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Post by Stealth on Jul 13, 2023 15:51:56 GMT 10
I will 100% put my agreement in on that, the commercial guy was amazing. Very happy to help, curious about the machine and how it works, baffled that the internals look very similar to a standard fridge/freezer when you discount the vacuum pump portion (which he also easily recognised and knew what it would do simply by looking at it despite not working on any vacuum kit regularly).
I've had a response to my ticket from HR, they've asked for a copy of the machine logs which I've sent. Unfortunately the guy that got my ticket is on leave for the next week. I could push the issue and have someone else pick it up but life is a bit hectic at the moment so I'm ok with back burner-ing it for a few days.
I sent a message to the commercial guy and let him know that I'm still chasing it so that when we have a solution (whether a warranty replacement or sourcing domestically) I'll get it going again relatively quickly.
On a side note, as I mentioned I sent him off with some FD'd Minties as a thank you just for coming to look at my job let alone helping out. Turns out he passed them on to his reception lass who gave a few to her mum. Her mother unfortunately is suffering from oesophageal cancer, and hasn't been able to eat normally for some time. Turns out she absolutely LOVED the Minties. I got a phonecall from the reception lass today asking if I make anything else. I mentioned that I do make quite a few candies, but that we mostly use it for camping and food storage. She then went on to ask if it was possible to make freezedried meals that could be powdered so that they could be mixed with water and enjoyed by people who struggle to eat normal foods.
Of course it's possible and definitely something I'd considered as I have a family member in a similar position. Reception lass said her biggest problem was getting enough good protein into her mum's diet because there's really only two dietary options and they're both sweet but bland whey products. Apparently her mum isn't a sweet tooth type and to add insult to injury, she's a real foodie. She's been missing her steaks and curries and the like, poor thing!
She also mentioned that she thinks there'd be a huge market for powdered freeze dried foods, because a lot of people who're elderly or ill are stuck with the boring mass-produced options that don't really allow for any customisation and are by nature very bland. It'd be a minor minefield to do as a business because the regulatory hurdles would be pretty large.
But when I get the machine up and running I'm going to investigate making a few options for her as a thank you for facilitating our machine repair. Nothing too dramatic, maybe a few lentil-based curries and the like. Something that can be powdered and put into a jar to easily turn into a thickened soup of sorts. Just something to break the monotony of the same protein options day in day out.
It's not cheap to own, or run. It's not cheap to provide meals for free to others. But occasionally an opportunity comes up to help someone and the cost is worth it. Community is, in my opinion, a massively important part of prepping successfully. If it turns out down the track that I can turn it into a business then great. But it's not really about that.
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tactile
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Post by tactile on Jul 14, 2023 9:04:56 GMT 10
This is your retirement plan Stealth...you have found something that someone wants - from the largest growing demographic in the country no less! You wanted some retirement plan advice - go hard with this if you find there is a need.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 14, 2023 10:51:47 GMT 10
Stealth, if cost is an issue, go solar 100%, no more expenses and power outages, except when you do something silly, like running the A/C at the same time as 2 water pumps, 3 fridges, freezer, the hot water booster and someone plugs in the toaster......
Witch-hunts and show trials are the order of the day as those who cannot stomach the party line are obsessively purged, as healthy skepticism is condemned as a mortal sin by brittle true believers who secretly fear the failure of their cult.
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Post by Stealth on Jul 29, 2023 16:26:48 GMT 10
The saga continues! After talking to one of the HR tech support guys, he's come to the conclusion that there's a problem with the power wiring harness and plug. This will answer two questions. Is the wiring the problem? And if it's not, it will answer the question of whether or not the compressor is the problem. Hilariously we had some momentary difficulties with the tech not knowing what the word 'earthing' meant. Typical yank, didn't put two and two together and think "Oh, they must mean GROUNDING". That gave me a bit of a momentary giggle. Now for the frustrating part. All up, to get the appliance tech to come out and diagnose the problem (and spend a couple of hours troubleshooting) cost $500. Getting the wiring harness replaced is costing about $100. The bonus is that if it's NOT the wiring that's the problem, I'll have a replacement part. The cost is for shipping and while it's pretty expensive for postage alone, that's fairly standard from the US. So hopefully in 2-3 weeks the wiring harness will arrive and I'll be able to get the machine back up and running again! But I've included the prices here because again, the realities of owning a machine are something that people should consider before buying one. I still personally think it's worth it to have a machine that I can consistently create dried foods that I know we will eat and enjoy rather than buying pre-made freeze dried meals with sub-par ingredients or produce. As me in a month whether I have the same view or not though  |
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Jul 29, 2023 16:39:55 GMT 10
I’ve been relaying your issue onto my work wife, who recently took delivery on a large size HarvestRight FD. She bought through an Australian supplier (ozfarmer from memory). She had some issues getting the machine to start, had to reload some software to get it to work.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 29, 2023 16:42:55 GMT 10
A wiring harness shouldn't be that complicated for such a machine. What happens if that's not the issue ?
Yea, Yanks have absolutely no idea that there exists other power systems than 110 volts. Or what petrol is !
Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.
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Post by Stealth on Jul 29, 2023 17:14:02 GMT 10
I’ve been relaying your issue onto my work wife, who recently took delivery on a large size HarvestRight FD. She bought through an Australian supplier (ozfarmer from memory). She had some issues getting the machine to start, had to reload some software to get it to work. That sucks :/ I've read a lot on FB groups about software being a problem. So many people have said that they've had trouble with the version of software that I'm on, thankfully I haven't *touch wood* had any issues with my version. It's all been mechanical issues that seem to be relatively easy to fix. TO DATE (don't want to tempt the gods to go all in on the chaos 🤣). Buying it through the Aussie distributor is probably the wiser move for anyone that doesn't want to do repair/support work without an intermediary. Although that being said apparently the first line of customer service is to call HR anyway, so I personally felt that it wasn't really going to achieve much to have an intermediary. Although the owner of Ozfarmer said in a FB post that that's not the case... But then didn't elucidate further so I'm still on the fence as to where the support actually comes from at this stage. Either way my machine is patiently waiting for me to get a wiring harness that may or may not fix the problem. If it doesn't, I'll have a replacement harness available for if it DOES ever spud in, but I only had to pay for the shipping rather than the part AND the shipping because it's still in warranty for another six months. |
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frostbite
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Post by frostbite on Jul 30, 2023 14:05:49 GMT 10
So the work wife gave me a run through on her FD this morning. Looks fairly simple to operate. She is currently drying soup vegetables from her garden.
Her initial issue was software. She couldn’t get the screen on the machine to get to the part where she could start drying. Even though she bought through the Aus supplier she had to go through the parent company in the US for assistance. The new software was sent from the Aus supplier ( ozfarmer I believe)but the whole drama took 2 weeks to resolve. Machine currently working fine although there is the odd drip on water from the glass door on the outside bottom of the front panel. Doesn’t look like there is much to these machines,most of the back is empty space.
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Post by Stealth on Jul 30, 2023 14:44:39 GMT 10
Yep, I'd tell her not to stress too much about the dripping. It's a result of condensation on the outside of the ring from the temp dropping so low, happens when the humidity is higher in the room that you're using it. If it happens fairly often, I'd recommend that she add a dehumidifier to the room that she processes the product in after it's completed because it means that there's high humidity in the air which could mess with her product while she's storing it.
Another tip is to leave a thin folded towel under the front two legs of the machine. The reason for that is twofold, it improves drainage out of the machine through the back drain hole, but it also leaves something under that ring to absorb condensation drips. I've had a few times where I haven't realised that the machine had condensation because I couldn't see it behind the gasket and when I've pulled a tray out, I've bumped the gasket which has caused a drip to land on the tray. Definitely not conducive to freezedrying! I don't mean to tell her to suck eggs, but if she hasn't experienced it yet it might help her running into a 'crap, well that's wet again now' situation like I had 😅.
That being said, you're right. They're very easy and largely set and forget once you're used to the process. I've found the actual use of the machine to be far less intimidating and confusing than I'd thought it would be. I guess I'd put it in the 'this is a computer' category which we all know can open a world of hurt if you don't know what it's doing. But the computer in it seems quite simple, and a reload of the software seems to be the easiest fix in most cases.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 30, 2023 16:10:51 GMT 10
Lots of FD designs around......Hmmmm.....lets see if I can make one.....Without the computer, or at least a complicated computer, maybe an Arduino or PICOmite, something that is easily programmable and serviceable without extensive equipment, and cheap. An Arduino is less than $50, and the programming would be much like a PLC (programmable logic controller), used everywhere in industry. The process is relatively simple and one step follows another, so a PLC type micro would work well, and those available these days are more than fast enough, offer screens and WiFi/Bluetooth, so should be a simple program.
When time permits I will investigate further.
I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day.
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Post by Stealth on Jul 30, 2023 20:09:51 GMT 10
I've love to see your efforts MWT! I'm sure there's definitely the capacity to build it yourself if you know what you're doing. I certainly don't, but I think if anyone could nut it out you could! The tricky part (from what I gather) is programming the software to do the right functions at the right time. That's way above my pay grade 😉.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 31, 2023 8:52:25 GMT 10
"The tricky part (from what I gather) is programming the software to do the right functions at the right time. "
Invest in a Arduino board from Jaycar, $30, even cheaper on the net, download the free software programmer, and start learning. The board even has a led on it that within minutes you can have flashing at whatever rate u want with your first program. It really is that simple.
Simply plugs into almost any PC with a USB port, and is powered from that PC, no cables, battery etc.
Mate, there really is no excuse not to start learning about these bits of gear now. If u manage to blow it up, $30 buys another one, its not gunna break the bank.
“Every landing that you walk away from is a good landing. If you can reuse the plane, it was a great landing.” ~ David Samson
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Post by Stealth on Jul 31, 2023 10:36:18 GMT 10
Haha your idea of simple and my idea of simple are vastly different things 😉. Not to mention, if I started buying parts to tinker with to make my own machine after spending north of $7k to buy one, I think hubby would be asking me to update my life insurance. Nope. Replacing parts or updating pre-provided software I can manage, but BUILDING one of those things is both outside of both my interest and capability. But I'd be keen to see if someone else can do it, if nothing else to prove that it can be done.
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 31, 2023 11:12:42 GMT 10
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 31, 2023 13:44:38 GMT 10
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Jul 31, 2023 16:01:53 GMT 10
Well, research shows the principle is simple.
Getting -30 deg c is not hard, 4 pieltier devices back to back with a fan will easily get an aluminum plate to -40 deg c, at about 300 watts of power consumption at 12 volts dc.
Sensors for vacuum, pressure, temperature and humidly are off the shelf for the Arduino platform for around $5 each.
Then we come to pulling 0.05 Torr vacuum....A reasonable, oil free, magnetic driven pump is $2 K Australian, but there are other ways of pulling vacuum.
Compressed air, when led through a venturi will produce a vacuum. I don't know the relationship to the amount or pressure of air needed and how much vacuum is created, but from first principles its not too hard to calculate. Compressed air is easy to obtain, cheap, and safe, well understood, if somewhat noisy, to provide.
Stay tuned......
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.
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Post by Stealth on Jul 31, 2023 17:54:18 GMT 10
"How to freeze-dry food with a freezer If you don’t have a freeze-dryer, you can use your household freezer instead. It does take much longer than using a machine, but the results are good and you don’t have to purchase an expensive freeze-dryer. To freeze-dry food using your freezer, follow these instructions. Wash the food items you want to freeze-dry to remove any dirt and other residue from them. This ensures food safety and helps the freeze-drying process work better. Cut the food items into small pieces. This helps the freeze-drying process. Place the food you want to freeze-dry on a flat tray, making sure the food is evenly spread. Making sure it’s spread properly is important because you want the food to freeze evenly. Next, place the trays of food in your freezer. Before closing the door, make sure the freezer temperature is set correctly. Leave the trays in your freezer for two weeks. The food needs this long for all of the moisture to be removed. After two weeks, remove the trays from your freezer and quickly place the food items into small airtight bags. Only take one tray out at a time to avoid the food rehydrating while you’re bagging it. Place the bags in your freezer or the pantry in a cool, dark spot. After a couple of days, check the bags (especially if they are in the pantry) to make sure the food has properly air-dried. If not, it will probably have to be thrown out. If the freeze-drying process works correctly, you can safely store the food for many months." I hate to break it to you, but that's not freeze drying. Not even close. It's freezer burning at best. The point of freeze drying is sublimating all water in entirety out of the product. Most standard home freezers don't sit at the right freezing temperatures, and they certainly don't cycle between the required temperatures for the required periods of time to freeze dry. They also don't remove the water from the product. Without a vacuum (and the afore mentioned temperature fluctuations) all you'd get is frozen food which, as soon as it defrosted, would be un-storable because it would rot. The same applies to the freeze drying with dry ice concept that they list except it's even LESS controllable. I might not have any interest in building a machine myself, but I do know that neither of those methods would result in freeze dried product. You'd be far better of dehydrating produce if you wanted a medium term storage product. |
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Post by Stealth on Jul 31, 2023 17:56:33 GMT 10
Well, research shows the principle is simple. Getting -30 deg c is not hard, 4 pieltier devices back to back with a fan will easily get an aluminum plate to -40 deg c, at about 300 watts of power consumption at 12 volts dc. Sensors for vacuum, pressure, temperature and humidly are off the shelf for the Arduino platform for around $5 each. Then we come to pulling 0.05 Torr vacuum....A reasonable, oil free, magnetic driven pump is $2 K Australian, but there are other ways of pulling vacuum. Compressed air, when led through a venturi will produce a vacuum. I don't know the relationship to the amount or pressure of air needed and how much vacuum is created, but from first principles its not too hard to calculate. Compressed air is easy to obtain, cheap, and safe, well understood, if somewhat noisy, to provide. Stay tuned...... A pretty simple explanation, but could give you a jumping point for programming your own machine if you're actually planning to do so! Like you said, I'm sure there's plenty of things out there pre-designed to run just such a machine. I just don't have the inclination to build one myself 🤣. |
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malewithatail
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Post by malewithatail on Aug 1, 2023 9:04:38 GMT 10
And also, compressed air expanding through a vortex, cools it down, so pre-cooling the pieltier effect devices. Could even work !
I'm pretty sure my final words will be......"well shit, that didn't work !"
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Post by Stealth on Aug 15, 2023 19:32:18 GMT 10
Replacement wiring arrived today and... Great success! Turns out one of the points was bonked. Replaced the power point and switch and some of the wiring and she's working again 😁. I'm currently adding some silicone tape to weak points while I have it open however. The vacuum isn't quite getting under 550 mTorr and that's not great. It should be under 500. But at this point, having it even run is a win that I'll happily take.
Next thing to check is an epoxy leak which is pretty simple to do. Bit of carb cleaner sprayed on a sensor point when it's stabilized at it's lowest vacuum and that'll let me know whether I need to reseal the epoxy there. It's a very simple fix if that's the case though.
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