I have a standard food saver vacuum seal. It does a good job pulling all air out but when it goes to make the seal, it releases slightly and allows some air back inside the bags.

Has anyone else had this problem and know of a fix, or is it just because it's a entry point sealer?

While it's in vacuum mode, push down on machine so it conforms better to bag and doesn't leak during suction stage. Also clean the foam seals. I've also had luck with doing a double seal on each end.. just give it time to cool so you don't overheat the melt strip.

I've had the same one for about 11 years now so it can need help from time to time. There's a few things you can try with that.

-I only use mine for meat, try to dry the meat as much as possible before putting in the bag. I also cut the bags larger than necessary to make sure no moisture gets in the heating/sealing element if possible.
-Make sure the area that area that seals the bag is completely clean.
-Switch the food mode to moist, which is supposed to set a tighter seal IIRC.
-Try flipping the bag upside down. For some reason mine only seals well now if the smooth side of the bag is on the bottom and the textured side is on the top.

The foam gaskets can be replaced. I thought I was about to buy a new sealer a few years ago but a new set of gaskets from Amazon set it straight.

normaleagle05 said:

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The foam gaskets can be replaced. I thought I was about to buy a new sealer a few years ago but a new set of gaskets from Amazon set it straight.

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Same here.

Op, if you REALLY want to start saving food (for whatever/whenever), take a look at getting a freeze dryer. More expensive than a dehydrator, but well worth it. We got a Harvest Right and love it.

Thanks for the recs. while this is 2 years old, I am actually just taking it out of the box and beginning to utilize it. The issue I am having was on my initial vacuum seal attempts, so I dont think it is due to wearing down the equipment.

The sealing gaskets will deteriorate over time whether used or not. You can also get a set from Foodsaver for 3 bucks. I had the same problem with one I've had for a few years. They may not be $3 now but it fixed the problem.

Thanks - at that price, no reason not to try it.

tmaggie50 said:

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Thanks for the recs. while this is 2 years old, I am actually just taking it out of the box and beginning to utilize it. The issue I am having was on my initial vacuum seal attempts, so I dont think it is due to wearing down the equipment.

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It could be some fat or oil from whatever you're putting in there is in that spot and not allowing it to seal correctly. I had this issue with some leftover ham earlier this year and I went through a few different bags before I decided to clean the interior of the bag where I'd be sealing it after putting the food in, and got a good seal after that.

I switched to the pre-made bags (only have to worry about the seal on one side).
I double seal the open end.
We package a lot if fish and it's important to have very little moisture to get a good seal.

My next purchase is going to be a chamber vacuum sealer. I have several fishing buddies that switched to these sealers and never looked back.

Avid Armor - Chamber Vacuum Sealer Machine USV32 Ultra Series, Food for Wet Foods, Meat Sealers Packing Machine, Compact with 11.5 -Inch Bar https://a.co/d/bC1tozx

One thing that I do for meats that have some moisture in the bag, is when you see that the air has been sucked out, hit the seal button, rather than waiting for it to auto stop the vacuum and start sealing.

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I switched to the pre-made bags (only have to worry about the seal on one side).

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This. You can get 100 bags on Amazon for like $15-20 and they work great. I stopped fooling around with the roll where I had to make my own bag.

Link to bags

aTm2004 said:

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I switched to the pre-made bags (only have to worry about the seal on one side).

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This. You can get 100 bags on Amazon for like $15-20 and they work great. I stopped fooling around with the roll where I had to make my own bag.

Link to bags

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Awesome thanks for the link

i won this exact model at the American Royal Cookoff this year. Finally got to use it this past weekend and this thing is incredible. Works so much better than the last few different sealers that we have had.