NO HEAT

[drdale]

I have two smokers, one of the older 4 rack machine, and one newer 6 rack one with digital controls.

Both of them have stopped working.  The smoke wood heater works in both but neither one now heats.  When I check the electric cable coming out of the control box neither one registers voltage.

Any suggestions on what to do next?

Aloha

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Dr. Dale;

Sorry to have to welcome you to the forum in this manner.

It seems like an odd coincidence that both would develop problems at the same time. First I thought it was an electrical problem at the source, but you have power to the bisquette burner.

There are some tips that are contained in the below link. Some of the issues concerning lack of heat are the same between the original and digital, but other causes are different. Before any trouble shooting you should plug each cabinet directly into a working outlet to determine if the element will work. This bypasses the generator, and may narrow down where the problem is located.

Bradley FAQ's

[drdale]

Neither of the heating elements work when connected directly to wall power.  Seems like everything is broken.

[TedEbear]

Check for a blown 10A inline fuse inside the back of the tower.  You have to remove the back panel to get to it.  You'll have to use the continuity checker on your multimeter to verify if it is good.  Cannot really tell by simply looking.

It's strange that they would both blow on two different smokers at the same time since they rarely blow at all.

[drdale]

I took off the back.  How do I recognize what the fuse looks like?  Is it the small barrel shaped ceramic thing on the wire near the temp sensor?

I confirmed that power is going into the smoker box but the power light is not on (old 4 tray model).

Thanks

[drdale]

Assuming those ceramic barrels are the fuses...both smokers showed continuity was OK..

What is left?  Burnt heating elements?  Is there a test for those?

Thanks

[devo]

A heating element is basically a fuse is it not? Power is applied to it and it heats up.

Choose the resistance, or RX1, setting on your multimeter.
Touch the multimeter leads to each end of the heating element.

Look for a high resistance reading of thousands of ohms, or kilo-ohms. On a digital multimeter, you will see the letter K for kilo-ohms if the element is in working condition. A faulty element will generate a resistance reading of 1, or infinity.

[drdale]

I took out the element.  One meter had a RX1 setting and it read about 30 ohms.  The other meter had a 200 ohms setting and it read 27.  Not sure what that means.  It was not at either end.

[Habanero Smoker]

I took out the element.  One meter had a RX1 setting and it read about 30 ohms.  The other meter had a 200 ohms setting and it read 27.  Not sure what that means.  It was not at either end.

As long as the readings are in  the 27 - 32 range they are good. I believe you also stated that you tested the in-line fuse, because you can't tell if they are blown by looking at them. If the power light on the OBS is off that is another indication that the problem it is not related to the element; at least for the OBS.

Does your OBS have a crack on the face plate above the temperature controller? If so your circuit board may have been damage by moisture, or the high temperature sensor is faulty.

When you replace the back, did you make sure all the connections to the plug were secure. If so the only other thing I can think of is the high temperature sensor. They are a safety device that shuts off the smoker if the cabinet temperature goes over 320°F. Generally they reset themselves, but not always. If it doesn't reset you have to replace them. But if you are getting power on the other side of the in-line fuse, then I would guess the sensors are alright. The temperature sensor is in cased in the plastic housing that the in-line fuse is attached to.

[drdale]

Yes, the faceplate above the temperature controller is cracked. 

[Habanero Smoker]

For the OBS, you should take the face plate off and test the temperature controller, but I couldn't tell you what the reading should be. If it is covered with gunk, that is a good indicator that it is "fried".

Also if you are careful, it is easy to by pass the controller to see if that is the problem. You will need to unplug the cabinet. Remove the face plate and note (better yet take a picture) of how it is wired. Unplug the wires from the circuit board, and with electrical tape, securely tape the metal connectors together; making sure there is not bare metal exposed. Next plug the cabinet into an outlet, and check to see if the element produces heat. If it gets hot then your problem is the circuit board. Unplug it immediately, because there is no way to control it.

If by passing the circuit board doesn't work, then it could be the temperature sensor or a loose or broken wire in the cabinet. That's about all there is to check in the cabinet. I'm still curious as to why both smokers failed at the same time.

[drdale]

I followed your instructions and by-passed the temperature circuit board and now the heating element heats up and the power indicator light is on.  I guess that is the culprit.

I guess I have to replace the whole panel. 

It sure would be nice to have a smoker again.

Now have to start trouble-shooting the larger digital 6 rack machine.

Thank you very much for all your patient help.

I may get back to you on the other machine.

Aloha

Dale

[Habanero Smoker]

If you are still under the one year warranty, Bradley will replace the face plate and the circuit board for no cost.

If it is beyond the warranty period, you can purchase the replacement parts from Yard & Pool.
Lower Face Plate w/ Control Switch

You may also want to order two rear feet and do this modification:
Cracked Face Plate
If under warranty, Bradley will sometime include this with your face plate.


Have you figured out the problem with the digital?

[drdale]

I am way past warranty on both machines.  Tried to order parts from Yard & Pool but on the slider to indicate "State" they don't list Hawaii.  Cannot complete order with that blank.  I sent them a question about this, but no answer yet.

Have not dug into the digital machine yet other than checking the in-line fuse.  Other than the element, what else could be the problem?

The digital machine always had a problem getting up to temp.  Often had to finish cooking in an oven.  Cooking wild boar requires high internal temp to be safe.

[Habanero Smoker]

Their customer service is good, so you should get a reply soon.

If you ordered the part I linked you to, that includes both the faceplate and the slider; so you don't have to order the slider seperately.