My 2 PID 2 SSR control panel build

Hey everybody. I finished up my control panel build and have tested it as working in every way I can until I have elements in the kettles. I've previously built more than 5 control panels for a glass studio I used to own and my keezer and ferm chamber so was pretty used to working with ssr's and whtanot. I didn't even let out any magic smoke when I fired it up for testing!

I designed so that I could fire up to two 5500 watt elements at the same time, if I need to. I figured it was just a bit more layout at the beginning to not be mad that I hadn't done it later. I'm going to go with 4500 watt elements, at least initially to give the system more headroom. I can always change the elements later.

It's going to be a 3 tier setup with a 10 gallon e hot liquor tank, a 13 gallon cooler MLT and a 15 gallon keggle. I haver a pump and plate chiller that I'll use to cool the wort and pump it into the fermenters.

My power routing is - into the case as 6/3 from the spa panel into the neutral and ground terminal blocks and into the 50 amp contactor for the two hots. From the main contactor into a red and black terminal block. From the terminal blocks, I split out the two hots into (2) 25 amp dual pole DIN mount circuit breakers and (1) 15 amp single pole DIN breaker. The 15 amp fed the 120V bus and the (2) 25 amp CB's fed into their own 40 amp contactor controlled by simple spst toggle switches - I really like being able to positively kill a circuit that is controlled by SSR's. The contactors feed to the outlet with one leg broken (controlled) by the (40 amp external heatsink from Auber) SSR on the way there. I also utilized PJ's estop circuit and it works flawlessly.

The 3 fuses are the estop circuit, the PID's and the individual circuit contactors and they are all 1 amp fast blow fuses. The PID's are Auber 2352's and I ordered the LED indicator lights from Mcmaster, I went with 120V LED's and they all seem to work fine, even the element firing indicator lights. Yay!

I don't really have a circuit diagram, but it is certainly based on PJ's published stuff here and looking at other builds. I just wired it one sub-circuit at a time and worked my way out by doing the big power stuff first, then the control wiring and outlets and finally hooking up the PID's and temperature sensors last.

layout of the internal components first


then figure out layout of the door components so there is easy room for everything


I changed it up a bit before I did the final cutting of the box. I'm pretty happy with the layout. It would have been neat to use DIN terminal blocks as the power distribution busses, but I went with terminal blocks as they are what I knew.

Here's the finished face - not powered


here's the connector layout at the bottom of the panel


Here's the finished door wiring - it's hard to keep it neat and circuit board looking! I went through almost (2) 100 packs of 4" zip ties and I'm sure my layout could have been smoother, but I did what I could.


Here's 2 views of the finished wiring in the enclosure



Please ask any question you may have.

Thanks to everybody here for all of your helpful posts! I spent MANY hours researching before I started my build and found many great ideas here.

Now I need to replace a rotten out basement window with a glass block window with exhaust ports and then put the elements in my kettles and I'm rockin'!

BSD

Hi BSD,
congrats on finishing up the panel, and providing the detailed pics with text. It looks great! I'm just about ready to start wiring up a similar box. I know that you said you don't have a wiring diagram, so please help with a few questions regarding more particulars on your main input.

On your primary 50A contactor, what's the coil? 120V? And how are you wiring the control switch? Are you teeing off one of the two hot inputs, to go through the switch?

If it's a 240V coil, then I imagine you're teeing off both input leads to a double pole single through switch?

This main on/off switch that controls the power to the panel always seems to be missing from the wiring diagrams I've been seeing in these forums. They always include the PJ E-stop circuitry, which is simply great, and I plan on using that as well. What size resistors did you end up using for the e-stop circuit? Two 1 kohm in line?

Also, where are you taking the hot for your 120V element indicator lights? Just from the output side of the SSR, or the hot side of your SPST switch? I've read about some leakage through circuits causing some indicator lights to be on when an element isn't in place? Still trying to nail that side down before I start cutting wires.

Thanks, nhwrecker

How big is your enclosure?

nhwrecker said:

Hi BSD,
congrats on finishing up the panel, and providing the detailed pics with text. It looks great! I'm just about ready to start wiring up a similar box. I know that you said you don't have a wiring diagram, so please help with a few questions regarding more particulars on your main input.

On your primary 50A contactor, what's the coil? 120V? And how are you wiring the control switch? Are you teeing off one of the two hot inputs, to go through the switch?

Yes, I took the hot for powering the 120V contactor coil off the feed side of the same contactor, through the switch and then through the coil. In this case I used the black, but that is completely arbitrary, of course.

If it's a 240V coil, then I imagine you're teeing off both input leads to a double pole single through switch?

This main on/off switch that controls the power to the panel always seems to be missing from the wiring diagrams I've been seeing in these forums. They always include the PJ E-stop circuitry, which is simply great, and I plan on using that as well. What size resistors did you end up using for the e-stop circuit? Two 1 kohm in line?

yes. I used the inline 1 amp fuse too, as I bought 3 when I was at Radio Shack buying the resistors so why not.

Also, where are you taking the hot for your 120V element indicator lights? Just from the output side of the SSR, or the hot side of your SPST switch? I've read about some leakage through circuits causing some indicator lights to be on when an element isn't in place? Still trying to nail that side down before I start cutting wires.

I am indeed taking the hot from the switched side of the SSR. I also read about the current leakage after I ordered the parts but seem to have no problems. When the SSR is firing, the light glows, when it isn't, it's dark. I figured I already had them, so I'd wire 'em up and if I needed to replace them, I'd do that later. They work so I don't have to do that. Yay!

Thanks, nhwrecker

Click to expand...

Sure!

BSD

cyberbackpacker said:

How big is your enclosure?

Click to expand...

16" by 12" by about 6 1/2" which, with the back plate gives about 6" clearance inside.

I'd definitely want a bigger box if I were to add anything else. I picked this one up new/old stock on ebay for like $65, I think.

BSD

Would you mind sharing you wiring diagram?

joshuansanders said:

Would you mind sharing you wiring diagram?

Click to expand...

I don't have one. It's based on the work of PJ and a lot of others here, but I don't have the software to draw it out. It's pretty straight forward and logical though, if you know electricity. My power routing description tells it all.

6/3 cord in from 50 amp spa panel (also wired with 6/3 and a 50 amp breaker in the main panel) to main contactor (50 amp from auber switched from input side) to bus bars to DIN circuit breakers to switched contactors (40 amp from auber - 1 per element circuit) to SSR ( 40 amp with external heat sink from auber - break only one hot leg - 1 SSR per circuit) to each L6-30 outlet.

The SSR's are controlled by the auber 2352's, the indicator lights are 120V LED's from mcmaster and are wired in parallel to what they are indicating. I used PJ's estop circuit and I have 2 switched 120V outlets for wort pump and air pump (for HLT). I have the RTD's set up with the quick disconect panel mounts from Auber with the 8' stainless braided RTD cables they offer as an upgrade with the RTD's.

Hope that helps.

BSD