It looks like you guys are getting some good info here to help troubleshoot your problems.
I'll have to see if I have access to that at the back...isn't that the one that some do not have an access panel for?
If the limit switch does not have an access panel you will have to remove the back sheet metal from the MES to get to the limit switch. If you have a model with rivets then you drill the rivets out and when done fasten the back into the rivet holes using sheet metal screws... I prefer the hex head ones.
The switches are a bit delicate and if you wiggle or turn the tabs at all where they connect to the back/body of the of the switch then chances are the switch may fail on you later... I've learned this the hard way hahaha.
I recommend you get this EXACT item here from
amazon for some stock replacement switches:
Also be sure to use high temp stainless tell electrical connectors so they don't just corrode away like the crappy ones that
masterbuilt uses. These supco connectors should do the job:
If you plan to solder or have the tooling to use flag connectors than these will make things a little easier, if not then stick to the T1111 version above:
Finally, if you decide to do the rewire job the idea is that you are rewiring to bypass all of the
Masterbuilt electronics so that when the plug of the MES receives power it simply goes to the heating element... one simple and dumb behavior.
You would then plug the now simple/dumb MES into a new controller like PID controller which is pluged into the wall AND the PID controller has a temp probe you place inside the MES (I use a clip to place mine so I can move it around as needed).
Now once you have everything in place and power running to it all you put a set temp for the PID to hold and the PID will control power or heat on/off to the MES.
The PID has some control settings to enter to dial it in but some report not needing to change anything and some have success with the autotune feature. Any which way you go someone here can lend a hand with the settings.
Here is the rewire post:
Lately I've seen a number of posts about guys wanting to rewire their MES. I had wanted to post a quick and simple guide for those out there that are curious or those that simply need to rewire but need a little assistance. Well here goes. Disclaimer: When messing with electrical equipment...
www.smokingmeatforums.com
Not sure how I missed post #5...
Actually had a few minutes of daylight left when I got home so I pulled the access panel off the back and found the heater connections brittle and one crumbled when I touched it.
What is the best way to reconnect power to the element? Solder?
If I buy one of the controllers and follow the instructions here on the site to do the rewire on the bottom of the smoker, do I still need to disconnect the safety disk think like mentioned in post 5, or does the rewire underneath disconnect that?
Be sure to use high temp stainless steel connectors like the following ones:
or
If you do the rewire job from the following post then you can keep the safety limit switch in the mix BUT you may want to replace the connectors on it AND get some backup safety limit switches cause they are delicate and if you wiggle or move the tabs on them then they are likely to fail on you later even though they seem fine when installing them... I have got through a few learning this the hard way:
Lately I've seen a number of posts about guys wanting to rewire their MES. I had wanted to post a quick and simple guide for those out there that are curious or those that simply need to rewire but need a little assistance. Well here goes. Disclaimer: When messing with electrical equipment...
www.smokingmeatforums.com
The rewire simply makes the MES dumb and when the plug receives power the MES sends it straight to the heating element to heat up. Having the safety limit switch in is not a bad idea.
Heck I even swapped my safety limit switch to a 180c/356F switch when experimenting so that I knew the Autotune feature wouldn't be interfered with and so that I could do fast 325F smokes on stuff like chicken with skin to get the skin to behave nicely. I NEVER smoke higher than 275F other than when I'm doing a fast chicken/poultry smoke. The smoker was designed for a max temp of 275F and I don't want to burn out the insulation so I don't aim to push it too hard.
I did learn that there is no need to go over the 150C limit switch with the Auber PID controller's autotune feature. I just had no info at the time when figuring this all out so I tried to eliminate potential issues upfront when trying the autotune... and I like edible chicken skin :P
I hope this massive amount of information helps you guys :)
