oven wont hold vac.

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21

Door gaskets are wear items that will need to be replaced on a regular basis. Solvents eat gaskets. I have seen big cvo-5s and 10s needing new gaskets every 2-3 months. You might try simply rotating the gasket.

This trick is a lot easier with a digital vacuum gauge and a little finesse depending on how much of a leak you have. On an empty oven, confirm the vacuum leak by pulling as much vac as possible and stopping. There should be a consistent noticeable leak. Spray ethanol on the outside of the gaskets, valves, and connections until you notice a bump from the solvent being pulled in through the leak. If the leak is small enough it’s almost the opposite effect and solvent will ‘seal’ the leak for a short time until it clears and starts pulling air again.

Small point on vacuums, when you remove all the air there is no where for molecules to go, they just fly around everywhere. If you are not always pulling vacuum and sweeping with inert air, there is likely pooled solvent in your chamber.

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22

Why couldnt you use helium to check for vac leaks like some do on a spd to find leaks.

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23

Whats the method for that? I don’t currently have a bottle but am also dealing with a leaky BVV oven. Replaced seals, tightened handle and knobs but still leaking. None of the compression fittings feel loose but are kind of hard to access.

24

Grab a party helium tank for filling balloons.

Pull vac on oven, leaving vac on to continue to pull vac. Go around slowly around the seal of the oven with helium. You notice the vac gauge drop vac, where this happens, that’s the leak. Go over the door seal, and any other knob/port on the oven.

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25

Throw some vacuum grease on the rubber seals that meet up with the window. Helped me when I was having trouble

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26

If it’s not the seals, the problem is likely between the hole that lets air out of the oven (or vac in if you want to look at it that way) and the point where your vacuum pump attaches to the oven.

You’ll need to open the side of the oven up to address those.

If there is flexible tubing in there, consider replacing it. Tighten everything you can get a wrench on.

How can you tell if it’s the seal?

Plug the afore mentioned hole on the inside of your oven… under vac, all you need is rubber bung. Even a silicone bong will work…

If it doesn’t leak with your bong covering the hole, then you’ve ruled out the seals…