Where do most get salvage thermostats for homemade elec

acs55812

Fire Starter

Original poster

Dec 26, 2006

47

10

• Nov 4, 2009

• #1

I am helping a buddy make a fridge smoker, we are wondering the cheapest/best route to get heat and thermostat. It seems a kitchen range would have all the parts we need, but for some reason the first one on the curb didn't seem to have a working oven thermostat. (or we did something wrong hooking it up!!)

Is this where most of you get the heat and controls or are we looking in the wrong place?

TIA
Dan

 

beer-b-q

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

May 1, 2007

10,099

40

• Nov 4, 2009

• #2

The controls in an electric stove will work fine, you just have to find one that works...

A good place to start looking is at shops that do appliance rebuilding and used appliance stores...

You should be able to find what you need from free to a few buck out of a stove they plan on junking...

Also you might want to watch the free section of craig's list and any freecycle or freeshare sites in your area...

 

scubadoo97

Smoking Fanatic

Sep 28, 2008

900

14

Florida

• Nov 4, 2009

• #3

I didn't pull a thermostat but I had my best luck at an appliance store that does repairs. I was searching for high temp wire and connectors to rewire my MES. Guy at the appliance store said "hey we have some stoves out back to be picked up for junk". Said I was welcomed to go back there and get anything I wanted before they picked it up.

 

bud lite

Smoke Blower

SMF Premier Member

Aug 20, 2008

130

13

Joplin, Mo

• Nov 4, 2009

• #4

From my experience when I tried it.....
Most all kitchen ranges are made for 220 volts.
When you run them on 110 volts, you don't get just 1/2 the heat---
NO, you get 1/4 the heat.

That's not enuff to do the job.
Unless, you are doing some smoking at really low temps.

Don't take my word for it. Make a temporary lashup. Hook it to 110 volts.
See what happens.

Let us know.
p.s. Now, it you want to run it on 220 volts, that would be fine.
.

 

beer-b-q

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

May 1, 2007

10,099

40

• Nov 4, 2009

• #5

You don't use the burner, just the controls and thermostat, You need a burner that runs on 110v.

 

bud lite

Smoke Blower

SMF Premier Member

Aug 20, 2008

130

13

Joplin, Mo

• Nov 4, 2009

• #6

OK, that should work.

 

acs55812

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Dec 26, 2006

47

10

• Nov 5, 2009

• #7

Thanks for the replies. Haven't had time to get back to this yet---we are trying to use 220 in the shop, not 110.

Will stop by a repair shop today I hope for some advice and spare parts, still can't imagine how we hooked up two wrong--I guess some days your the bug and somedays your the windshield!