Troubleshooting MES 30 MB20071117

[4d90]

Hey all,

Hoping to get some troubleshooting advice for my MES 30" for why it's not turning on.

In January, the controller unit was freaking out after about a 9 hour cook - it would turn on but quickly cycle through the time or temp.
I think some condensation got to the unit and shorted it. Plus, my MES was used so the controller had some sun damage already.
I ordered a replacement unit, installed it, and briefly tested it to make sure the MES would turn off/on, heat up, etc.

This morning, I setup the smoker and it reached the 250 temp without a problem and I put my brisket in.
After a few hours of smoking and refilling with wood chips, I noticed the unit turned off.
I couldn't turn it back on and confirmed the outlets and extension cord are all fine.

I disconnected/reconnected the controller but the unit still will not turn on. I haven't left it plugged in long enough to see if the hating element will work, though.

I read some websites and it said to check the fuse for the smoker, but I don't see any fuse in the small door on the lower backside of the smoker.

So what advice would you offer to troubleshoot? Since I got it used for $80 and already spent ~$25 on the controller, I'm not sure how much more money I want to invest into this used smoker....

Don't worry, the brisket's baking away in the oven. It may not be the smokiest brisket I've had, but it at least won't be wasted.

Thanks!

 

[MJB05615]

Hey all,

Hoping to get some troubleshooting advice for my MES 30" for why it's not turning on.

In January, the controller unit was freaking out after about a 9 hour cook - it would turn on but quickly cycle through the time or temp.
I think some condensation got to the unit and shorted it. Plus, my MES was used so the controller had some sun damage already.
I ordered a replacement unit, installed it, and briefly tested it to make sure the MES would turn off/on, heat up, etc.

This morning, I setup the smoker and it reached the 250 temp without a problem and I put my brisket in.
After a few hours of smoking and refilling with wood chips, I noticed the unit turned off.
I couldn't turn it back on and confirmed the outlets and extension cord are all fine.

I disconnected/reconnected the controller but the unit still will not turn on. I haven't left it plugged in long enough to see if the hating element will work, though.

I read some websites and it said to check the fuse for the smoker, but I don't see any fuse in the small door on the lower backside of the smoker.

So what advice would you offer to troubleshoot? Since I got it used for $80 and already spent ~$25 on the controller, I'm not sure how much more money I want to invest into this used smoker....

Don't worry, the brisket's baking away in the oven. It may not be the smokiest brisket I've had, but it at least won't be wasted.

Thanks!

Not sure what this could be. Reach out to tallbm , he's the expert on these. The fuse may be the overheat shut off small button looking thing inside center of back wall. That's a very common issue, but not 100% sure.

 

[4d90]

Thanks Mike, I'll see if I can locate a fuse.

 

[MJB05615]

Thanks Mike, I'll see if I can locate a fuse.

It's more of a hard metal small disc. I think it's wired into the whole thing.

 

[tallbm]

Hey all,

Hoping to get some troubleshooting advice for my MES 30" for why it's not turning on.

In January, the controller unit was freaking out after about a 9 hour cook - it would turn on but quickly cycle through the time or temp.
I think some condensation got to the unit and shorted it. Plus, my MES was used so the controller had some sun damage already.
I ordered a replacement unit, installed it, and briefly tested it to make sure the MES would turn off/on, heat up, etc.

This morning, I setup the smoker and it reached the 250 temp without a problem and I put my brisket in.
After a few hours of smoking and refilling with wood chips, I noticed the unit turned off.
I couldn't turn it back on and confirmed the outlets and extension cord are all fine.

I disconnected/reconnected the controller but the unit still will not turn on. I haven't left it plugged in long enough to see if the hating element will work, though.

I read some websites and it said to check the fuse for the smoker, but I don't see any fuse in the small door on the lower backside of the smoker.

So what advice would you offer to troubleshoot? Since I got it used for $80 and already spent ~$25 on the controller, I'm not sure how much more money I want to invest into this used smoker....

Don't worry, the brisket's baking away in the oven. It may not be the smokiest brisket I've had, but it at least won't be wasted.

Thanks!

Hi there and welcome!

If the top controller won't come on at all then the top controller is busted OR the lower circuit board is completely busted.
You have to flip the smoker on it's side and open one of the bottom compartments by driling out the rivets (replace with self tapping sheet metal screws to refasten) and then go into the black plastic box (if one exists) to get to the circuit board.

If the circuit board is shot then your only option is to do a simple rewire and use what is called a PID controller. The good news is if you do this your smoker will work 100x better than it did brand new.
The bad news, such a controller runs about $150 or so to begin with.
This is really like making an entirely new, completely badass, electric smoker. So don't think you are just patching up an old one. It's like turning a golf cart into a Ferrari!

If it's the top controller, then another cheap replacement would get you past the issue.

Please confirm that your top controller is not getting any power at the moment and if not please confirm that the lower circuit board doesn't have swollen, burnt, etc. components. We can go from there.
Let me know if this helps :D

 

[4d90]

tallbm - Excellent input, thank you very much. Thank you for your time in troubleshooting my smoker.

I just came across this video:

His symptoms describe exactly what was happening to me - the GFIC tripped and before taking the brisket out, I notice liquid pouring out in the back corner.

I think I will do what he did - open the bottom door and see what I find.

Where can I read more about the PID controller?

 

[4d90]

Well good news:
I opened up the door on the bottom and it was filled with liquid and grease. I didn't take the board out, but I wiped it down and scraped out all the grease I saw.

bad news:
Unit still hasn't turned on. Now that I have the door opened and exposed to the dry air, I hope in the next day or two it will start to work. I'll probably get my multi-meter out in the next day or two and test for continuity and power

 

[tallbm]

tallbm - Excellent input, thank you very much. Thank you for your time in troubleshooting my smoker.

I just came across this video:

His symptoms describe exactly what was happening to me - the GFIC tripped and before taking the brisket out, I notice liquid pouring out in the back corner.

I think I will do what he did - open the bottom door and see what I find.

Where can I read more about the PID controller?

Here is a common PID controller used that will handle and MES40 or an MES30:

Thermocouple Based Smoker Controller [WS-1510DPMS] - $165.00 : Auber Instruments, Inc., Temperature control solutions for home and industry

Auber Instruments, Inc. Thermocouple Based Smoker Controller [WS-1510DPMS] - This is a K type thermocouple sensor based plug-n-play controller. Compared to the Auber's RTD sensor based models, the sensor is more durable and robust. It can control the temperature up to 900°F (500°C), which is...

www.auberins.com

Here is a wifi capable version:

Smoker Controller w/ LCD Display, 1800 Watts [WST-1520H] - $199.99 : Auber Instruments, Inc., Temperature control solutions for home and industry

Auber Instruments, Inc. Smoker Controller w/ LCD Display, 1800 Watts [WST-1520H] - This plug-and-play PID controller (WST-1520H) regulates the temperature of electric smokers, such as Smokin-it®, Smokin Tex and Masterbuilt Smoker. Utilizing a specialized PID algorithm, this controller is able to...

www.auberins.com

I have a feeling doing the simple rewire and using a PID controller is going to be your only option. You very likely won't find replacement lower circuit boards and if grease got into compnents (like the relay) you would have mechanical issues, not to mention anything else that may have gotten ruined.

The way the rewire and PID controller setup will work is the following:

1. Rewire at the lower circuit board by cutting ends off 4 wires and using a wire nut to make 2 new whole wires. This makes the power cord feed power directly to the ehating element without any control.
2. Take the temp probe from a PID controller and drop it down the MES vent and clip it to the bottom of the lowest rack so the controller can now measure smoker temp
3. Plug the rewired MES cord into the PID controller
4. Plug the PID controller into the wall outlet
5. Enter into the PID controller the smoker temp you want and it will now feed power on/off from the wall outlet to the MES cord until the MES heats up and hits your set temp. The controller will cut power on/off to hit and hold that temp until you turn it off, and it holds dead or within 1-3F degrees of your set temp!
6. Done

I hope all that info helps. Let us know what you continue to find out :)

 

[geostriata]

Well good news:
I opened up the door on the bottom and it was filled with liquid and grease. I didn't take the board out, but I wiped it down and scraped out all the grease I saw.

bad news:
Unit still hasn't turned on. Now that I have the door opened and exposed to the dry air, I hope in the next day or two it will start to work. I'll probably get my multi-meter out in the next day or two and test for continuity and power

As it so happens, this happened to me yesterday. I'll put up a thread about how to fix for you. These guys didn't even quarter-ass their controller water/moisture protection.

Here's the thread: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...uttons-unresponsive-wont-power-on-fix.326508/

I know you already cleaned it, but those are cheap buttons, so I think you need to get in there with a brass brush and scrub somewhat under the plastic knob. If that doesn't work, possibly replace them (You can always test to confirm it's the button by shorting it). If you short or scrub with brass and it still doesn't work, then yeah, it's something else.

 

[4d90]

Hi G geostriata ,

Actually that's a problem I solved back in January. The controller is very cheaply made and I think mine shorted out from the steam from the smoke and some condensation.

I ordered a new one replaced it, and tested it. All was fine.

However, if you lay your smoker down horizontally, you will see a little compartment on the back right covered by a plastic cover (at least mine was). I suggest you open yours up and see if there's any liquid and grease in there. Of course you will want to unplug the unit first.

I the liquid and grease damaged the circuit board on my smoker. It may be a good idea to clean this compartment out then and from time to time. Maybe it mostly depends on what you're smoking, too. I had smoked ~6 briskets since June of last year and never knew about this compartment. Now it looks like I'm out of luck.

I'm considering the thing tallbm shows above, but I may want to get a new/different smoker and just keep my good working controller for the future.

 

[geostriata]

Hi G geostriata ,

Actually that's a problem I solved back in January. The controller is very cheaply made and I think mine shorted out from the steam from the smoke and some condensation.

I ordered a new one replaced it, and tested it. All was fine.

However, if you lay your smoker down horizontally, you will see a little compartment on the back right covered by a plastic cover (at least mine was). I suggest you open yours up and see if there's any liquid and grease in there. Of course you will want to unplug the unit first.

I the liquid and grease damaged the circuit board on my smoker. It may be a good idea to clean this compartment out then and from time to time. Maybe it mostly depends on what you're smoking, too. I had smoked ~6 briskets since June of last year and never knew about this compartment. Now it looks like I'm out of luck.

I'm considering the thing tallbm shows above, but I may want to get a new/different smoker and just keep my good working controller for the future.

Thanks for the advice. I'll take a look!