Heat sealers, also known as impulse sealers, are a fantastic tool for sealing poly bags, poly tubing or cellophane bags. Whether you need to keep food or liquid safe from contamination or keep products air tight, they are perfect for the job. In this article we’ll show you how to use a heat sealer, as well as how to replace the heating element once it has burnt out. Read on for an outline of the individual steps! How to use the heat sealer First, let’s take a look at how to use the heat sealer. 1. Press down the handle to remove the bracing strap. 2. Set the sealer to the setting appropriate for your bag’s gauge. A bag’s gauge is simply its thickness, in µm. You use the following table as a guide for choosing the right setting. (You should only use the table for QIS Packaging Heat Sealers - other heat sealers may have different settings). HOT TIP: as long as your bag is sealing properly, try and use a lower setting. This will make the heating element last a lot longer. 3. Place your product into the bag. We used water in the video to demonstrate the quality of the seal. 4. Lay the open end of the bag over the heating element. Make sure the bag is lined up straight! 5. Press the lever down until the light turns off This means that the seal is complete. 6. Raise the lever back up and move on to the next bag. And that’s it - happy sealing! How to replace the heating element After a while, your heating element (i.e. the metal strip that heats up to seal the bag) will become burnt out. As we mentioned before, this will happen quicker if you use the higher settings. Unless you are sealing a thicker bag, it’s best to stick to the lower settings to get the most life out of your heating element. When your element does eventually burn out, you will need to replace it. Luckily, replacement elements are affordable and easy to assemble. The second half of the video above covers how to replace the element on your heat sealer - let’s dive in and take a look at the individual steps. 1. IMPORTANT: Make sure the machine is turned off first 2. Unscrew both of the plates holding down the Teflon. 3. Remove the plates, then unscrew the covers for the ends of the element. 4. Set aside the covers and remove the burnt out element. 5. To attach the new element, start with the end closest to the hinge of the sealer. Then use a screwdriver or something similar to push the other end into place. 6. Screw the covers and plates back on. Now just plug the machine back in and you’re ready to seal again. Hopefully now you’re a heat-sealing pro! If you still have questions about how to use the sealer (or anything else!) please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on 1800 555 343 or email [email protected]. Where to buy You can buy heat sealers and heat sealer repair kits at QIS Packaging - we deliver Australia-wide with super fast delivery times!