Circulation Fan

[Hopeful]

I have had my OBS for 3 or 4 years now and have read a few of the past posts regarding a circulation fan but have some questions.  Is the reason for installing to push the heat from the back of the cabinet to the front?  Does it help even the temp out between the bottom rack and the top rack?  Do you still rotate the racks every once in while from top to bottom?  For the time and money invested do you feel it is worth while?  Is that a special fan or can you pick it up at a local auto parts store or farm fleet store?  Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any help.  It is very enjoyable reading this website, there is a ton of great information here with very knowledgeable people, everyone just trying to have a "smokin good time".

Hopeful

[Mr Walleye]

I have had a circulation fan for sometime now. It really does help to balance out the box temp. If I have a big load in I will still rotate racks but usually only once or twice. Here is a link how SmokehouseRob did his. This is where I got the idea of how to mount mine.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=186&page=2


Originally I had the fan running CCW which is the direction most of the guys who first designed it had them. I found the rear of the tower was still hotter than the front so I changed mine to CW. Here is a thread about it with a few pictures.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6843.0

Mike

[Hopeful]

Thanks for the help Mike, I ordered the parts today from Grainger.

[beefmann]

hopefull

yes it makes a big difference to have a fan in the case even  with the 500 watt heater as it will help recover the tempture in the box and keep it  eveen through out the  smoker

if you  like look at  my   mod and you will see what  i have done by adding a  blower, 900 watt heater and cover works like a timex .. takes a licking and keeps on ticking



beefmann

[Hopeful]

Thank you Beefmann, the fan arrived yesterday and hope to get it installed this weekend.

Hopeful

[love the smoke]

I have read all the post on the circulation fan on here and on the recipe site and I cannot find anywhere how to wire it or how you guys wired it. Do you put a swith somewhere to turn it off and on? do you just put a outlet end on the two wires from the fan? Where do you grab power from inside the smoke generator or from inside the smoker itself?
Sorry for all the questions but am starting the fan heater upgrade because I tried to smoke some rbs the other day and the OBS had a very hard time getting the temp up to 220 because it was quite cold outside 30 degrees

Thanks

LTS

[beefmann]

a good PID Wireing



moded for my wireing




900 watt finned heater



blower and heater



heater / blower cover



with VTray inplace



back of smoker additional beacket to support blower motor



back of smoke generator showing heater wireing and TC connections.

Grant you  it could have been  neater though it  works

my setup is to smoke first then cook, if you wanna smoke then cook simpially remove the power switch and connect the fan switch , smoke generator and PID toghter and your done