Auber 4342 PID Rims for dummies

I am posting this for anyone that has had issues with this controller and the RIMS for dummies thread found elsewhere on this website. I followed the rfd setup only to find out that the 4342 PID will not run a solid state relay. The only deviance from the original plans was that I used a 25 amp SSR instead of the 20 amp SSR shown.
After a few emails with the Auber customer service, the lady got me down the right track, which is that the PID can run an element as long as it is under 10 amps. Otherwise you need a 4352 PID for an SSR setup.

This isn't intended to bash the Rims for dummies setup, but I am a complete newb when it comes to electronics and I wanted to put this out there for any other idiots like me.

Major props to the customer service at Auber. They were helping me via email throughout the weekend and were both knowledgeable and patient.

I'll post pics of my setup once I get it running, should be in a couple days.

Any reason why Solid State Relays are recommended, versus a mechanical(?) relay? I had an electrical engineer tell me that SSRs can fail, and when they do it is often in the closed mode - which means an overheated element.

Any electrical whiz who can comment on this?

Some comments on other threads are that a SSR usually fails in closed position leaving the element on. Many recommend mechanical above 25 amps due to heat in the SSR. SSR can switch faster if you are using a PWM. High amp (+20amps) SSR seems to be less expensive than a contactor.
Possibly noise from mechanical if you are controlling something running 24/7?

ArrowHead said:

Any reason why Solid State Relays are recommended, versus a mechanical(?) relay? I had an electrical engineer tell me that SSRs can fail, and when they do it is often in the closed mode - which means an overheated element.

Any electrical whiz who can comment on this?

Click to expand...

When a PID adjusts the power output it does so by cycling on and off at high frequency. Mechanical relays are not built to withstand that frequency of switching.

The electrical engineer is correct that SSRs can fail closed. Many will place a mechanical relay between the SSR and the heating element, operated by a switch on the control panel. When the switch is turned off you know you have no power to the element.

I am no electrical whiz, but that should sum it up.

More good news. As I stated earlier, the claim was that the pid could handle loads up to 10 amps. Well, the element runs at 6.83 amps and it still melted a hole in the side of the pid controller. I guess it could not handle the heat. Now I have the 4352 controller and it runs fine through the ssr and no melted parts (yet). I will say that I went for the programmable version and it was a waste of money. Trying to figure out how to program one of those things has been giving me fits.