Freeze Dryer Pumps- Scroll Pump
I have been freeze drying for around 4 years now which is long enough to predate Stay Fresh and Blue Alpine freeze dryers. In that time I have upgraded my vacuum pump system from the Harvest Right (Scroll Labs) white oil free scroll pump. Let me start by saying that if you just begin to scratch the surface of learning about freeze drying systems and the necessary appropriate vacuum pumps that are specifically built to be used with a moisture and particulate, aka food debris contaminants, then the list of pumps boils down to Agilent and Edwards.
I reviewed multiple manufacturers pumps and owners manuals and I spoke with many different professionals within the vacuum pump industry to get to where I am today.
⚠️ The vacuum pumps that are often included with the freeze dryer purchase at no additional cost and sold to the general public for residential use are typically the cheapest disposable pumps available for mass production and cost savings (no fault of businesses this is consumer driven).
I was informed that American consumers would never buy a freeze dryer if they had to pay $$ for the correct rated pump. An entry level oil pump that can handle the moisture vapor and food particulate contamination are going to start at $3,000 and that is for a refurbished one. For an oil free pump that price is going to jump to $6,000 and for most people they just simply can’t afford these prices.
You can find a great deal on refurbished Agilent pumps from legitimate repair shops. I found mine at huge discount through an online forum business liquidation sale.
Brand Manufacturer Rebranding Warning
Freeze drying companies sell rebranded pumps!!!!! What this means is that they buy pumps from the pump manufacturer to then have their freeze drying brand name put on the pumps instead of the actual pump manufacturer name (agilent, Anest Iwatta, Navac, etc..) . This then means that Stay fresh, Harvest Right, Blue Alpine, and 4 patriots assume legal responsibility for handling and processing all warranty claims.
‼️ This is a negative factor for consumers for numerous reasons that I will not dive too deeply into. #1. You aren’t getting the manufacturers owners manual and instead you get a re written watered down manual. If any manual is provided it is often times with illegally written consumer warranties favoring the freeze dryer seller and violating consumer federal and sometimes State legal rights. #2. For the vacuum pump repair industry it’s best to have a recognized brand pump so that part numbers can easily be found and parts ordered in a timely manner. ⚠️ Rebranding pumps just makes this process harder for consumers and repair professionals.
Blue alpine- sells an upgraded pump and it is a Harvest Pro Commercial RVD-5 Vacuum Pump – 115 Volt 60 Hz 1 Phase. The pump that comes with the freeze dryer looks like a rebranded pump to show the blue alpine name and most likely is a rebranded NAVAC
Stay Fresh sells rebranded pumps and for those interested and invested it is possible to determine which brand manufacturer the pump is from. You can do image comparison searches and then narrow down looking at specs and comparing them and ultimately reaching out to the manufacturer directly and asking them directly.
Agilent IDP-7
I chose to purchase the Agilent IDP-7 because #1. It is rated to work with moisture from freeze drying. #2. The tip seals and bearings are isolated or separated from one another and thus prevents severe damage from particulate contamination. My first scroll pump was horrifically damaged twice in the first year from particulate damage to the bearings. #3. The manufacturer has a US headquarters which is a positive aspect to look for in a manufacturer because they can offer better warranty assistance and faster parts vs overseas disposable pumps with zero US presence. #4. I found a local vacuum pump repair shops that I can order parts through and also have any major overhaul repair work on the Agilent pump performed. Which means I don’t have to deal with the hassle of shipping. #5. The most important reason I bought it was because Agilent is a highly regarded company and I found them to be transparent in their effort to put out owners manuals and a thoroughly detailed warranty. They have put out a lot of guided video and written content for self guided routine maintenance ❤️.
Negative- Agilent does not ship to residential addresses. These pumps are intended to be used at a professional level which means that purchasing replacement and maintenance materials will need to be processed through a vendor or business willing to place the order for you.
Agilent IDP-7 Tip Seal Replacement
Tip#1. Never fight or struggle. You risk damaging something if you are fighting or struggling.
If at any point something begins to feel like a fight or struggle stop what you are doing before you damage something. Step back and re evaluate.
Example: the tip seals must be perfectly aligned to easily slip into the channel. If the tip seal is even a mm off kilter then it will not seat and you will meet resistance.
Example: the #6 and #4 hex screws might feel impossible to remove if using a short shaft tool. These are easily removed with a T handle utilizing the longer shaft for increased torque.
Purchase LVP Grease from Fluidx
The OEM tip seal kit can be a bit costly and it is sold to vendors for $404.00 that includes the kryotox LVP grease, which on its own cost $66.00 + S&T at the time of writing this. However you will not find it for sale anywhere close to the $404 but more likely closer to $450+. I did manage to find the tips seal kit for $200 without the grease and the 0.5oz of LVP grease was $100.
Buy tip seal & O-ring from Global Vacuum
Vacuum Inlet Isolation Valve
It is a premium or optimal feature to buy a pump or a freeze dryer with an automatic inlet isolation valve on the vacuum line as a premium feature for anyone in areas prone to power outages or who can not be present for when their load finishes. So with current freeze dryer machines and pumps they do not have the automatic vacuum shut off valve. So when the vacuum pump stops there is a loss of pressurization and without a valve between the pump and freeze dryer that auto closes then ambient air begins to re enter into the machine. This reintroduces humidity back into the freeze dryer and the door will open while the drain valve is still in its closed position. This results in needing to run the load for an additional 1-2hrs.
The valve isn’t a mandatory feature because the food, if left sitting in the freeze dryer long enough to become cold, will still need to be warmed aka add an additional 1-2hr run time in order to heat back up and identify any remaining moisture spots, regardless if an automated valve is being used or not.
The Agilent IDP-7 does offer an internal automated valve that closes when the pump powers off!
After two years and two months or 3,500+ hours of running flawlessly my Agilent pump is now ready for me to do a tip seal replacement.
Original Harvest Right Oil free pump AKA Scroll Labs Oil Free Pump
This is a 3.4cfm oil free pump that was originally sold by harvest right as a rebranded oil free scroll pump sold with the original size small (3 trays) and medium (4 trays) machines. Aka pre supersized machines produced after 2023. This was my first oil free pump that I had to retire due to its incompatibility with freeze drying.
I was persistent and received a full refund when my scroll labs pump broke down and they could not repair it or offer me my legal protected right to a like kind replacement.
These pumps were manufactured by Scroll Labs technologies out of Chicago and rebranded and sold via Harvest right for one year. These pumps were not designed to handle the moisture vapor and particulate debris from freeze drying and thus had continuous warranty claims submitted to Harvest right. Harvest right could not handle the large influx of warranty claims or the financial implications of the ineffective product they sold so instead what they did was #1. Discontinued the sale of the pump and #2. Began to violate the legal terms and conditions of consumer warranty rights by refusing consumers their full warranty when the pumps broke down and they could not repair or replace them with like kind. Here is a copy of an internal company document sent to their staff;
⚠️⛔️ This was an internal memo/policy not released to the public nor legally binding to consumers because it violates protected federal and State consumer rights laws. However 98% of consumers would never know if their legal rights were being violated!
🌟 Federal Trade Commission website is a fantastic free resource to learn about consumer rights in addition to the State Attorney General Consumer Affairs website.
Inline Sump Filter
It is industry standard to use a pre pump inline filter to reduce particulate damage to the pump. Yes this includes dry scroll pumps!
I purchased my sump filter from Fluidx and purchased the correct fittings on Amazon for my system.
