Cabinet Max Temp

tpb · July 08, 2016, 11:44:42 AM

Any idea what the max temp the cabinet could handle? Thinking of making a small (keyword small) rack/insert that I could burn charcoal on in the Bradley. Wondering if the cabinet itself would hold up ok to this. Bad idea, good idea? Thoughts?

Gafala · July 08, 2016, 12:31:07 PM

In my book a very bad idea, its not designed for that, you could also blow the temp thermal fuse. And if you do that then the Bradley will not work.

Habanero Smoker · July 08, 2016, 12:55:02 PM

There have been some members that would add one or two lit coals at a time to get that familiar flavor from charcoal, but not as a cooking source.

If you looking to use charcoal as a cooking source in the Bradley, I agree with Gafala, it is a bad idea. In addition the insulation would melt.

tskeeter · July 08, 2016, 05:57:05 PM

The Bradley contains a thermal fuse (fusible link) in the power feed to the heating element. This fuse seems to trip at about 300F. You can't reset this fuse if it trips. You have to replace the power feed.

JohnM70 · July 17, 2016, 02:29:19 PM

Taskeeter, I am somewhat curious, does the thermal fuse blow when the cabinet reaches 300 degrees+ or if the current going to the element causes the wire to heat to over 300 degrees. I am trying to determine how it senses the temperature of the cabinet. Please see my previous post in my thread (which you responded to). Also I am not trying to be argumentative just trying to understand.

Gafala · July 17, 2016, 05:40:51 PM

This should answer your question.

Thermal Fuse Basics

A thermal fuse is an emergency device used to prevent electrical appliances from overheating. Like an electrical fuse, a thermal fuse completely burn outs when the machine it is attached to gets beyond its safety level. Unlike an electrical fuse, a thermal fuse is melted by excessive heat instead of shorted out by excessive current.

Function

A thermal fuse uses a fusible link--two pieces of metal which are attached together by a substance designed to melt at a particular temperature. Under normal circumstances, current runs through between the two plates, running the appliance. When it gets too hot, however, the fusible alloy--the substance which holds the pieces together--melts, and they spring apart, turning off the current.

tskeeter · July 17, 2016, 08:43:44 PM

Quote from: JohnM70 on July 17, 2016, 02:29:19 PM
Taskeeter, I am somewhat curious, does the thermal fuse blow when the cabinet reaches 300 degrees+ or if the current going to the element causes the wire to heat to over 300 degrees. I am trying to determine how it senses the temperature of the cabinet. Please see my previous post in my thread (which you responded to). Also I am not trying to be argumentative just trying to understand.

John, the thermal fuse is clipped against the back wall of the smoker cabinet. This leads me to the conclusion that the fuse is tripped by the cabinet temperature, not by the flow of electricity through the fuse. If the fuse was tripped by the flow of electricity, there would be no need to hold the fuse in contact with the inside wall of the smoker cabinet.

cathouse willy · July 17, 2016, 10:05:00 PM

John there is a onetime fuse link and a temp sensor. The fuselink (behind the back panel) is opened when excess current heats and melts the fuse wire. the temp sensor (on the back cabinet wall) opens when the cabinet temp exceeds a set limit. I'm not sure if the temp sensor is a one time device or whether it will reset when things cool down

tskeeter · July 18, 2016, 05:31:00 PM

The button shaped temp sensor will reset. In some cases, you might need to hold an ice cube against the temp sensor to help it reset.

JohnM70 · July 20, 2016, 11:34:21 AM

Quote from: cathouse willy on July 17, 2016, 10:05:00 PM
John there is a onetime fuse link and a temp sensor. The fuselink (behind the back panel) is opened when excess current heats and melts the fuse wire. the temp sensor (on the back cabinet wall) opens when the cabinet temp exceeds a set limit. I'm not sure if the temp sensor is a one time device or whether it will reset when things cool down

John, the thermal fuse is clipped against the back wall of the smoker cabinet. This leads me to the conclusion that the fuse is tripped by the cabinet temperature, not by the flow of electricity through the fuse. If the fuse was tripped by the flow of electricity, there would be no need to hold the fuse in contact with the inside wall of the smoker cabinet.

cathouse and tskeeter thanks for the information. I ordered 2 fuses from Bradley... just because. All is working now. I did find one anomaly. I used 2 additional Maverick probes to measure the temps in different places in the cabinet. One of the probes was within 5 degrees of the PID the other was 35 degrees higher. The PID was set for 220 degrees. After thinking about this for a while I noticed that the one probe was very close to the 'foil covered brick' I use for a heat sink. When I removed the brick the temp dropped to close to the other Maverick. I also used the temp gauge on the SG. They were all very close +-7 degrees to the PID.
I think the reason the fuse broke was that I had 28lbs of pork shoulder and the one close to where the fuse is located inside back of the cabinet.Also I had 2 brick heat sinks in the cabinet. In talking with Bradley the fuse they use is set for 157C which is 314.6F and will probably hold to 350F +-.
I am thinking that I will not use the bricks as the recovery time with the 1100W is very fast not like the 500W. With the bricks close to the rear of the of the cabinet it may have caused the temp to rise because the PID probe is in front and middle of the cabinet. And the bricks did not lose much heat... just some thoughts.