started extra heating element now have ??

[love the smoke]

I am doing the extra heating element upgrade on my OBS, but have a few questions, I would like to take the slider out of the circut but leave the light in. So do I just unplug the wires from the slider and tie them togather and thats it ?

I am thinking about doing the switch on the second element also, so with the slider out of the picture will my Auber plug and play work GOOD with 2 elements running to get up to temp then switch 1 element off to "cook", 2 elements on rotate switch racks,1 element on to "cook", 2 elements on to baste ribs, 1element on to cook, or will the auber not control well being the time it takes the temperature to rise changes,

1 more ....... any sugeations on how to fill in the extra holesin the back of my smoker from the previous "project"      4.......1/4 inch holes

LTS

 
 

[Mr Walleye]

LTS

As far as the 1/4" holes from your previous mod goes I would just use a 1/4" pan head stainless bolt and put the nut on the back.

When you use a PID to control the two elements it will just apply less power to the elements when the additional heat is not required. For this reason you may not need to put a switch in for the 2nd element. The other problem is when you are controlling the unit with a PID and you switch from 1 to 2 elements, you are changing the variables (response time) and the PID may not be as accurate. Basically you may need a different set of parameters for running 1 element vs running 2.

I'll see if I can find some info on the OBS slide control for you.

Hopefully Habs will see this and provide his comments because he did it on his OBS.

Mike

[Mr Walleye]

Here is a photo from Habs mod that he did. In it you can see the 2 white wires that plug into the circuit board, basically you just need to unplug these off the circuit board and use a jumper wire to connect them together. The light will still be in the original circuit and function as it did before.



Mike

[GusRobin]

I am doing the extra heating element upgrade on my OBS, but have a few questions, I would like to take the slider out of the circut but leave the light in. So do I just unplug the wires from the slider and tie them togather and thats it ?

Why? I don't think you gain anything by taking the slide out of the picture. I did my mod to the OBS as listed by Habs and Mike and it works perfect. Just leave the slide on "high" and the PID controls everything.

I am thinking about doing the switch on the second element also, so with the slider out of the picture will my Auber plug and play work GOOD with 2 elements running to get up to temp then switch 1 element off to "cook", 2 elements on rotate switch racks,1 element on to "cook", 2 elements on to baste ribs, 1element on to cook, or will the auber not control well being the time it takes the temperature to rise changes,

The PID controls the two elements as one. By this I mean that it controls the temp by turning the power to the elements off and on at the appropriate times based upon how the PID is tuned. Since the 2 elements are connected to one power terminal they will go on and off together when controlled by the PID. The switch allows you to manually turn off one element. Not sure when you would do it, but it gives you that option. By leaving the original element connected to the slide, it gives you the option to also manually control that element. Again I am not sure when you would do that since once you install the second element you should tune your PID. If you switch between 1 and 2 elements manually like you indicate, it will screw up the tuning. If you are going to do the mod, leave it connected to the slide. I put the switch in mine just because it was easy and some day I may find a reason to want to manually manipulate the elements. But I would recommend leaving the slide connected. If you decide to take it out of the loop, then you need to check where the overtemp sensor is connected. Not sure if it is connected to the slide or the element. You don't want that disonnected.


 
 

[Mr Walleye]

Gus

The OBS has a thermal cutoff located in the back of the tower about halfway up. Here's a picture that shows the wiring in the back of the tower (thermal cutoff is in upper right side). Bypassing the slider will still keep the thermal cutoff in the circuit and I agree with you, you want to keep it in the circuit. Another one of Habs pictures...



Mike

[Habanero Smoker]

Late to the discussion again :)

Mike is correct, you just need to unplug the wires from the circuit and connect them to one another.

I left mine connected, and added a switch to the second element. I did this so I could cut off the second element, and still maintain manual control over the original element. There are times when I am doing a quick smoke I don't want to set up my Raptor/Guru. Another reason I added a switch to the second element is that when I'm making sausage, I want a gentle increase in temperature, at staged intervals; but that is one of my preferences.

[drano]

LTS,

I've got one element, w/ the plug n play PID, and now have the slider disconnected.
I disconnected the slider by removing the 2 wires off the slider board, then putting a jumper wire between the 2 ends.  I got matching connectors from the local hardware store, added a short piece of wire and plugged them into the wire ends.  No Bradley wires were cut this way, and I can put it back if I want to.
As Mike said, the front light still operates. 
get smokin
drano

[love the smoke]

Yet another ? or comment from me  Sorry ??? what is the little white thing inside the clear shrink tube? some kind of fusible link or inline fuse ?

I am going to install a second temp limit switch for the second element, the switch that I got from Yard and Pool is JUST the switch no wires or fuse thingy , so I will not have the fuse thinggy in line, Is this a MUST have

[Habanero Smoker]

Mike may be better able to answer that question. To me it did looked like a fuse link, an additional safety measure if the switch did not trip. If the rating is listed on the current one, you should be able to find a replacement at an electrical parts store.

[Mr Walleye]

We may need to quiz Brian from Bradley on this one.

From my understanding (I own a DBS) the OBS has a thermal cutoff (the black part in the photo). When the heat gets to high the thermal cutoff kills the power. After it's cooled to a given temp it closes and allows power through again.

The DBS has a thermal fuse in it. Once a thermal fuse has blown it has to be replaced. Based on your picture it does kinda look like a thermal fuse.

Just for reference here is a Canadian electronics site that has both thermal cutoffs and thermal fuses to get an idea of what they look like. You can get either one of them from Bradley or Yard & Pool.

Thermal Cutoff....
http://www.a1parts.com/thermal_cut/index.htm

Thermal Fuse....
http://www.a1parts.com/Thermal_Fuses/temperature_fuses.htm

Mike

[Bradley (Head Office)]

Mike has this one nailed down

The OBS has a Thermal Cutoff (black part in photo) and it has a Thermal Fuse ( white thing inside plastic tube)
The Digital Smokers only have the Thermal Fuse in them.

Brian

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks for clearing that up Brian.

A quick question though, I'm just curious why the OBS uses both the thermal cutoff and the thermal fuse?

Mike

[Bradley (Head Office)]

Thanks for clearing that up Brian.

A quick question though, I'm just curious why the OBS uses both the thermal cutoff and the thermal fuse?

Mike

The thermal fuse acts like a back up in case the thermal cutoff should fail in the closed postion.
The digital is the same way it is in there as a backup for the temp sensor.

Brian

[Mr Walleye]

Ok... That makes perfect sense Brian.

Thanks again

Mike

[love the smoke]

curious how a thermal fuse works, it is not sensing heat as in touching a hot surface like the thermal cutoff is, is it sensing heat as in current going through it ? it does have a amp and volt rating on the side of it.

LTS