ol tex said:
Thanks for the reply. The smoker shuts down completely. Light off, the works. No power. Breaker not an issue because you can restart as many times as you like. Had the smoker for about 12 years so can't complain and when it works it's great. Really want to keep rhe feature that let's you add chips without opening door but want reasonable assurance a PID is necessary to return it to action.
It seems that your controller there on top is dying OR the circuit board installed in the bottom (underneath side) of the MES is crapping out on you. If it was the safety switch or element you wouldn't lose power to the controller on top.
I would bet money that you
cannot get a replacement controller or circuit board with it being that old. Hell, people can't even get those parts for the newly created ones.
I'm quite certain a simple rewire and a PID controller is your only route unless you can somehow scrounge up some parts.
Good news is that people have reported not having issues using the chip loader even with a rewire and PID controller. I don't have personal experience with this so just regurgitating what I've read people claim.
Personally I would make a mailbox mod, get an A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray, and use pellets to have perfect hands off smoke for up to 12 hours. Many of us do this today :D
In short the simple rewire is cutting the ends off 4 wires and using wire nuts to connect those ends into two whole wires. The rewire cuts out all the existing MES electronics so there should be no electronics left to short out and cause your MES to die on your like it does now.
For lots of details and pictures on the rewire for a PID check this out:
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
Finally, an MES rewired and using a PID is like turning a golf cart into a Ferrari when it comes to your smokers performance. It's like having a whole new smoker that works 10x better than any brand new MES could ever work.
Let me know if this makes sense :)