demister and cover? Thank you so much for the assistance
If all else fails, I believe HR has replacement pump covers and demisters.
Hi Phil. We have tried researching our problem with no success and hoping you might be able to help. We've done over 200 loads with our medium fd. Recently it has been omitting a bad oil smell. We don't notice a mist or haze in the room but it smells horrible. We have changed oil and demisters and it continues to smell. We took off the oil reservoir and removed the vacuum pump from the electric motor. Everything looked clean. Can't figure out what is causing this awful smell. Next step we will break down the vacuum pump. Any thoughts or ideas would e greatly appreciated! Thank you for providing useful informational videos!
Could it be your oil mist filter cap? The filter medium could support mold and bacteria growth:
ruclips.net/video/qtpE7PLd0gQ/видео.html
How often to you change/filter your oil?
@@Philat4800feet we changed the entire demister assembly with a new one from HR and the first load was good up until I checked weights and added more dry time. As soon as the pump kicked back on it started to smell. I change the oil when it tells me to or shortly after that message. The filter I replaced looked good other than a slight rust discoloration. It did appear to have some oil on it but not dripping oil. We did notice that when looking at the pump when running it looked as though it was almost like the oil was waterfalling if that makes sense. I use Robinair oil and I only overfillled it once and had a mist in the air from it. When that happened we immediately stopped it once we noticed it, washed the filter, dried and reassembled. Still had the smell and just replaced the entire demister assembly. That was quite a while ago though. I'll see if I can figure out how to attach the video showing the oil movement. Thanks for your time in helping us figure this out. :)
What does it smell like? Burnt plastic?
@@Philat4800feet smells more like nasty oil.
Question: Egg went through the hose and got into the brass fitting. Does it come out to clean?
How much egg?
The path the egg would take is through the check valve, primary and secondary vanes, and end up your oil. The egg would have be blended with the oil. Does the pump still work well?
Did the adapter for the micron gage came with it, or did you buy it separately?
I had to buy it. Try a shop that makes hydraulic hoses.
@@Philat4800feet thank you. I truly enjoy your videos. I appreciate the work and all the info
Hey Phil. Do you have any experience with the XL Premier pumps pulling in water and not evaporating it out? My pump is pulling in water and has corrosion in the outer portion you can see when you remove the main cover. I have cleaned it. Done lots of troubleshooting and within 4 months it’s corroded again.
Don't have an XL pump, Sorry. You might want to change your oil after every batch. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for the reply. This pump was new in June of last year. It just started retaining water around January. I have done loads of troubleshooting with Harvest Right, fixed the epoxy plug leak in January, cleaned my pump, and bought a new demister as it was severely corroded. When I cleaned my pump I only removed the cover and cleaned the exterior as I was told if I go any further it will void my warranty. I finally sent my pump back to them to diagnose and clean. They sent it back saying nothing was wrong. I removed the cover and it’s covered in rust again. Would the exterior rust cause damage to the inside of the pump?
This is where HR and I don't see eye to eye. the vapor entering the vacuum pump is acidic (on the PH scale) and having any moisture within the pump isn't good. After every batch, and while hot, I would drain and filter the oil while the pump is tipped forward. The drain valve should remain open until the next batch when you're ready to refill with oil. The demister cap should remain off and upright on a paper towel. I would only use a vacuum pump oil with R & O additives such as Black Gold.
ruclips.net/video/qPJ1sdce0NM/видео.html
Where do you order the parts at? Thank you for showing the video to
That's the problem. Replacement parts are hard to find. refer to this video:
ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html
@@Philat4800feet thank you thank you my friend. Have a good day.
Thank you so much for this!! I have a request though... I can not get the black demister apart to clean the filter in there. I have no problems with removing the cover, cotter pin, the tiny ball, the rubber disc... but no matter what I use to insert into the slot (quarter, small wrench, screw driver) it simply will not unscrew to expose the filter. I've seen other videos showing people doing it so they can clean the filter but mine simply will not budge. Do you have any insight or suggestions on what I can use/do? Thanks Phil =)
Sounds like a challenge...Accepted.
So, have you looked at Navac 7 CFM pump parts? I did. Totally different pump.
And by the way, Harvest Right is offering rebuilt Premier pumps NOW. Wonder where they buy the rebuild components, don't you?
With all pumps, the main part I'm looking at is the gasket. So far, only the Navac 12 has the same.
Hi Phil,
I’m wondering if you could help me out. I’m looking for a replacement gasket for my premier pump. It leaks a small amount of oil and I’m pretty sure the oil is escaping at this gasket.
Standby. Working on a parts list
@@Philat4800feet that would be amazing! I need the gasket between the pump and the motor.
@@Philat4800feet apparently Harvest Right won’t sell this gasket… this makes no sense to me. Why sell a product and not be willing to make some money by selling a delegate part?
Look at the NAVAC NP7DP Pro Series Vacuum Pump, 7 cfm, Dual-Stage, 15 Microns, Dual-Voltage as a possible same pump.
Funny you said that. This is the subject of my next vedio...good and bad news.
Check out the NP12DP
Are they making you return it or was it a write off for them? Very nice if they allowed you to keep it!
They let me keep it as a back up
I accidentally left the drain valve open and I think it went for an hour or two before I caught it. Is that bad? It seems to still be creating a vacuum, but I’m going to change the oil.
Time will tell
Thank you. I actually was able to retrieve the data from the machine and uploaded on my computer and I was looking through it and it looks like it only ran for about five minutes that way and then shut down. It says it went back into freezing mode. I think I’m good. I think there might be an emergency thing that stopped it.
Any insite on why the premier pump is capable of 20 plus batch loads without any oil degrigation? Othr pumps have gas balast valves and still nneed changed every 2 to 3 loads.
The two main issues could be temperature and moisture. Heat is a major cause of oil degrition. I still have my old standard pump. I should hook it up and measure the temp during a batch. Moisture, being PH acidic, is another factor. If not all ballasts are the same, perhaps HR's pump is just better.
Additional info:
Vacuum pump oil degradation can be influenced by several factors. Exposure to high temperatures, contamination with process gases or byproducts, and the presence of water or oxygen are common culprits. Additionally, mechanical wear and tear on the pump can contribute to oil breakdown. Regular maintenance and monitoring can help extend the life of the oil and the pump
Phil.. Have had mine about one month.. Did a pickle run.. Changed oil.. Did a candy run and got burned oil.
I'm a industrial tech.. So went in unit.. The front small veins.. had a black gunk.. gummy.
I did not go into the big section or oil pump.
First question is about the Spring.. you did not remove..
Mine was loose.. I assume it's a check valve..
How is it suppose to be.. you didn't do anything with it in video?
Should spring be held on to the valve..
I was told on Group to find your Skittles and oil vids.. lol
I want to figure out if the pickles and sugar caused this black gummy goo.
Pump was doing great and oil was clear.
I'm trying to retire from fixing. Currently do Appliance Repair.
Looks like I could have a side gig fixing pumps..
We used a bunch of pumps for epoxy molds.. in the Aviation industry. Had to rebuild often.
Is there a rebuild kit for these?
Thanks For great video..
I did one as I took mine apart.
I'm probably going to go back in and check my primary, big veins.
Confidence is High seeing your Vid.
So far there is not a 100% rebuild kit but this is close:
ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html
I have tried and tried to get HR to carry a rebuild kit but without luck.
I have found an ingredient, within Skittles, that can release goo, rust, and other gunk inside a vacuum pump:
ruclips.net/video/ydAXpKy-1zE/видео.html
I have spent hours and hours trying to find who makes the Harvest Right pumps.
If you wanted a rebuild kit what would the cost be.?
Working on a parts list
Do you have a source for parts for the Harvest Right vacuum pump?
This is as close as I can get:
ruclips.net/video/JlfxO-UAs9A/видео.html
Do you do repairs for the public? If so, how do i reach you to arrange?
If not, where can i get the parts that may need replaced?
Sorry, No. Not all parts are available yet. I've been working with HR to get them. When they are I will make an instructional video.
After watching the Video I wonder if the Gunk you Scrapped off the Rotors was sugar-laden Water vapor from the Freeze drying of some kind of candy Like Skittles or Taffy. It makes sense if the water vapor taken from the candy was moved to that hot rotor the sugar may melt onto that hot rotor and stick to it. The water would then be removed by the vapor trap but the sugar could coat that hot rotor. I am going to reconsider running pure sugary items in the freeze dryer. The cost of a rebuilt premium pump is $399 and they don't sell pump parts and a new pump is over $700. I was told that the pumps are proprietary and they won't sell parts or tell you who the manufacturer Is. Today I went to their brand New Facility in Northwest Salt Lake, It is 2-3 times the size of their previous building, They must be making bank to afford this new facility. I went there to exchange a Door Gasket I purchased nearly a year ago as a spare and set aside. When I went to put it on my freeze dryer I realized it was for a large and not a medium dryer. I had Inadequate vacuum errors the last time I ran some Skittles, My Kids liked them but I could never finish the batch. I have been frustrated trying to find the vacuum leak, and have come to the conclusion it is not a leak problem but a pump problem. I had them Test the pump and they said it would not pull down. When I went to exchange the door gasket they told me I would have to pay for a new one because it was out of warranty. I pointed out the gasket had never been used and it was their mistake it was the wrong size for my machine. They didn't care it was out of warranty regardless of them making the mistake in the size of my machine. This really pissed me off and I demanded to see the manager and she said she was the manager, then I demanded to see the owner because I know him personally. He was not there. It's my opinion they don't take care of their customers unless you make a big stink. This should not have happened they need to take care of their customers and be fair with them. After making a big stink I was able to get the right size gasket, They tested my pump and feed Hose, and They said both were bad and needed to be replaced. I purchased a new Hose but could not afford a used rebuilt pump for $400. I went home and tested with the new hose it made no difference. There is nothing wrong with my hoses. So if they were wrong about the hoses are they also wrong about the pump. I am going to tear down my pump and clean it up just like you did and see if I get a similar result. I sure hope so.
You might want to invest in a cheap vacuum micron gauge for around $125 or so. This will let you know the condition of your pump. I'm working on a replacement part list.
I performed the same Cleanup on My Pump and was able to get an improvement in how low the pump would go with the chamber empty.
Before cleanup, it was 1200 MT
After cleanup, it was 434 MT
I have started a batch of Strawberries and it's been running for over 27 hours. I really think the machine has a vacuum leak somewhere.
I purchased a vacuum meter but don't yet have the fittings to test anything.
Why won't the strawberries process with the Mili-TOR at 434 MT that is below 500?
The connection parts ordered from Amazon are still not here. But the Strawberries Ran 57 hours before they were dry enough to take out of the machine. The machine never transitioned to process complete after 57 hours of drying. I finally just took them out. They looked and felt like they were done. That is over $5 in electricity cost for one batch of strawberries, and twice too long. Looks like there is a leak or the pump is bad.
17:45 cant get it out easy. any tips?
If the issue is with the key-way, I would try a pick tool. If the issue is with the "oil pump", try tapping the front shaft from front to back with a soft mallet.
thanks, already assembled everything back. this part did not move forward, but wab able to push it to the other side. this went smoothly. thanks for this video, i owe you a lot
30:45 ... you did not come back to tighten the screws :D @@Philat4800feet
Great video. Looks like an easy do it yourself fix to try. HOWEVER, Harvest Right will NOT sell the parts needed that you mentioned in the video. Meaning the Secondary & Primary Veins or the front bushings or the two oil seals. Soooooo, only option is to send ours in to be fixed, we pay shipping plus the parts and labor or purchase a refurbished one. It's terrible they have the market cornered on this and people can't fix their own. Sidenote, HR said these premiere pumps life is 3-5 years. Mine is a few months shy of 3 years.
That's the problem.
The model is Navac P012008. Look online you can buy the rebuild kit but it’s a lot of parts so it’s around 150.
@@jpdecrescenzo thanks I already bought a refurbished pump from HR but will remember your suggestion when this pump quits. :)
@ do
You have the old one? I need one small part deep in the pump and can’t find it
@@jpdecrescenzo Sorry, hope you can find one.
So if the pump is leaking oil, what part would most likely be the culprit?
The large O-ring that goes around the green reservoir cover. I believe HR sells them.
@@Philat4800feet Thank you!
Phil, I'm wondering why you're comparing the Navac 12 CFM to the Harvest Right 7 CFM Premier pump? Have you looked at alternative Navac models, maybe there's a model using the same pump as in the Harvest Right. I can see by the exploded parts diagrams on Navac product spec sheets, (available online), that the manufacturer uses lots of different combinations of pumps, motors, oil tanks and plastic/aluminum motor housings. If you've identified the actual manufacturer that both Harvest Right and Navac are apparently using, please let me know.
Sure do appreciate what you do. We seem to think a lot alike.
Thanks Again,
Dan
About 70% of the parts are the same with a bunch left over. The only critical part not found in the rebuild kit is the secondary vanes. I'm still looking for the perfect match. HR has said they will make a rebuild kit available soon. That was over a year ago.
If HR wants you to fix this pump as a video project to help owners repair there own pump with out having it replaced. HR asked me to send my pump to them for a few day test at their new building. I did not want to be with out using my machine for 2 weeks. But I also think a new pump that wont pull a full vacuum should be replaced. I wonder if any one knows how to work on pumps at HR.. HR just pulls the box sets out of a Sea Container and shipps it out. With out any in house QC.It's crazy how they are pulling this home repair idea off. The sides should have Velcrow instead of screws.
Take a taste of the gunk you scraped off the rotor, I bet its sugar. The drive key is called a key and the groove is the key way. Most vacuum pumps use a catch jar before the pump inlet, you can find them on line. I question why HR calls the vacuum, pressure? Thanks for your time.
I think I'll pass on the taste test. But I bet you're right.
Another scenario where a piston and/or piston rings can get gouged, during shipping and/or being dropped.
Pretty sad that they didn’t include a rebuild kit for you. Seal and gasket kit at the very least. In the vacuum industry these pumps are not highly regarded at all. Cheap imported junk. Lack of repair parts available unlike a reputable vacuum pump. Also 69 microns is terrible. It should be under 10.
Watched a few of your videos... camera focus is NOT your stong suit
Sorry, today's cameras don't have f-stops or manual focus.
Dont appoligize.. your fixing a pump not trying to win best film. Well done@@Philat4800feet
Thank you for this great video.