help with pid for new smoker

Hi Merlecommet

Here is a diagram of the wiring I used on one smoker I built with 2 - 110v elements using a PID to control it. It is an Auber PID. A couple things to note, First, you need to have power from 2 separate circuits coming in. The reason is a standard 110v circuit will not handle both elements. The power is coming in on the right side of the photo and going out to the elements on the left side of the photo. You do want to fuse the Hot's coming in on the right side. You could add a toggle switch for the power going into the PID to turn the unit on or off. The other thing is you will want to run heat sinks for the SSRs so they don't over heat.

Mike

 

Auber does sell pretty much everything you need including cabinets and heat sinks. The only additional items you'll need is wire and a few various connectors which should be available at an electronics store or Radio Shack.

Mike

 

Mike (Walleye)... was that with the SYL 2352P (I just bought it) ? looks the same as the back of mine... I'm kinda liking this set up.. as my new build won't get hot enough with one burner.... Did you put both elements close together at the bottom of the house ? or split them up with one at the bottom and the other half way up ? ....

 

JckDanis 07

That diagram was the SYL2352. I have since switched it to 220v and the SYL2352P. The wiring would be the same though. Here's a picture of the element setup I used with the original setup for the wiring diagram I posted above. It was two 110v finned strip heaters with a blower to circulate air across the elements. You just have to make sure you are supplying 2 separate power supplies from different circuits because the two elements are too much of a load for a typical 110v circuit.

This is the exterior that shows the blower and duct I created.

Mike

 

Walleye1 is right about two 1,500 watt elements on a 110v feed.  It is going to draw over 27 amps just for the heating elements and most 110v household circuits are only 15amp rated (some are 20).  So unless you are powering it from a 30am RV type outlet with appropriate wiring, you will trip the breaker constantly.  220v is the way to go with that much wattage, but you cannot just put a 1,500 watt element (like the brinkman elements) on a 220v feed.  If you go 220v, make sure the elements are rated for that voltage level.

Another option if you have 1,500 watt 110v elements, is to feed the smoker from a 220v line, but split the 220v into two 110v circuits inside the cabinet.  You take L1 to neutral for one circuit, and L2 to neutral for the other (Normally for 220v it's L1 to L2 and the neutral is not used).  You would need two SSR's to wire it this way, but you can trigger them from a single PID with no problems. 

Either way, with 3,000 watts of load you are going to end up on either a dedicated 30amp RV type circuit or a dedicated 220v circuit.