Sealer Parts

TROUBLESHOOTING SEALER PROBLEMS

If you’re experiencing problems with your impulse sealer, please go through the following troubleshooting steps to help determine the problem.

Virtually all brands of sealers are made up the same type of components with only the quality of those components being the difference so this guide should cover you unit.

Before beginning any work on your unit

UNPLUG unit before working on it!

The 2 most commom problems are the element wire breaking or the

non-stick cover wearing through so that’s where we’ll start.

As the cover wears, it will discolor from tan to black along the area that contacts the element wire. BEFORE the cover burns through it needs to be replaced. Continued use of the unit with a burn hole will cause the material being sealed to stick to the damaged area and shorten the life of the element itself.

If the sealer fails to operate at all, the first thing to check is the element. Remove the PPFE Fabric cover and check the condition of the element wire. The element wire must run from post to post. Most units have the elements mounted on spring loaded posts while a few use a post on one end and a fixed position with screw for the other end.

If you find that the element wire is broken, most likely there is a hole in the tape strip under the element that allowed it to “short” to ground through the units housing.

When repalcing the self adhesive PPFE Fabric strip, make certain that it is applied straight and centered to provide maximum insulation protection. Also make sure that the ends hang over the edges of the unit or that the entire path from post to post is covered.

*Note – the are some brands of impulse sealers that have a thin plastic strip under the element instead of the tape strip. When that strip wears out, it can be replaced with the self adhesive strip from an element kit or no stick tape kit.

The cover is what separates the heating element from the material being sealed. It is perfectly normal for this cover to wear out over time. The service life of the non-stick cover will depend on the material you are sealing and the timer setting you are using. The higher the setting, the shorter the life span of the cover.

If the element wire, cover and tape are in good shape, then we’ll move to the next possible problems.

Electronic Timer – this is the unit that controls the seal cycle duration. It is a solid-state unit with an indicator light on it that signals when the timer is energized. If the light does not come on while attempting to make a seal, then the timer unit is probablt bad(assuming that there is electrical power at the outlet and the unit is plugged in. Replacing a timer is fairly simple if it is defective.

Microswitch – This is a small(hence the word micro)switch that completes the electrical circuit when the movable arm is brought down and allows the sealing cycle to begin. You should be able to hear an audible “click” when the switch contacts are opened and closed.

On occasion the switch or the mechanism that engages it becomes out of adjustment and needs to be corrected. The following is how to do it on most brands of impulse sealers …

Hand Operated Sealers – there is a metal tab that pushes the switch plunger to close and activate the unit. Access to this tab can be had by removing the bottom cover of the unit. It is located at the back of the unit and is attached to the sealer arm. Carefully bend the bar slightly so that the switch is closed when the silicon pressure pad is barely above the element.

Foot Operated Sealers – A small adjustable bolt needs to be properly set to make proper contact with the microswitch.