Broken SSR?

[Fizzycist]

After I noticed that my HLT element was always on, I checked my SSR and it was stuck always on. Even with all the power off, the power contacts showed a 2 ohm resistance, where my BK SSR was > 2000k. Is the thing just fried?

 

[byrone]

Sounds like it. Just for sanity check, disconnect all connections on the ssr then measure again. Odds are that it is no good anymore but this will confrim it.

 

[doug293cz]

Just for added info, the most common fail mode for SSR's is to get stuck in the on mode.

Brew on

 

[HBbrewing]

Sounds like it is fried. Did you use a heat sink?

 

[Fizzycist]

Yeah, it's got a heat sink with good conductive paste, and there's a small fan for the whole box. I've used it for maybe 6 batches, but the identical one for the BK has probably gone for a dozen. WTF? I'll go disconnect it and check again.

 

[Fizzycist]

Yep, same thing when disconnected. Guess I'll go order a new one. Thanks, all.

 

[doug293cz]

Yeah, it's got a heat sink with good conductive paste, and there's a small fan for the whole box. I've used it for maybe 6 batches, but the identical one for the BK has probably gone for a dozen. WTF? I'll go disconnect it and check again.

Electronics usually have a high failure rate early in their expected lifetimes. It's referred to in the industry as "infant mortality" or "early life fails." These early fails are usually due to manufacturing or materials defects, and they are what is meant to be covered by the warranty. If a device makes it past the infant mortality time/cycles frame, then it will probably last for it's expected lifetime. At the end of the expected lifetime, things start to fail due to wear out rather than defects.

So, looks like you have an early life fail for at least one of your SSR's. Not, sure what the typical early life period is for these SSR's, so don't know if the one on your BK has made it past that or not. Based on my limited reading, the cheap import SSR's seem to have a relatively high early life failure rate.

Brew on