Vacuum sealing 5 gallon buckets.

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  • Cpt Caveman

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    Has anyone seen or come up with a method for pulling a vacuum on a 5 gallon bucket used for food/supply storage? I've been toying with the idea for awhile. I was gonna try and use a schrader valve and a brake bleeder pump, or a bicycle pump with the valve reversed, to provide the vacuum.
    Any ideas.
    My basement( more like a cellar) is wet sometimes and due to 3 kids inside our 1700 square foot house ,I have to store some things down. I need a moisture impervious and rodent proof method of storage.
    Any ideas?
     

    mikea46996

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    Jan 28, 2009
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    Mylar and O2 Absorbers, you can use dry ice to force out all O2 also before you seal it. If you figure out a way to vacuum seal them please share.
     

    jedi

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    Hum.. not sure you could "vacumm" seal the bucket with the lid at least not the std. lid. Don't you need a better lid type????

    Most of us go the mylar bag + O2 Absober route.
     

    infidel

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    mikea46996 is right, the best way to do it inside a 5-6 gallon bucket is using Mylar bags + O2 absorbers.

    I do recommend the 2000cc O2 absorbers, as you only need 1 per mylar bag, they're very strong.

    See here, at the bottom of the page: oxygen absorbers - order - SorbentSystems.com

    That site says the 2000cc o2 absorbers are good for 5-6 gallons, but they only sell 1 gallon mylar bags. I'm new to this concept, but I am assuming that you can buy a mylar bag that will fill a 5 gallon bucket, no? to make the most of that big ass o2 absorber lol.
     

    Cpt Caveman

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    The bucket lids I have, seal up with a rubber gasket. I have to get a few things together and run a test or two to see if my theory is correct or not on the bucket /vacuum issue.
    If I'm storing things put up in vacuum sealed bags I won't have to worry about oxygen absorbers. Not even sure if I need to get a vacuum on a bucket yet but I think it can be done.
     

    Royal-1

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    You said you need to "store some things down" Make sure that you only use the O2 absorbers with food! Don't use them with ammo, parts, guns, anything that can rust. What I have heard, and correct me if I'm wrong anyone, is that most of them contain iron and will cause rust on metal parts.

    Here is the Wiki on them:

    An oxygen absorber is a packet filled with iron particles or Vitamin C that works by reacting with available oxygen. In the case of iron based absorbers, moisture absorbed by the package combines with iron, salt, and oxygen to rust the iron. This traps the oxygen and usually lets off a small amount of heat.

    Just a heads up, if your storing metal then use a desiccant to remove water not O2.
     

    misconfig

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    That site says the 2000cc o2 absorbers are good for 5-6 gallons, but they only sell 1 gallon mylar bags. I'm new to this concept, but I am assuming that you can buy a mylar bag that will fill a 5 gallon bucket, no? to make the most of that big ass o2 absorber lol.

    Yes you can buy mylar bags for larger buckets; I buy mine from a lady on ebay. User ID "honestgooddeals" great prices.
     

    CountryBoy19

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    Nov 10, 2008
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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the buckets alone couldn't be completely sealed. I thought they are oxygen permeable (meaning the oxygen can actually pass through the plastic of the bucket). Thats why you need the mylar liner when storing food.
     

    Mgderf

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    Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the buckets alone couldn't be completely sealed. I thought they are oxygen permeable (meaning the oxygen can actually pass through the plastic of the bucket). Thats why you need the mylar liner when storing food.
    I could be wrong, BUT, the 5 gallon buckets I use from drywall mud and paint, both contain products that set up in contact with oxygen, thus I would think they would have to be air impermeable.
    Now, assuming they ARE able to hold a seal, I would suggest the schrader valve to be an excellent idea. I would try to re-enforce it by mounting the valve on a plate of steel, then seal the plate to the lid. Something larger than just a washer would also help provide rigidity to the lid.
    I'd be REALLY interested to know if it works! Might try it myself.
     

    ar15_dude

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    ... I would suggest the schrader valve to be an excellent idea...

    Except for one very important point: shrader valves are made to hold pressure in (like in a tire, or air conditioner) and NOT to keep pressure out (like in a bucket with a partial vacuum (negative gauge pressure).
     

    ar15_dude

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    ... I would suggest the schrader valve to be an excellent idea...

    Except for one very important point: shrader valves are made to hold pressure in (like in a tire, or air conditioner) and NOT to keep pressure out (like in a bucket with a partial vacuum (negative gauge pressure).
     

    OKMatt

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    Feb 9, 2011
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    Greetings from OK! I have successfully vacuum sealed 5 gallon buckets. Well 3/5 attempts 2 lost seal.
    I did it over the summer and left my filled buckets out in the sun on the hottest day for a few hours. Placed the air tight lids on, hammered them into place. After i brought them inside all the sides caved in some. And except for 2 of them, they have maintained the seal.
    I am going to try it again but since it's winter i will be placing my buckets near the fire place in order to raise the temp enough in the bucket to get a vacuum pull on the lid.

    I got the idea after canning some salsa. Heat the inside, put on lid, inside cools, vacuum seals lid. Viola!


    EDIT. sorry for the thread resurrection.
     

    ATOMonkey

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    If you can...

    Put a small candle in your bucket and light it before you put the lid on. It'll burn up the O2 and your stuff will last longer.

    :)
     

    Mr. Habib

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    Instead of pulling a vacuum, why not pressurize the bucket with dry nitrogen? That is how rifle scopes are made not to fog. Install 2 valves. Connect one to a tank of dry nitrogen and a pressure regulator to one valve and open it. Open the second valve. Flow nitrogen into the bucket and allow it to flow long enough to displace the air through the second valve. Close that valve and allow the nitrogen the slightly pressurize the bucket. One or two psi should be plenty. Close the second valve and disconnect the nitrogen. If the bucket is truly air tight you're good. You can either attach a pressure gauge or simply crack open one of the valves to check to see if the bucket is still sealed. Then refill if necessary.
     

    Bendrx

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    Seems smaller bags would just be easier and better. If you open the bucket, all seal is lost, with bags you can open the bucket and see what's inside if a label comes off, or just open what you need in smaller quantities. Let us know what you figure out, I'm interested. I just can't think of a practical or efficient use/reason.
     

    ATOMonkey

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    Instead of pulling a vacuum, why not pressurize the bucket with dry nitrogen? That is how rifle scopes are made not to fog. Install 2 valves. Connect one to a tank of dry nitrogen and a pressure regulator to one valve and open it. Open the second valve. Flow nitrogen into the bucket and allow it to flow long enough to displace the air through the second valve. Close that valve and allow the nitrogen the slightly pressurize the bucket. One or two psi should be plenty. Close the second valve and disconnect the nitrogen. If the bucket is truly air tight you're good. You can either attach a pressure gauge or simply crack open one of the valves to check to see if the bucket is still sealed. Then refill if necessary.

    This is how we keep our engines from corroding when we put them in containers for long term storage as well.

    Typically a vacuum is free (minus cost of machine) N2 is a little pricey.

    Regular old air devoid of oxygen in a sealed container with a decicant (sp?) should be good enough for most applications, since it's mostly N2 anyway.
     

    6birds

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    We flood with Nitrogen for long term dry goods (rice, whaet, oats), no pressure, just displace the air.

    Just drop the N2 hose in the pail, fill the pail with product, slowly open the N2 tank and let run for 60-90 seconds, close the tank, pull the hose, snap the lid.

    You can rent or buy a small N2 tank and regulator from any welding supply or beer supply house, a small tank can be used for 20-5 gallon pails, that's not expensive at all.

    If you're wondering how you know when it's all nitrogen in the pail, just take a match, and lower it in the pail. it'll go out when you hit the line of nitrogen gas. Pails are good for 3-4 years (maybe longer, we've never had to go longer than that with rotation. We don't use mylar bags either.
     
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