A vacuum sealer is an excellent way to store food away, especially when you’re camping or hunting in the wilderness.
While a vacuum sealer can help preserve your food, if it is not maintained, a vacuum sealer won’t work properly. Bags may not seal properly, the vacuum sealer may not work right, or it may break down completely. Keeping it maintained will give the vacuum sealer a long life and keep it working for years.
Here are some tips on how to prevent the vacuum sealer from breaking down too soon. It will also help prevent any bacteria from growing on the vacuum sealer while you’re not using it.
Cleaning
The vacuum sealer should be cleaned every time it’s used. Any liquid that comes from food may harden over time, and it may cause some issues with the vacuum sealer.
Pests like ants and other animals may be attracted to the crumbs and leftovers on the sealer. Before you start cleaning, you want to make sure the sealer is unplugged and turned off.
don’t want to get electrocuted by carelessly not turning it off. You can use simple soap and water to brush off any crumbs left over.
If you use chemicals, it may come into contact with food later on, which can lead to food poisoning.
A damp rag will suffice when you’re cleaning it, and you don’t want it too wet when you’re cleaning. Using a damp rag will prevent any water from getting inside the vacuum sealer.
If water gets inside, it may damage the electrical parts inside the sealer. With the damp rag, you’ll want to wipe down all the buttons and switches, the vacuum channel, and the tray that catches any fluids.
Wiping down all the exterior surfaces will prevent any buildup from food that you will seal and stop any bacteria from growing.
It’s important that you get the whole surface area cleaned up before you use the vacuum sealer again.
After you have wiped down the surfaces, you want to get the dirt and excess water out of the rag. You can just squeeze all the water out and then wash the rag to get off any dirt and grime.
After you have done that, just take the water from the damp rag and go over the sealer again. You want to make sure you get the soap residue off the sealer so it doesn’t get sticky and make it harder to clean next time.
After going over the sealer with a clean, damp rag, you’ll want to take a dry rag and get all the water off of it.
Ensuring all the water is off the cleaner will prevent an electric shock the next time you need to use the vacuum sealer.
Mechanical Issues
If you’re having some mechanical issues with your vacuum sealer, there are some troubleshooting tricks you can use to make sure you don’t need to replace it.
If the unit is not opening or allowing you to use the sealer, you can try to finagle it to make it work. If the red seal light is on but it’s not working, you can press the cancel button twice.
It will help reset the unit so you can then continue to start sealing your food once again. You can tell if it won’t work because the red light should be off when you’re using it to vacuum seal a new bag.
If you’re having difficulty inserting a sealing bag, then it may mean some parts are in the right place. You can check the drip tray, bag detection tray, and the foam gaskets.
If they are unhinged, you can put them back in place to ensure the sealer is working correctly. You want to make sure they are placed firmly in the right position to ensure that the unit works properly.
If you have done this, and it’s still not working you can check the manual or call the manufacturer to get more information. Hopefully, it’s not a problem where you have to fully replace the unit.
If you’re having trouble sealing mason jars, the vacuum sealer may not be compatible to work with them. The different models of vacuum sealers use different sealing bags, so you want to make sure they are compatible with mason jars.
If you have one that is suitable for mason jars, you can check some things to make sure it works. You want to see if the rubber gasket doesn’t have any food debris after you use the sealer.
If that’s ok, the mason jar may have cracks on the rim, which will cut into the bag.
If the metal lid is bent, the sealer won’t work properly, so you can just change it out. The accessory hose may not be properly attached either.
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Last Word
So make sure it is before you decide to invest in a new vacuum sealer. Taking proper care of your vacuum sealer will keep it in top shape and prevent any bacteria from growing on the sealer.