Home of the BrewNosers

Been almost a year getting parts together but I was finally able to test my panel with a 4500W element, it's been quite the learning process...when I closed the breaker the first time the Fotek relay fused in the closed position to power was going to the outlet all the time. For the time being I just unplugged the socket to maintain temperature - I've got a couple Auber 40A SSR's coming. To cut power to the entire panel I did install a wimpy DPST toggle switch, which promptly melted, shorted, and cost me two fuses...the guys at Jentronics had a laugh at that. Melted plastic stinks...

It did heat up almost 9 gallons in a short amount of time though.

From what I've read so far a PID with a manual control is req'd for the BK so I've got the MYPID TD4 coming, but the REX C100's (w/ SSR output) seem to give accurate readings with a K-type tc. The Auber PID's are a little cost prohibitive.

I did pull one bonehead move and dry-fired my element...oops...started to smell 'hot' right away. Didn't seem to damage it - I did get the Camco ULWD that resists dry-firing.

It was my first all-grain attempt and it was a lot of fun (many thanks to MG for being my sherpa on this first time...)

Onward and upwards I s'pose.

Man, be careful! You put 220v through a household switch? That's crazy, you could die from that.

Do you have any contactors in your panel? These are like big relays with a 110v control coil for 22v load. Using them lets your panel facing switches all be 110v. I have one contactor for my power in / main switch, and one for the element.

Definitely second Rob's contactor suggestion. With the element on you are putting ~20amps through that switch, you really have to make sure it's rated for that kind of load. By using a contactor just the load of the contactor coil goes through the switch. I use a contactor for power in as well as the element. In the case of an SSR failure the contactor lets you safely kill power to the element.

"From what I've read so far..."

I am building a panel too, and am making a paint of running every decision and every actual bit of wiring by an engineer (I am lucky enough to work at a university, but we've got a load on this forum). This stuff is way too dangerous to poke around on the Internet and do by trial and error.

jason.loxton wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:42 am

"From what I've read so far..."

I am building a panel too, and am making a paint of running every decision and every actual bit of wiring by an engineer (I am lucky enough to work at a university, but we've got a load on this forum). This stuff is way too dangerous to poke around on the Internet and do by trial and error.

Agreed, there is an electrical inspector in the office who I've been annoying for the past year.

MarkPower wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:28 am

Definitely second Rob's contactor suggestion. With the element on you are putting ~20amps through that switch, you really have to make sure it's rated for that kind of load. By using a contactor just the load of the contactor coil goes through the switch. I use a contactor for power in as well as the element. In the case of an SSR failure the contactor lets you safely kill power to the element.

I'll chalk up my decision as momentary idiocy...I've got fuses everywhere so those were the only things (in addition to the switch) I lost.

I should've looked at something closer to this to kill the power to the panel.

http://www.leviton.com/en/products/3032-2

Hey, I didn't look through any other posts here, do you have any GFCI protection on here? That would be my first concern with a big stainless steel pot full of water haha

Yillis wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:10 pm

Hey, I didn't look through any other posts here, do you have any GFCI protection on here? That would be my first concern with a big stainless steel pot full of water haha

Yes sir, 40A GFCI breaker on the board.