Replaced element and still no heat...

Started by Redneckinthecity, August 04, 2012, 11:03:39 AM

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Redneckinthecity

I replaced my element in my digital 4 rack after I assumed that my element had died a few weeks ago (it was about 3 years old).

However, I still have no heat, regardless of the temp that I set it to.  Anyone have advice?  I was sure hoping to make some pistachios and ABT's to take on vacation next weekend.

THanks.

Habanero Smoker

If the smoke generator works you can still apply the smoke and finish the pistachios and ABT's in your kitchen oven.

If you are sure the original problem was the element, you may have accidentally disconnected a wire or wires going to the male socket. First recheck the power cords connection to make sure they are tightly connected. To check for loosen wiring to the plug, remove the back panel and make sure all three wires and securely connected.

If you have a multimeter, check the ohm reading of the element, but first you must disconnect the wires. There should be an OHM reading between 27 - 32 ohms. If you get a good reading, and there is no problem with loose wiring, you may have blown the in-line fuse, which would need to be replaced. If you have the old element you should test that also, as it may be good.



     I
         don't
                   inhale.
  ::)

Redneckinthecity

Thanks.  First thing I did was check all the wires.  My smoke generator is working fine.  The old element had an OHM reading of 29.1 

I haven't taken the back off yet, but the in-line fuse is fine.  Will get out my cordless drill to tackle all those screws and report back...

Redneckinthecity

So I plugged the cabinet directly in to the outlet and it got hot quickly.  In searching more on the board, I think that i may have a bad temperature sensor.  Does that sound right? 

I also read about an in-line fuse that is inside the cabinet (not in the smoke generator).  If it is blown would I still be getting heat plugging directly in to the outlet?

Thanks.

TedEbear

Quote from: Redneckinthecity on August 04, 2012, 03:18:08 PMI also read about an in-line fuse that is inside the cabinet (not in the smoke generator).  If it is blown would I still be getting heat plugging directly in to the outlet?

The inline fuse that he was talking about is the one in the back of the cooking tower that you have to remove the back off of to get to.  However, if you say the element gets hot when you plugged the tower directly into a wall outlet, bypassing the SG box, then that fuse is OK.  The high temp sensor is also OK or the element would not heat at all.

Sounds like there's a problem in the SG box, probably a loose connection.  Take the SG apart and see if it is something obvious.  If you can't find it then plug the SG into an outlet and test for voltage at various points to find where the problem is.

BTW, the original element is fine if it is reading 29.1 ohms.  Keep it in a safe place for a spare.

Habanero Smoker

Glad to see you are narrowing the problem down. Often members automatically believe when there is not heat, it is a bad element. If it works while you plug it directly into a socket, there is no reason to take the back off, and as he said your old element is good. Therefore you may have a loose wire inside the generator. 

Although the following link is a OBS generator, it will show you how to disassemble the generator.
Cleaning the Generator

If you cannot set the temperature, another common error is that the user is not pressing the buttons on the key pad dead center; or you may have a faulty keypad.



     I
         don't
                   inhale.
  ::)

Redneckinthecity

Thanks for the help.  Opened up the smoke generator and there was a loose connection at the power supply plug.  I must have loosened it when I opened it up this spring for cleaning and it came loose from being moved around.  Got it working and still got my pistachios and ABT's done Sunday afternoon.

Thanks everyone.  Just another reason why the forum is great!


Habanero Smoker

Great to hear you are up and smoking again.



     I
         don't
                   inhale.
  ::)