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Packtite works like a dream

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sisterfaith

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Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 48

Posted 3 months ago
Thu Aug 13 2009 21:11:32
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Any bit of help in this nightmare would be great....Packtite works like a dream!
I finally plugged it in and it's great! What was I nervous about?

Here's what I can tell you about my experience so far.
-I put the unit on a wooden table in my kitchen.
-I had read about an odor from the treatment on the inside...I had no odor.
-There was a problem with the thermometer read out being pale and hard to see. I changed the AAA battery that came with the unit...BINGO! The numbers were all black.
-I was needlessly concerned about how much it would heat up the room, and how hot the area around it would get. The IN reading, taken with the thermometer set next to the unit, was 82.8 to start and after 3 hours was only 85.8.
-I've baked two loads so far.
The 1st was only about 1/2 filled (there is a ton of room!) with shoes which I left in the .9mil clear plastic bag (opened) and a small (empty) hiking backpack (padded). I put the thermometer sensor inside the backpack. It reached 120 in only an hour. I left it on for 3 hours. It was 140 degrees when I shut it off.
The 2nd load was 3/4 filled with light weight shoes, stuffed toys (every girl has one) and clothing (dry cleaning items). The shoes were in an open clear .9mil plastic bag but the clothes were not in anything. I put the sensor in the middle of the fabric. It took 1 1/2 hours to reach 120.
I unzipped immediately after shutoff to start the cooling. It appeared to be fairly cool on the inside of the unit around the items, and warmer inside the pile of items. It cooled completly in no time. There was no effect on the plastic bags.

I hope this helps some of the people coming on my coattails with their bb nightmares.

David....you're a genius.....Thanks for giving us this tool.
sisterfaith

junior member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 48

Posted 3 months ago
Sun Aug 16 2009 18:26:48
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Updating: I've added books to my list of items "baked" in Packtite.
I put three 2 gal opened ziplock bags filled with about 10 paperbacks each standing upright but leaning over a bit (figured they might slide when the plastic gets warm) and a stack of four oversized "art" books on the Packtite shelf.
It took a little longer to heat up to 123F, about 1 1/2 hrs.
I left it on for 2 hrs. (over kill...i know).
It was at 140.7 when I turned it off.
I didn't unzip right away, as I'd previously done, and was surprised to see the temp took 1 1/2 hours to cool down to 122 F !
I hadn't seen any instruction about this fact.
The next time I turn on the unit, I will be keeping it on for a shorter time since it appears to maintain the heat for some time.
DrFrank

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Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 122

Posted 3 months ago
Mon Aug 17 2009 1:13:59
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Did you measure the temperature inside the books, or just inside the Packtite? (Bugs might climb down in between the pages of a worn paperback or into the binding.)

I'd expect that the the core temperature of a stack of books (especially a stack inside a plastic bag) would climb much more slowly in a Packtite than you observed.
sisterfaith

junior member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 48

Posted 3 months ago
Mon Aug 17 2009 20:43:41
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DrFrank - 19 hours ago »
Did you measure the temperature inside the books, or just inside the Packtite? (Bugs might climb down in between the pages of a worn paperback or into the binding.)
I'd expect that the the core temperature of a stack of books (especially a stack inside a plastic bag) would climb much more slowly in a Packtite than you observed.

I inserted the sensor inside the middle of a large tabletop book, which was part of 3 or 4 that I stacked on the rack directly over the motor. I think it was about mid page, but it may have shifted somewhat. They DID NOT have a plastic bag around them, however, all the other books DID have plastic bags around them. Note: I opened any plastic bag I had in the unit.

I calculate the heat at that spot was at 123F, or more, for at least 4 hours...2 hours with the heater on, and 2 hours of cooling down time (from 141 F to 120 F ) which I figured should be sufficient to kill any bug, even knowing the items all heat up differently.
DrFrank

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Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 122

Posted 3 months ago
Mon Aug 17 2009 21:17:47
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Thanks for sharing, sisterfaith. That's useful data.
BugzBGone

junior member
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 40

Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 18 2009 8:13:30
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I am considering buying a Packtite, too. What is the “best price” out there for one of these?
sisterfaith

junior member
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 48

Posted 2 months ago
Mon Aug 24 2009 1:16:26
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sisterfaith - 6 days ago »

DrFrank - 19 hours ago »
Did you measure the temperature inside the books, or just inside the Packtite? (Bugs might climb down in between the pages of a worn paperback or into the binding.)
I'd expect that the the core temperature of a stack of books (especially a stack inside a plastic bag) would climb much more slowly in a Packtite than you observed.

I inserted the sensor inside the middle of a large tabletop book, which was part of 3 or 4 that I stacked on the rack directly over the motor. I think it was about mid page, but it may have shifted somewhat. They DID NOT have a plastic bag around them, however, all the other books DID have plastic bags around them. Note: I opened any plastic bag I had in the unit.
I calculate the heat at that spot was at 123F, or more, for at least 4 hours...2 hours with the heater on, and 2 hours of cooling down time (from 141 F to 120 F ) which I figured should be sufficient to kill any bug, even knowing the items all heat up differently.

And this is why I'm not a scientist...I have to amend the time it takes to "bake" books.
I've now run additional books through the Packtite. Some were in an opened ziplock bag and some were loose. This time I inserted the sensor in a book inside the bag.

It took 4 hours for the temp to reach 120F. Way more than my previous readings.
After it got to 120F I set the timer for an hour. Turned off, it takes about an hour to drop past 120, so I calculate that my books were well "baked".

Here's a photo of how I set the books up inside the Packtite. You will see that I don't load too many at once.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40000989@N07/3851681936/in/set-72157622126787614/

I'm sorry if I led anyone astray with my previous post.
Again...hope this helps.
catsy83

newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 14

Posted 2 months ago
Sat Aug 29 2009 15:31:43
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Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am awaiting the canine inspection, though I am quite confident that I have the little buggers, so I am looking into Packtite for my non-washable/dryables. This is very useful info.
bugonthebrain

newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 13

Posted 2 months ago
Sat Aug 29 2009 21:07:19
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BugzBGone - 1 week ago »
I am considering buying a Packtite, too. What is the “best price” out there for one of these?

I got mine for a good price on Amazon and if your willing to wait a few days it has free shipping I believe.

Does anyone know how long the packtite needs to run to kill these bugs once reaching 120 degrees in the core? The manual says one hour but I'm paranoid is this enough or should I run it longer just to be sure?