It is possible to buy robust and effective vacuum packaging equipment for about £200 including vat. A machine at this price (for example the Lava V100)will usually contain components of sufficient quality to work quickly and reliably and should give several years of use if it is looked after. If you choose to pay more than £200 then you will be paying for additional features, for example fully automatic operation and perhaps a variable pressure facility.
Whether you are using a domestic machine or a commercial one, there is not a great deal of difference between machines in the time that it takes to pack something. Assuming that the item to be packed is reasonably well matched to the bag size, the operation usually takes about 30 seconds. That is 10-20 seconds to remove the air from the bag and about 10 seconds to make the heat seal.
Commercial machines do work slightly faster but the real difference is in the build quality of the machine chassis – commercial machines (V400 & V500) have an all steel case whilst the domestic machines have a high-impact plastic case. Also, the commercial machines have an 800 watt motor as opposed to the 400 watt motor found in the domestic machines. This speeds up the packing process a little, but the real difference is in the ability of the commercial machine to work continuously all day every day.
Vacuum packaging equipment requires minimal maintenance other than being kept clean but there some things that you should consider which will affect their life and usefulness.
1. Seals – In order to create the vacuum, the area around the bag needs to be sealed when it is clamped under the lid of the machine. This is achieved by using foam rubber sealing strips on the bottom of the machine and on the lid. When they are new they make a perfect seal, but after a year or two of use, the seal becomes less effective as the foam rubber hardens with age. Eventually the seals are no longer airtight and the machine can no longer create a vacuum. This is not a problem if the machine you buy has replaceable seals which can be bought ‘off the shelf’ otherwise it means that the machine is finished. We stock replacement seals for all of our Lava machines V100-V300 for £15.95 per set.
2. Heating Strip – In order to heat seal the bag without sticking to it, the heating element needs to be covered by a non-stick strip which is usually made of Teflon. This will usually last for at least a couple of years but may need replacing after that time. Once again, this is not a problem if the Teflon strip for your machine is readily available otherwise it means that the machine is finished. We stock replacement Teflon heating strips for all of our Lava machines V100-V300 for £15.95
3. Liquid Trap – The electric pump inside the machine which removes the air and creates the vacuum is an air pump, it is not a liquid pump. If liquid finds its way into the pump it will cause the pump to breakdown. This does not usually happen straightaway but it will reduce the life of the machine very considerably. This is not a problem if the machine you buy has a liquid trap which prevents liquid from getting to the pump. All Lava vacuum packing machines are fitted with a liquid trap.
4. Warranty & Help - Does the seller offer a two-year warranty? Can you talk to the seller about any problems that you may have using the machine? Does the seller actually know anything at all about vacuum packing machines or are they just shifting as many boxes as possible?
We offer a two year warranty on all of our vacuum packaging equipment, just return the machine to us and we will either fix it or replace it. We only sell Lava vacuum packing machines and accessories; we use these machines ourselves in our own kitchens every day and have packed everything from soups to nuts.
Vacuum Packaging Equipment
Most people who buy vacuum packaging equipment for home use start off with one specific requirement. This is usually something like vacuum packing meat for the freezer or packing vegetables from the garden. However, they often find that vacuum packing is saving them both money, because it can cut down on wasted food, and time because they can pre-prepare meals and then pack them in single servings. This being the case, it makes sense to buy a quality machine that is going to give you a few years of service. This leads us to a final question – How much money do you need to spend?
The price of home vacuum packaging equipment ranges from about £60 to £300. Whilst the very cheap machines (less than £150) may look tempting, they don’t actually work very well. The fact is that all vacuum machines need a high quality air pump and heat sealing mechanism and it is simply not possible to put quality components into a machine at this price. A significant number of our customers are people who have bought one of these cheap machines from ‘Lakeland’ or ‘The Home Shopping Channel’, discovered that the machine they have bought is virtually useless and are upgrading to a usable machine having just wasted between £60 and £150.
