Ol tex here

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ol tex

Newbie
Original poster
Feb 24, 2023
5
1
SE Texas
Been smoking/trying to since I started in '68 with a hole in the ground and a coal producing fire on the side and a grate full of pork shoulders. Man, that was work. Went to a log burner and became sleep deprived. Switched to Masterbuilt 40 inch in 2011. All good since then 'til just recently. Was looking for answers and found this forum. Question: sfart digital controller and as it warms up, smoker shuts off. Is this likely the controller? I have cleaned probe and board. Would like some feedback before I plunk down for PID control.
 
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Been smoking/trying to since I started in '68 with a hole in the ground and a coal producing fire on the side and a grate full of pork shoulders. Man, that was work. Went to a log burner and became sleep deprived. Switched to Masterbuilt 40 inch in 2011. All good since then 'til just recently. Was looking for answers and found this forum. Question: sfart digital controller and as it warms up, smoker shuts off. Is this likely the controller? I have cleaned probe and board. Would like some feedback before I plunk down for PID control.
Hi there and welcome!

For clarity, does the controller stay on or cut off? or Does the heating just cut off?

If the controller stays on but the smoker does not heat up then the problem is likely that your connectors at the heating element or the safety rollout limit switch (overheat cutoff switch) have corroded or come loose and are causing the heat up failure.

Often the connectors at the overheat switch are causing resistance and heating up the entire switch and the switch things the smoker is overheating but it's just the switch metal.

You will have to check both of those.

You likely do not have a panel to get to your safety switch so you will want to cut a panel into the back of the MES. You could remove the back sheet metal but that is a major pain and I do not recommend that.

Here is the switch on the inside so you just go to the same location but on the back and cut in just through the thin sheet metal. Usually the left arrow and is round and flat like the size of a US quarter coin.
1625537743922-png-png.png

Let us know more info and we can go from there :)
 
Hi there and welcome!







For clarity, does the controller stay on or cut off? or Does the heating just cut off?







If the controller stays on but the smoker does not heat up then the problem is likely that your connectors at the heating element or the safety rollout limit switch (overheat cutoff switch) have corroded or come loose and are causing the heat up failure.







Often the connectors at the overheat switch are causing resistance and heating up the entire switch and the switch things the smoker is overheating but it's just the switch metal.







You will have to check both of those.







You likely do not have a panel to get to your safety switch so you will want to cut a panel into the back of the MES. You could remove the back sheet metal but that is a major pain and I do not recommend that.







Here is the switch on the inside so you just go to the same location but on the back and cut in just through the thin sheet metal. Usually the left arrow and is round and flat like the size of a US quarter coin.











Let us know more info aThend we can go from there :)



Hi there and welcome!



For clarity, does the controller stay on or cut off? or Does the heating just cut off?



If the controller stays on but the smoker does not heat up then the problem is likely that your connectors at the heating element or the safety rollout limit switch (overheat cutoff switch) have corroded or come loose and are causing the heat up failure.



Often the connectors at the overheat switch are causing resistance and heating up the entire switch and the switch things the smoker is overheating but it's just the switch metal.



You will have to check both of those.



You likely do not have a panel to get to your safety switch so you will want to cut a panel into the back of the MES. You could remove the back sheet metal but that is a major pain and I do not recommend that.



Here is the switch on the inside so you just go to the same location but on the back and cut in just through the thin sheet metal. Usually the left arrow and is round and flat like the size of a US quarter coin.





Let us know more info and we can go from there :)
 
Hi there and welcome!







For clarity, does the controller stay on or cut off? or Does the heating just cut off?







If the controller stays on but the smoker does not heat up then the problem is likely that your connectors at the heating element or the safety rollout limit switch (overheat cutoff switch) have corroded or come loose and are causing the heat up failure.







Often the connectors at the overheat switch are causing resistance and heating up the entire switch and the switch things the smoker is overheating but it's just the switch metal.







You will have to check both of those.







You likely do not have a panel to get to your safety switch so you will want to cut a panel into the back of the MES. You could remove the back sheet metal but that is a major pain and I do not recommend that.







Here is the switch on the inside so you just go to the same location but on the back and cut in just through the thin sheet metal. Usually the left arrow and is round and flat like the size of a US quarter coin.









Let us know more info and we can go from there :)



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.
 
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:

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 :)
 
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