blown fuse???

dAWGS · August 30, 2010, 01:16:25 PM

ok my smoker worked flawlessly the other day. now it keeps blowing the fuse on the back of the smoke generator. it worked today for 2 hours then blew. now i put a new fuse in and it blows immediately how do i troubleshoot this?

FLBentRider · August 30, 2010, 01:23:06 PM

I would disconnect the wire to the bisquette burner and see if it still blows fuses. If it doesn't I'd say the burner is bad.

To do this, remove the screws on the perimeter of the smoke generator, not the ones in the middle.

Open the generator and find the wire that leads to the burner, disconnect it.

Habanero Smoker · August 30, 2010, 01:24:13 PM

First I would open the generator and look for loose wires or and any built up particles/debris form the bisquettes and give it a good cleaning. Also make sure everything is dry. Opening the generator will not void the warranty.

How to Clean the Generator

dAWGS · August 30, 2010, 01:49:26 PM

well i disconnected the burner and the fuse doesnt blow. looks like i need a new burner

TestRocket · August 30, 2010, 06:30:53 PM

Maybe not? By disconnecting one side of the element you just opened the circuit and removed all paths to ground. If you have an ohm meter check the element to see if it a dead short or if it has some resistance. I haven't ever checked mine but I'm sure someone has and maybe they will chime in. But if it's a dead short it is definitely bad. Let us know. Is the an OBS or DBS?

dAWGS · August 31, 2010, 08:20:08 AM

Now you're talking greek. I'm not real good with electric but I can learn. Dead short? Resistance? Just test the burner?

dAWGS · August 31, 2010, 08:22:16 AM

Oh. OBS

ArnieM · August 31, 2010, 08:40:53 AM

Determine where the problem is. If you haven't done this already -

Disconnect the SG from the cabinet. Plug the main power cord into the back of the cabinet. If the cabinet heats, it's OK. If you trip a breaker, the problem is in the cabinet.

With the SG still disconnected from the cabinet, plug the main power cord into the SG and turn it on. If the fuse blows, the problem is with the SG.

Call Bradley.

dAWGS · August 31, 2010, 08:43:17 AM

i did all that. cabinet works fine. sg blows a fuse. i disconnect the element and it doesnt blow a fuse. so its something to do with the element. how do i test the element to make sure if its shot? its pretty dirty. will cleaning it help?

ArnieM · August 31, 2010, 08:51:21 AM

Call Bradley at (800) 665-4188 and ask to speak with Brian. Describe the tests you did.

Bradley (Head Office) · August 31, 2010, 03:47:51 PM

Quote from: dAWGS on August 31, 2010, 08:43:17 AM
i did all that. cabinet works fine. sg blows a fuse. i disconnect the element and it doesnt blow a fuse. so its something to do with the element. how do i test the element to make sure if its shot? its pretty dirty. will cleaning it help?

Hello dawgs

You will need a meter to test the bisquette burner, you should get a ohm reading of about 113 ohms.

From what I have read here and the test you did by unplugging it I am sure your bisquette burner is burnt out and will need to be replaced
give our customer service dept a call at 1-800-665-4188 in Canada or 1-866-508-7514 in the USA.

Brian.

smokinfiss · September 03, 2010, 09:58:27 AM

I smoked some coho last night and when I went out to my smoker the temp gauge was only reading 100F and my light was not on. The fish seemed cooked about right. I heard there is a shut off and I was wodering how long it had to cool before it reset. The only reason why I am questioning it is when my wife went out to the smoker the other day the temp was at 400f and was turned off, so she unplugged it. any help would be apprieciated.

Habanero Smoker · September 06, 2010, 02:07:36 AM

Hi Smokinfiss;

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to here about your problem. What model smoker do you have?

The OBS (original) has dual safety mechanism to prevent the smoker from getting too hot. An in-line fuse that will blow if the temperature gets too hot. If that blows, it must be replaced. It also has a high temperature sensor that is designed to cut the smoker off, then reset - but these have been known to blow out at times and if it did blow out it will have to be replaced.

I don't have the DBS (digital), but I believe it only has the in-line fuse.

From your description and what happen just prior to you using your smoker again, it sounds like you either blown the in-line fuse and/or the high temperature senor. One of the electricians should be along to explain how to test it with a meter (if you have one). You can visually check the in-line fuse by removing the back cover. The picture below is of an OBS. At the top right of the picture you will see the high temperature sensor (black box) the the in-line fuse is connected to the temperature sensor by the red wire. The fuse is covered in a clear plastic shield, so it is visible. Check to see if that is blow, or if the plastic is cloudy and you can't see the fuse it has blown.

If you are on warranty call Bradley Tech.; if not on warranty replacement parts can be obtained either through Bradley or Yard & Pool stocks almost all replacement parts. If you need to replace one or both of these parts it will cost you less then $10 plus S&H.