Two heat element mod question for Habanero Smoker

[starship]

Drilling the reflector was the hardest part!  But well worth the effort.

[Habanero Smoker]

If you have a Dremel or similar tool with a few different size grinder wheels, it makes the job much easier. I used that to make the notch in the ceramic, using a thin grinding wheel at slow speed and light pressure then widen it with a small rat tail file. I also used the Dremel with a wider grinding wheel to enlarge the drilled holes in the reflector.

[GusRobin]

test rocket and others ,

what you might consider  is adding another PID  to control the  second element,

Panasonic makes a PID with 6 outputs, that  could control 6 different items,,

http://pewa.panasonic.com/automation-controls/plc/fp-impulse-controller/specifications/

here is the link to the data sheet

Not sure why you would do that? My set up is that of the mod on the forum -- both elements get their power from the plug on the cabinet. So the PID controls both by the fact that it controls the power to the plug. To me that is the minimum safety approach I would take. You can also add a fuse and shutoff sensor for the second element. I have the rocker switch so I can use only one element if I so desire. To be honest I only used the rocker switch once when I couldn't use the PID because I broke the probe wire. SO I shut off the second element and just used the single element and the slide control.

[TestRocket]

What Gus said, plus and I added the fuse and high temp sensor.

[beefmann]

simply put on a panasonic PID it  would control both heaters dropping one off as it got  close to the set temperature and then finally turning off the other, as more heat is needed  one heater  would  come on then the  other 

all this is  an option for dual heaters

[TestRocket]

Gus and I both use the Auber dual probe plug-and-play PID to control our OBS's.

[smoker pete]

Not sure why you would do that? My set up is that of the mod on the forum -- both elements get their power from the plug on the cabinet. So the PID controls both by the fact that it controls the power to the plug. To me that is the minimum safety approach I would take.

I want to keep it simple.  Have an Auber PID and want to add the second element.  Can I take the slider/circuit board/etc totally out of the loop and just have both elements wired to the plug and use the PID to control temp?

[Habanero Smoker]

Yes! First you will need to unhook all the wires that are plugged into the circuit board (and you may have to cut off the two connectors at the end of the wires), then wire all three of those wires together. That will complete the circuit to the original element, by past the temperature control, and the pilot light should also work. If you don't care about the pilot light, that third wire that goes to the light  can be left unconnected.

Then use the wiring diagram found in Step #4 of the following link:
Additional Heating Element Modification

[TestRocket]

Here is a PIC of what you will see with the slider still connected:



If you leave the white wire connected to the lamp it will still come on when the PID is sending voltage to both elements.

[starship]

Two Pids, "trying" to control one space? Not good engineering. They would not settle in very well.

My one PID controler ( Auber 1200CPH) handles the dual elements with no problem!

[GusRobin]

I want to keep it simple.  Have an Auber PID and want to add the second element.  Can I take the slider/circuit board/etc totally out of the loop and just have both elements wired to the plug and use the PID to control temp?

To be clear - When I installed the 2nd element I did it per the instructions on the site. I did not bypass the slider. The pid still controls both elements and the temp. So you don't need to by pass the slider if you don't want to in order to control temp. I left mine where the original element is connected to the slider and the 2nd to the on off switch. The slider is left in the far right position and the switch is in the on posisition. The PID controls the temp by turning the power to the cabinet plug on and off. Since both elements are connected to the plug, the PID controls them. I like the fact that the original is still connected to the slider and the 2nd has the on-off switch because it gives me the option of reverting to the original set up as received. I had to do this when I broke the PID probe and couldn't use the PID until I received a replacement. Since I was just starting a smoke, I was able to switch off the 2nd element and use the slider to control the original element.

[starship]

To be clear - When I installed the 2nd element I did it per the instructions on the site. I did not bypass the slider. The pid still controls both elements and the temp. So you don't need to by pass the slider if you don't want to in order to control temp. I left mine where the original element is connected to the slider and the 2nd to the on off switch. The slider is left in the far right position and the switch is in the on posisition. The PID controls the temp by turning the power to the cabinet plug on and off. Since both elements are connected to the plug, the PID controls them. I like the fact that the original is still connected to the slider and the 2nd has the on-off switch because it gives me the option of reverting to the original set up as received. I had to do this when I broke the PID probe and couldn't use the PID until I received a replacement. Since I was just starting a smoke, I was able to switch off the 2nd element and use the slider to control the original element.

That will work fine as long as the slider is MAX UP when the pid is controlling.

[GusRobin]

yes the slider is max up and controlled is by the PID