Troubleshooting help

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tunaboatbeer

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I just got my electric setup all done and for some reason the heating element isn't getting hot. I've tested the voltage and I'm getting power to element. It's a 5500 watt element running 240v. I'm using a PID and SSR and both have power and seem to be working. Is there something I'm missing? Is it possible the brand new element is bad?

thanks for the help
 
I assume you mean the water isn't getting hot.....you're not dry firing the element are you?
 
Did you ever turn the elements on before water was in the pot? I know when replacing hot water heater elements if you turn elements on without water in the water heater it could damage the heating element.

Try to post some pics of the heating elements. Might help
 
Nope, element was never dry fired. I had read all the warnings about that and was sure not to. The element itself still looks brand new. No discoloring or visible damage.

IMAG0322.jpg
 
Set the meter to the "OHM" function, and check the flow between the two screw connectors of the element: If there is a positive reading, then the circuit is "closed" and the element is fine; if there is no reading, the circuit is "open" and a new element is needed. Also, if you get a reading on your meter between either of the screw connections and the metal element, the element is shorted and must be replaced.
You should expect an approximation of the following readings on the OHM meter (give or take a little) for functioning elements:

15.5 ohms for 3500 watts
13.0 ohms for 4500 watts
10.0 ohms for 5500 watts
 
ok, I have results. When I set the ohm meter to 200 and touched the two positive element posts I got a reading of 10.6. When I would touch one positive post and the negative screw I would get a large negative reading, about -55, it fluctuated a lot. Does that mean I have a short?
 
You need to power off and disconnect wires from the element to isolate it. You do not want to use an ohm meter on a live circuit. Thats probably why you got that negative reading. Hope you didn't cook your meter.
 
If you tried to read resistance (Ohms) on a powered circuit, you may have fried your meter. Try setting your meter to ohms and short to two meter leads together and see if you get 0 ohms (or very close to it). If so, set it to AC voltage and try measuring a wall outlet for 120 VAC. If that works, maybe it's ok after all. Try a low DC Volts scale with a dry cell and see if it still reads correctly.

If all of that checks out, go back and check your element resistance with nothing connected for 10 ohms or so. If good, connect your leads and power it up with water covering the element and check for 240 VAC at the element. If good, it should be heating. If you don't have 240 VAC at your element but you DO have 120 VAC from either side to ground (or neutral), then you have a wiring or other problem.....
 
Element is fine then.

The power you are measuring at the element is probably leakage from the ssr. I would verify dc control voltage at the ssr next. Some have a little led to show power. You will of course need everything powered up for this. If you have control power and no power to element you may have a bad ssr...
 
Do you mean you read 0 ohms from one side (or both) of the element to ground? If that's the case, there's an internal problem with the element and I would think you would be tripping a GFCI or a breaker when it's powered up.
 
My ssr does have a red led lit up when powered. I wasn't sure when connecting the power wire to the ssr if it mattered which was input and which was output. Could that be the issue?
 
I'm not sure that it matters. Do you have the manual? L1 is where I have my power in connected and T1 is connected to the element.

Do you have a diagram or maybe a picture would help...
 
Here is a pic of the SSR. It came from kegkits and didn't include a manual. I have the power going in to 1 and 2 goes to the element.

ssr pic.jpg
 
I tried switching the terminals on the SSR and still nothing! Everything seems to be getting power, but still no heat. Anything else I can test? Could it be some setting on the PID? I have it set to heat to 150 and it shows a temperature reading of 63, so it should be heating.
 
I'm thinking it's your ssr. You could bypass it to make sure your element works.

Have you tested the control voltage and polarity at the ssr terminals and pid? Make sure all is right there. Since you're getting a light on the ssr, I think you're ok. Check your pid parameters just in case.

A pic of the wiring may help...
 
ok, I have results. When I set the ohm meter to 200 and touched the two positive element posts I got a reading of 10.6. When I would touch one positive post and the negative screw I would get a large negative reading, about -55, it fluctuated a lot. Does that mean I have a short?

The elements are good.
 
Well, we need to see more since the SSR really sin't in the picture. Maybe you could tilt the camera from where you took that pic so we can see how the control circuit is wired up.

Maybe you draw a schematic and post that?
 
That looks very simple and should be easy to spot a problem. As Stlbeer suggested, a pic showing all the terminals will help greatly.

Is your feed L1, L2 and equipment ground? It looks like you are tied to black and green to supply power to the pid. I would power the pid at 240v from black and white because a gfi upstream may not like the pid current to ground. I doubt that is the reason for your problem though.
 
It looks like you are switching a SSR with an SSR output PID controller. I suspect you don't need the remote SSR.
What are the specs on the PID?
 
Here is a pic of the SSR wiring and the diagram I used. The PID is getting power from the white power wire. The black power wire runs thru the SSR. The PID is a CXTG-3000. It's rated for 100 VAC to 240 VAC. The diagram is for a slightly different PID terminal configuration. Thanks again guys for all the help. I really appreciate it!

ssr wiring.jpg


diagram.jpg
 
right the PID terminals in the diagram are not the same as the actual PID. Here is the diagram from the PID manual. 1 and 2 are power. 6 and 7 are SSR. 7, 8 and 9 are RTD probe. Sorry for all the confusion

PID wiring.jpg
 
What does the DC voltage measure at pins 6 & 7 on the pid? Are you sure the polarity of these match the polarity of the ssr input? If that's not it, I'm going back to a bad SSR.
 
Here is a pic of the SSR. It came from kegkits and didn't include a manual. I have the power going in to 1 and 2 goes to the element.

This is Tom from kegkits.

Because the load is AC, the hookup direction to the load side does not matter. Like all SSRs, the control voltage polarity does matter & the two terminals are marked + and -.

And BTW, all ACV, zero switching SSRs are wired the same way.
 
The diagram in post #28 appears to show the hot line running thru the SSR first, then to the terminal block. Is that how it is wired?

Hot 1 & Hot 2 need to go the terminal block first, then distributed from there to different points such as the PID and SSR.

Or am I reading the diagram wrong?
 
The diagram in post #28 appears to show the hot line running thru the SSR first, then to the terminal block. Is that how it is wired?

Hot & nuetral need to go the terminal block first, then distributed from there to different points such as the PID and SSR.

Or am I reading the diagram wrong?

The cord goes from the wall outlet directly to the terminal block. Everything is connected from there
 
The cord goes from the wall outlet directly to the terminal block. Everything is connected from there

Ok, I just can't see where the 2 power lines to your PID are coming from - I see the one small red wire coming off the main white, but don't see the other power line coming off the main black.

These guys know more than I do tho, I'm sure you'll get it figured out.
 
Here is what I would do. MAKE SURE POWER IS UNPLUGGED, then hook the cord connections right to the heating element. Plug back in. If element heats it is working, if it doesnt, it isnt. Check for voltage going to element, to check if it threw a breaker. This will eliminate the element as a variable.
 
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