Woo Hoo!!! Finally found a decent electric warmer for a smoker conversion (added smoker plan image 8

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dward51

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Nov 24, 2011
2,866
542
McDonough, GA
Woo Hoo!!!!  Finally found a decent deal on an electric warmer that I can convert to a smoker. 

It's a McCall 1020H and it's all stainless (interior and exterior).  Best part is it's only about 20 miles from the house.  Got it from a school system for $81 including all taxes and buyers premium on a public auction. Condition was listed as unknown, but it's in decent physical shape and is even clean (unlike a lot of the ones I've seen)

Since it's a warmer rated to keep food at up to 200 degrees, I'm seriously thinking about not even trying to pull the insulation out as I will only be smoking at 225 or so.   And according to the manufacturer schematics, it has two internal fans for recirculation and even heating and has a 1500 watt element.  This sucker is about 75% done before I even start. Just need to change out the limit switch and controller for a PID (and I already have an Omega unit from a prior project). And the temp control panel is a separate screw mounted panel so I can just replace it with one cut for the new controls & LED indicators.  Less stainless to cut (other than exhaust and air inlet I'm sure).

With any luck, I can finish this sucker and have $150 in it (I have a SSR and a lot of DIN rail wiring parts, rail mounted breakers, etc.. in the basement from a commercial project along with some 10 gauge high temp commercial textile oven wire).  If everything else is in good shape, some sheet metal and exhaust vent tubing may be all I need to buy. 

Ooops, I forgot to include one of Todd's smoke trays! That is a must have.

Oh crap!  Now I have to tell the wife I'm bringing home yet another smoker! 

Woo Hoo.......





 
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Looks like a great deal, just be cautious on adding an extension cord, it can dramatically lower your wattage.
 
Pops,  I'm probably going to use a dedicated 30 amp outlet and 10 gauge wiring as the cabinet is rated at 19.6 amps "as is".  It's only about 20' from the location on my covered porch where the smoker will live to the 150amp shop panel in my basement.  That way I can give the smoker it's own breaker and not have to worry about being in the dark if it trips.  I can be converted to 230v also, but since I have a fairly easy run for a 30amp line, I will probably leave it as 115v.

Odd thing is this one has the heating element (1,750 watt) in an insulated box in the upper electrical area.  There are two recirculating fans that intake air from the top of the cabinet interior and then blow it across the heating element and down inside a full length & width channel on the right side and back into the cabinet at all levels via louvers in the channel side.  Looks like it will be very even heating across entire interior of cabinet.  I think I may just need an air inlet for one of Todd's pellet trays and a smoke stack outlet on top and the rest is pretty much fine "as is" (after changing out the analog 220 degree max controller for the Omega digital one).
 
This is what I have and an illustration of how it works.   If the insulation will handle the heat (and I think it should), then all I need is to add a pellet tray and wire up the controllers and SSR's "in theory".  Then if the existing element is sufficient to heat the cabinet to the desired 225*, I'm good to go.  That is one of the reasons I really liked this smoker when I saw it for sale.  Plus it's all stainless.  

If the heating element needs to be upgraded to a higher wattage, I will most likely strip out the insulation around the heating element and fan box to replace with Roxul.  It's a separate chamber and since this is where the hottest part would be, I think the main cabinet can be left alone and leave the polyurethane in place.  Main box and heating element/fan box are both insulated with foam now.  It's 120v now, but if I have to change out the heating element, I will convert it to 240v assuming I can find a element to fit and it will be on a dedicated circuit on a covered porch.

I posted earlier the element was 1750 watts, but I'm not so sure of that in this actual cabinet.  That figure came from the manufacturer's literature but the total amperage on the UL sticker in the cabinet seems too low for that size element and the 3 fans (one to keep the control area cool which will work great blowing across SSR heat sinks, and two recirculating for the cabinet).  I need to pull the element and confirm the stock numbers.

Only thing added in this illustration is the pellet smoker tray and a new set of digital controls.  The fans, heat box, and recirculation chamber are already installed from the factory in this warmer.

 
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