Guardian Service Pressure Canner -- Advice Needed

[rp2813]

I'll give that a shot Tom.  If I can keep the old gasket viable, that is my preference.

 

The interesting thing about this seal is that it's a true gasket.  Just a thin flat ring as opposed to the thick grooved ones on my smaller Mirro and Presto PCs, and it needs to be shoved into a small slit below the rim of the lid.  I'm surprised that this type of gasket doesn't have to be replaced more often, but like you said, canners of this size tend not to be used as often as a standard PC.

 

[rp2813]

The gasket arrived and it's waaaaaay too big.   Around 4" to spare.  Working all of that to fit into a tiny slit is physically impossible.

 

I think the only way I'm going to find the right gasket is to get the model number of the Presto equivalent to my Guardian.  I'm thinking the Guardian is a 12-quart, since there seems to be no such animal as a 10-quart.

 

On the bright side, the safety valve went into place nicely.

 

Tom, the Brillo treatment didn't change anything.   I think a new gasket may be the only solution.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Before abandoning the old gasket, look for food quality silicone oil. It is in an aerosol can and is used to coat icemakers to ensure good release of cubes or whatever shape they make, crescents, drums, etc. It is more than just oil since the oil is the vehicle for the silicone. I bought it at an appliance parts store, but I am sure it should be available online. You might also find dry silicone in a spray can which is safe to use around food, indeed ice trays and cooking utensils can be sprayed with it, but you need to be very careful using it. Take it outside over an area covered with vegetation where you won't walk because the overspray and drifting particles make anything on which they land slicker than snot on a doorknob and underfoot that is very dangerous.

As to the gasket size, how many quart mason jars fit into your cooker? I realize it is probably not tall enough, but just to get an idea of the capacity. If it will not hold 7, it is of a smaller diameter than the Presto canners. I think that the 12 qt. Presto canners were stamped aluminum instead of cast so those gaskets would not work in your cover. There are Guardian Service groups online. I would Google that and ask about the gasket. You might find dealers who have them. If the cooker is indeed a 10 quart, I would Google ten quart Presto (or National or Guardian Service) pressure cooker gasket. You might find it that way.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Tom.  I'll check around for the silicone oil spray.

 

The cooker will hold four quart jars.  Sitting on the rack, they come up to the top of the cooker, but the lid will clear them.

 

I've googled so many brands and terms and ended up on a lot of sites, but none have specific dimensions of the gaskets.  I'll see if I can track down a Guardian Service fan club.

[this post was last edited: 4/15/2016-11:58]

 

[rp2813]

Just to confirm, isn't the capacity of a cooker based on liquid measurement as opposed to how many jars of a specific size it can hold? 

 

My 4-quart Mirro is too short to hold a quart jar, and even without the lid on, I doubt I could fit two quart jars into it.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Your 4 quart cooker will only hold pint jars. You are right that the capacity is determined in liquid quarts, but a standard 16 qt canner will hold 7 quart jars and I was trying to get an idea of its dimensions.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Do a Google search for Guardian Service Pressure Cooker Parts and you will come up with the name of a man in Owings Mills, MD who has been selling Guardian parts for decades. Ivan Bernstein or something like that is his name.

 

[rp2813]

I'll try that Tom, but I also have some good news.

 

I went back and gave the lid a good scrubbing with a Brillo pad, in every groove and wherever it was discolored even if it had nothing to do with the locking mechanism, and then gave the same treatment to the top of the pot so everything shined and there was no trace of residue.   I paid extra attention to the groove for the gasket, and hit it with a toothbrush.

 

I washed the gasket in hot suds, and dried everything completely.  Then I got a Q-tip soaked with vegetable oil and ran it under the tabs on the pot.  With barely any oil left on the swab, I ran it over the exposed portion of the gasket.

 

The lid locked and opened without too much effort -- at least no worse than it was when I first got the cooker home. 

 

I tested it out with half a dozen artichokes I had snipped yesterday from a friend's plant.  The safety popped up, the gauge hit 15# and at the same time, the weight began to rattle.  After ten minutes, I cooled the cooker down and removed the lid without any major effort.  Perfectly done artichokes.

 

I'm calling it good for now, but will still be on the hunt for a replacement gasket just in case.

 

Also, I checked the capacity with pint jars and I can fit five wide mouth type.  It would be a dangerously tight squeeze to get a sixth one in the middle.  I don't have enough regular pint jars to check if it would hold six of that type.

[this post was last edited: 4/17/2016-00:37]

 

[norgeway]

Oh yes!

I forgot, the one you have holds only 5 quart jars, the 16 qt holds 7, the gasket is obsolete, I did find one for mine in a old hardware store, I may have an extra , I will look..

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Hans.  I've found gaskets that are too large or too small.  The Goldilocks gasket has not presented itself.  It seems one that measures 11.5" inside diameter is an oddball size. 

 

If anybody needs the #09907 gasket (replaces #1075) for their National/Presto cooker, I have one for you.  I effectively got it for free.  I contacted jet.com where I purchased it and they told me to keep the gasket and they immediately processed a refund.   I like their responsiveness and personalized customer service way better than Amazon's.

 

Maybe the quart jars I have are an odd shape, although they're not antiques or anything and are recognizable brands like Ball and Kerr.  The Guardian will only fit four of them.

 

I also found a link to the guy in Owings Mills, but his site comes up with nothing to click on -- like a dead end, but it's not an error message like 404 or whatever.  I found a phone number for him, so will try that during the week.

 

I also think I'm going to get a Presto vent tube and 3-piece weight for this thing.  If I'm going to do a big pork shoulder in it, I'd rather have the gentle rocking effect of a Presto weight than the Turrets-like bursts of the Mirro's system for the couple of hours it will take.

 

[jamiel]

Agree about Jet's customer care--have been ordering a fair bit from them and they have been more than fair, even when they mis-shipped a 25 lb bag of dog food (!) which was boxed and left in the rain so the box got soggy/waterlogged. Phoned to complain and get a RMA and when I said the box was unusable they said "keep it".

 

[combo52]

Presto Vent Tube And Multi-Piece Weight

Hi Ralph, Now we are getting somewhere, I have always liked Prestos pressure weight system better than Mirros noisy bouncing pressure weight. This is what I was suggesting back in reply # 6.

 

[rp2813]

Yeah John, I agree.  I only tried the Mirro tube and weight because I had a spare tube.  Now that I've tested the cooker, I want to put the proper Presto vent and weight on it.  I'm not a purist so a weighted control on this Guardian works fine for me. 

 

[rp2813]

Update

I found the right gasket and thus the Guardian's Presto counterpart, which is the Presto Model No. 5, capacity 12 quarts.  Presto no longer makes the gasket, but it's available as aftermarket part #1085.  Fits perfectly.  I'm hanging onto the old gasket for a spare, though.

 

All the No. 5 models I've seen pictures of have wooden handles.  I'm glad my Guardian's are bakelite/plastic.

 

I also found a blog that confirmed the correct Presto vent pipe (part #1058), and that it's compatible with the 3-piece regulator (part #50332), so both of those items are on order.

 

I'm looking forward to using this heavy duty cooker/canner!