Could be the heating element (wire that gets hot enough to melt plastic) is going bad, how long have you been sealing bags with the unit? If you have used it for some time there is the possibility of build up plastic/residue on the the wire or the surface that actually comes in contact with the bag as I would suspect there is a coated surface the element heats up as opposed to the element / wire coming in contact with the plastic itself!
Aug 15, 2010 - 17 posts - 13 authors
We have been using our Food Saver Vacuum sealer we bought ... connects somehow got stuck open and therefore the bags would not ..... I've had the FoodSaver V3840 for about 10 months now and thus far it has been great.Missing: door
? 8:22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jguFiF0Rouw
May 21, 2014 - Uploaded by Kelly Kimble
Repair a FoodSaver that isn't drawing out air anymore. In this case, its ... Vacuum Sealer Troubleshooting - Duration: 10:25. katzcradul 52,345 views. 10:25 ... How to Food Saver Lemon Juice or Other Liquids - Duration: 4:56.
This is from a Benjaman post last year.......
"My tray and contacts were perfect but the error persisted. I hacked the unit by unplugging the 3 pin connector that run from the contacts to the controller board. This got rid of the tray full error light and allowed me to resume using the unit. I will just have to check the tray manually when sealing wet foods."
Best to you
If it appears that the vacuum pump is working well and the seals around the vacuum chamber are clean, it may be a bad vacuum switch on the circuit board.
Turn it over and take out the screws. Inside there will be a small 2x2 circuit board with a 1" round device (the vacuum switch) with a clear tube going from it to the vacuum pump.
On my unit, liquid got into this and rusted the spring so that the contacts and contact plate were corroded and would not make a good electrical contact.
I un-soldered mine from the board, took it apart (by cutting away the edge of the reddish-brown cover) cleaned it all up till the contacts and contact plate were nice and shiny, and clamped and super-glued it back together. Works great now. Make sure you note how far in the vacuum adjustment screw is so you can get it back to the same position.
Or, you may wish to just buy a new vacuum switch off of ebay.
Odds are it is dirty and the vacuum sensor is plugged. That makes it think the vacuum is complete. So it seals. Check the instructions or a youtube and clean it. You need to use the exact cleaning instructions. Odds are that will fix it.
Chances are that you foam gasket are not doing their job anymore. You can make a test by humidifying them with a paper towel. If it's works, you are due to replace them. They will usually last about 2 to 3 years depending on the use.
They are available through ebay or Amazon
The black foam seals are not doing their job anymore then. You may humidify them with a paper towel for a quick but it won't last. The vacuum sealer is expected to reach a certain level before automatically sealing it.
There is foam replacments available through ebay and amazon.
There's could be several elements to look into;
-is the vacuum still working or it stopped.?
.if it stopped without sealing chances are that the heating wire is broken.
if it's still try to vaccum, the seals probably not doing their and the expected vacuum levels are not reached.
To test that you can moister the foams seals with a paper towels.
If that worked, think about replacing the seals.
To deal with the sealing wire, you usually have to pull off a teflon tape to see it. I do believe that you can have a replacement for the wire. I personally never had to replace one.
