Vacuum Sealer Hack

Last year I purchased online a vacuum sealer in order to freeze vegetables in compact form.

This device works by sucking all the air out (well, most of it!) of the plastic bag and then seals the edges by applying heat through a heated wire which melts the plastic.

Step 1: The Source of the Problem

In my case the vacuum system didn't work properly because of a faulty
seal. I decided not to return the item because I could fix this cheaply. I thought that this was a design flaw so other units might suffer from it. Besides, I wanted to use my device asap and couldn't bother waiting for a refund or resend of an otherwise good unit.

Step 2: Replace the Seal

I needed something to replace the faulty vacuum seal. Something which was rigid and soft simultaneously.

So I cut a small piece of foam used in packaging and shaped it to enfold the suction orifice.

For rigidity I added another piece of hard plastic sheet.

All the materials were cut and shaped using a utility knife.

Step 3: Finished!

The device now works flawlessly. It has vacuum-sealed many bags successfully.