Help please, PID Controller not displaying correct temp

[rgautheir20420]

Howdy, are you plugging the element into the PID controller or directly into the wall?

 

[howdydo]

 
Howdy, are you plugging the element into the PID controller or directly into the wall?

The pictures I posted are of the 'unfinished' controller.  But when its done, it will have a male plug, into the wall, and a female plug.

The smoker will plug into the PID controller, and the controller will plug into the wall.  Basically an in-line temp regulator.

 

[rgautheir20420]

Alright. When you mentioned the element just going full blast I was curious. It made me think you were plugging it right into the wall. 

Keep us updated how things go!

 

[JckDanls 07]

I gutted my MES 30 and put in the 1500w element Dward mentioned... wired it to a PID .. reason I did this was because the little 700, 800 watt element did not get up to the temps I was looking for... also it's slow to recover from door opening... with the 1500w I imagine it will melt the cabinet down If I turned it up hot enough... and it also recovers really quick... this was all in experiment as the MES was being thrown out by a friend because the controller went bad and I had the parts laying around....

To hook a PID to an existing element in the MES 30.. yes you will have to take the back off and get to the wiring and bypass the stock electronics...

 

[rgautheir20420]

JD, that's exactly what my thought was so thanks for confirming it at least. What's the highest you've got the modded MES up to without issue? That's the real question.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I stopped at 350` ... been wanting to crank it up higher.. maybe I will next time I fire it up ...

 

[howdydo]

I stopped at 350` ... been wanting to crank it up higher.. maybe I will next time I fire it up ...

JD,

The Brinkmann electric I have now, has a 1500 watt element, and I bet I can probably only get it up to about 250° as a temp it could hold.  Are you implying I could find a 1500 watt element that actually put out more heat than this one?

That would be fantastic if so.  I'd rather have hotter, and then regulate it back down, to what I need for each smoke run.

 

[rgautheir20420]

Howdy, all 1500 watt elements will put out the same amount of btu.

I will guarantee that you'll be able to get higher than 250. The newer models of the MES have the same 1500 watt elements and the digital controller tops out at 275. I'm going to guess you'll be able to maintain something close to the 350 Jd has talked about. Remember that wasn't him maxing it out.

YOU NEED TO TEST. It's the only way to know.