Adding a Second element or 900 watts?

[ghosttown]

New to this form, I had my original Bradley smoker for over a year and I have been reading up on this form and on the net where people either installed a second element or change the existing element to a 900 watts. I know either way I still require a PID controller but I was hoping to find out which route should I take? Mainly the mod will be use to recover faster, I do have couple of questions.

This site does explain pretty good in how to install another element http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification however I know the PID connects to the back of the bradley but would you need to disable the slider temp in the front?  Is it recommended to change to a higher gauge wire for the existing element if adding a second element?

Is it useful to had a switch to turn off the second element when temp reaches?

If replacing the existing element with a 900 one, would I need to change the existing wiring to handle the load?

Thanks

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi ghosttown;

Welcome to the forum.

There is no need to use higher gauge wiring for either modification. It is highly recommended to bypass the slider control when you do this modification. Bypassing the slider is just a simple matter of taking off the face plate, disconnecting the wires from the circuit board, then connecting those wires together. Waterproof the connection with electrical tape or liquid electrical tape, and reattach the face plate.

[ghosttown]

Thank you, I was wondering if I needed to complete the circuit if I disconnect the wires to the slider. In step 3 of the URL listed below, would this be the same step I would need to do for the OBS?

[DonOtt]

Follow up question to the original one....

Is adding a second 500w element a better option than changing out the original 500w and installing a 900w element or does it make a difference?

[ghosttown]

I think I am leading towards adding a 900 watts, is there any instructions on how to do this for a OBS? I guess in theory removing the original element, upgrade the existing wiring if you wish and then install the new element and bypassing the slider. Would anybody know what is the white block that is used this post? http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=23239.15  See page 2 very top post.

[beefmann]

i have been  running the 900 watt element since 2008 with  no  problems  except with  large loads,, that it  takes  time to  recover.. though it is to be  expected.. so it  is a  great  mod, just be  sure that the  top  vent is  wide  open at all times 

[dave01]

X2 what Beefmann said

[ghosttown]

Thought changing it to a 900 watts would allow you to recover faster? Is adding a second element of 500 better then having one 900? Why do I need to leave the vent wide open?

[manfromplaid]

he means with large loads it still take time but not as much..vent open allows heat and moisture do rise and escape. to much moisture trapped in the smoker will keep temps. down

[ghosttown]

Okay thanks, is there any benefits between the two? Changing it to a 900 or adding another 500?

[tskeeter]

The thought process of the folks who started the 900 watt mod was that the finned heating element would transfer heat more effectively than the rod style dual element mod.  Don't know that anyone has ever done a side by side comparison to see if one is significantly better than the other, but the logic makes sense to me.

The are some other considerations to which mod you select.  A rod element is about half, or less, the cost of a finned element.  The finned element mod requires that you fabricate mounting brackets to attach the element to the smoker.  The dual element mod requires that you make up some short jumper wires to connect the new element to the old one, that you notch the ceramic holders to allow the jumper wire to connect to the new element, and that you drill a couple of holes in the heat reflector so the reflector will act as the holder for the new element.  Kind of depends what fabrication work you're most comfortable with.

I've found that a carbide coated rod saw blade ($5) for a hacksaw worked best for me when it came to notching the ceramic holders for the heating element, and that a step drill ($30) worked much better than twist drills and hole punches to make holes in the heat reflector.  (Need I tell you that I'm on reflector number three, now?)     

[ghosttown]

I guess it all depends what I want to go with. Any special screws I need to hold the 900 watts element?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[beefmann]

I guess it all depends what I want to go with. Any special screws I need to hold the 900 watts element?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

the bolts i have used are 5/16 by 1 1/2 which is just big  enough to  fit through the holes of the  heater and  long enough to be fed through the back of the  smoker, add a  bolt to secure the  bolts to the  smoker... then a all thread nut is put in  place as a  spacing bolt, then the  heating element finally a bold to  secure the heater.. and this is  on  each  end.. also gives you  approx 1/3 to 1/2 inch  spacing between the  element  and the back of the smoker to aid in  circulation...

though i  do run a  blower on  mine continuously to provide as  much heat  transfer into the  smoker... Hope this  helps

[ghosttown]

Did not notice that the bolt went all the way through to the back and out the other side. I assumed you drilled a whole to the back of the smoker then insert the bolts? Would this be possible, remove the back panel of the smoker and remove the Neutral, Ground and Power from the AC adapter, rerun 14 gauge heat wire both the neutral and the hot running to the 900 watts element and then ground the ground wire to some sort of bolt/metal on the smoker. This way I bypass the slider, the inline fuse and anything that is original, if I ever want to go back to stock I can. I guess I can add some sort of rocket switch with a light or just a light source so I can tell there is power going to the smoker. By any chance would I need a inline fuse with the new element or any other protection in case the PID fails to prevent over heating the smoker? Would you have any pictures of your install by any chance.       

[beefmann]

Did not notice that the bolt went all the way through to the back and out the other side. I assumed you drilled a whole to the back of the smoker then insert the bolts? Would this be possible, remove the back panel of the smoker and remove the Neutral, Ground and Power from the AC adapter, rerun 14 gauge heat wire both the neutral and the hot running to the 900 watts element and then ground the ground wire to some sort of bolt/metal on the smoker. This way I bypass the slider, the inline fuse and anything that is original, if I ever want to go back to stock I can. I guess I can add some sort of rocket switch with a light or just a light source so I can tell there is power going to the smoker. By any chance would I need a inline fuse with the new element or any other protection in case the PID fails to prevent over heating the smoker? Would you have any pictures of your install by any chance.       

just to be clear, the  heater is  mounted on the back interior wall of  the  smoker,, you  would have to remove the  back cover to drill the  holes,

as for the wires, leave the ground in  place ( unless you  want to  upgrade to heavier  gage though keep it  connected to the  tower ) and yes it  would be a good  idea to run 14 gage high temp wire to the  element, also use the  high temp crimp on connector on all connections, 

there is an  over temp sensor built into the  bradley  you  may want to  run the  heater  through it , though i  dont .. i  run mine through the  pid only.....


here is the  link for my  heater  mod,

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17329.msg209917#msg209917

in picture #2 you  see the bolts for the heater which has a washer on the inside wall of the  smoker and a all thread bolt which is approx an  inch  long.

picture # 4 is how the heater is mounted and wired inside the  smoker

picture #5 if you  look close just above the  black panel you  will notice a  couple inches in from the  sides the silver bolt heads  with  washers , these are the  bolts for the heating  element,

you  do  not have to  mount the heating element as high as i  have, the  only  reason i did is to  use the blower for maximum heat transfer into the smoker. To the  best of my  knowledge i am the  only  one running this  exact configuration, blower runs full time heater is ran through  the  pid

hope this  gives you  some visual help