Will this cheap 3500 watt induction burner work?

[brewguyver]

Awesome Kyle, glad you got things up and running :rockin:

Out of curiosity what kettle are you using?

It's a bru-gear 10 gallon pro-boiler. I'm pretty happy with it so far (got that and a 14 gallon conical from their kickstarter for 550). I have noticed a little bottom warping and some of the center ring deposits others have called out. I'll be keeping an eye on that and reporting back.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Eric, have you had this problem again? Or anyone else?

Asking because mine blew yesterday and I'm worried that it's an indication that there's something else wrong. Once you replaced the fuse did it continue to work as before?

I also have a question about the fuse. I had a 15 amp fuse at home and just replaced the old one and am doing a test boil. Not up to a boil yet, but it appears to be fine. What I'm worried about is that the fuse on the left is the original and the one on the right is what I used to replace it. They are very different, but I don't know enough about fuses to know what that difference is. Anyone?

Just a standard slow blow 15A fuse.

What strikes me about the picture, though (if it is the fuse in question) is that if you notice there's no carbon tracking on the fuse tube, which would indicate a fast blow or over-current situation. This fuse is still relatively okay, other than it's open, which would mean that it's a fatigue blow and indicative of a fuse that's close to it's operating limit and being repeatedly cycled - which considering if you're trying to draw an actual 3500W out of a 15A, 240VAC circuit you're bang on the edge of the fuse's rating. You should never uprate a fuse to protect the downstream electronics, but with a NEMA 6-20P plug (20A) on the unit itself, I'd feel comfortable uprating the fuse to 18A, which would get it off the fuse's current limit, so to speak.

TLDR, Replace the fuse with another slowblow and continue using it, but be aware that cycling the unit at max power will degrade the life of the fuse as listed.

Makes me wonder what they put in my 1800W unit, I'll bet you money it's a 15A also.

 

[AnOldUR]

Replace the fuse with another slowblow and continue using it, but be aware that cycling the unit at max power will degrade the life of the fuse as listed.

I was having trouble locating a 15amp 250V slowblow fuse locally. Even on-line the closest I could find to the original was a 15amp 250V Ceramic-Tube, Time Delay from McMaster-Carr. I couldn't find a lot of information about the difference between the glass and ceramic tube. Also only guessing that time delay is the same as slowblow?

 

[sumbrewindude]

They're really close - they do about the same thing, where some versions of the time delay fuse can be specifically ordered to allow a certain amount of inrush current for things like motors/ballists/high capacitance/etc - anything with a high surge current that will stabilize at a lower current after the initial inrush is done.

The underlying concern here, IMO, is that the fuse had a fatigue failure which would indicate that the fuse's maximum rating is at the edge of the working current of the unit. It'll blow again, when I'm not sure as the current load and ambient temp in the unit will effect that lifespan, but there's not a doubt in my mind that it will.

 

[AnOldUR]

It'll blow again, when I'm not sure as the current load and ambient temp in the unit will effect that lifespan, but there's not a doubt in my mind that it will.

A kind of disclaimer here. I did do something stupid. I tried using an induction diffusion plate to even out the heat on my thin walled Bayou kettle. The Avantco threw out an over temperature error and stopped working after about 10 minutes, but recovered once it cooled down. Sent the diffusion plate back to Amazon. The fuse blew a few days after that, 10 minutes into the boil using just the kettle. Do you think using the plate earlier could have caused the fuses to weaken?

 

[sumbrewindude]

A kind of disclaimer here. I did do something stupid. I tried using an induction diffusion plate to even out the heat on my thin walled Bayou kettle. The Avantco threw out an over temperature error and stopped working after about 10 minutes, but recovered once it cooled down. Sent the diffusion plate back to Amazon. The fuse blew a few days after that, 10 minutes into the boil using just the kettle. Do you think using the plate earlier could have caused the fuses to weaken?

Completely possible. It probably was trying to heat both items and the draw through the unit was enough to stress or weaken the fuse which lead to it's demise later when you tried to run it full bore with just the pot. The fact it went into alarm should tell you that the hob saw it was taking on too much current and heating itself up beyond safe working margins so it shut it self down.

Those diffusion plates are bad news. I'm in the camp that thinks that thin wall pots are better for boiling in than thick bottom pots when it comes to induction. Only down side is that you'll get the scum ring on the bottom of the pot because that's where it's hottest. The thicker tri-clads offer a more uniform heat distribution, but I'm not sold on the fact that they boil faster.

Energy in/energy out, the thicker the bottom you'll loose some of that energy to heating the aluminum sandwich instead of dumping that heat immediately into the medium (water).

Everyone's got an opinion - that's mine.

 

[jasone]

I bought this Induction burner a week ago and brewed a Northern English Brown with it, it boiled 8 Gal of wort at a decent boil..it wasn't vigorous but it worked none the less. I used my MoreBeer brew kettle with it and it worked great.

 

[AnOldUR]

Everyone's got an opinion - that's mine.

Before buying my Avantco back in the beginning of 2012, I did some research and came to the same conclusion, that thin wall was actually better for induction efficiency than clad. The trouble I've had is that the "scum ring on the bottom of the pot" can turn to black scorch with a high rye content.

Hopefully one last question. There's disk above the induction coil inside the hob. It contacts a large fiberglass looking plate in the top when assembled. There's what looks like thermal paste at the contact point. Should new paste be applied before re-assembly?

Curious what the purpose of the grease is. Could it be there for heat transfer for the over heat sensor? Or is there another reason it's there.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Curious what the purpose of the grease is. Could it be there for heat transfer for the over heat sensor? Or is there another reason it's there.

That's my understanding of the circuit - that would be the sensor to approximate the temp of the pot/plate for that mode of the unit. The thermal paste is just the conductive coupler for the sensor. I'm not sure I'd worry about applying more grease if you've got a good gob on it. Be careful with that piece, though, it's plastic and has a very light spring in it - all the heat from use makes it brittle and it will break up into a mess if you booger around with it too much.

AFA the scorching, I can see where that would be an issue - is it happening on the recirc or during boil? I've had issues with rye also, but I've never scorched a batch.

 

[AnOldUR]

AFA the scorching, I can see where that would be an issue - is it happening on the recirc or during boil? I've had issues with rye also, but I've never scorched a batch.

At first I thought to was from recirculating while whirlpooling after the boil. I was setting the induction hob temperature to hold 170 degrees during a 45 minute hop stand. When it would cycle on, I could here a bubbling noise which I took to be the source of the scorching. But for my last rye beer, I didn't apply any heat during the hop stand and still got the scorching, so it mush have developed during the boil. This is never a problem when I've brewed with grain bills of barley or even up to 50% wheat. Only rye.

Something that I'm sure is contributing to the problem is that I use a false bottom in my boil kettle to eliminate draining problems when using whole hops (see my avatar). It's got to be concentrating the heat under the false bottom during boiling.

 

[sumbrewindude]

That could be - not necessarily concentrating the heat per say, but preventing the protein/trub laden wort from circulating as well through the pot and trapping it near the pot/element. It can't escape and move with the rest of the wort to disperse evenly through the boil, so it collects and gets trapped, and scorches.

Any chance you could remove the false bottom and use a hop spider/sack for a rye batch and see if that clears the issue?

 

[The_Bishop]

I'd be willing to bet that removing the false bottom will remedy the scorching problem.

 

[Siberian]

If others want to prevent a blown fuse should we just not run it at 3500 watts? Or does that really have no affect?

No effect. Mine has 36 batches on it now, I've never blown a fuse. It runs at 3500w for 90 minutes+ on most batches. A few batches it's ran long enough the automatic shutdown has occurred and I've had to fire it back up again by hand.

I'd say if it happened it might have something more to do with the power coming into the unit (how clean your grid power is), other potential draws on the same circuit, or something defective with the unit (if it blows fuses repeatedly).

 

[tmendick]

If the receptacle is 30A, they should have used 10-2 wire. More than enough. If you have room in your panel, replace the 30A 120V breaker with a 20A 240V breaker and change the wall receptacle to a 20A 240V (NEMA 6-20R). Make sure there is nothing else on the circuit!

I don't know if you consider this work to be "easy-ish"? :cross:

What would happen if I used a 2 pole 30a breaker?

Also is a 120v/240v breaker what I'm looking for? I can't seem to find one that is strictly 240.

 

[fbold1]

What would happen if I used a 2 pole 30a breaker?

Also is a 120v/240v breaker what I'm looking for? I can't seem to find one that is strictly 240.

Nothing wrong with a 30 amp breaker as long as you are using #10 wire.
A 120 v breaker is a single breaker and a 240 v breaker is a double breaker with the arms attached.

 

[AnOldUR]

Nothing wrong with a 30 amp breaker as long as you are using #10 wire.

Will it work? Sure, but if the receptacle is the 20 amp NEMA 6-20R that this induction hob uses, you should have a 20 amp breaker in the panel.

 

[jeffmeh]

Will it work? Sure, but if the receptacle is the 20 amp NEMA 6-20R that this induction hob uses, you should have a 20 amp breaker in the panel.

Isn't the induction unit internally fused? If so, I wouldn't be concerned about running it on a 30a circuit.

 

[AnOldUR]

oops

 

[fbold1]

Isn't the induction unit internally fused? If so, I wouldn't be concerned about running it on a 30a circuit.

All equipment must have its own protective device, you certainly can't rely on the breaker in the main panel to protect each appliance that is connected to that circuit, it is sized to protect the wire. Lets say that you try connecting two 120 v. 1500 watt toasters to a 20 amp circuit, it will exceed the rating of the wire and trip the breaker.

 

[jeffmeh]

All equipment must have its own protective device, you certainly can't rely on the breaker in the main panel to protect each appliance that is connected to that circuit, it is sized to protect the wire. Lets say that you try connecting two 120 v. 1500 watt toasters to a 20 amp circuit, it will exceed the rating of the wire and trip the breaker.

The question here was whether it was safe to run the 20a induction cooker on a 30a circuit. My response was basically, yes, assuming the induction cooker has its own fuse or breaker that will trip in an overcurrent situation above 20a, as the breaker will not protect it until it gets above 30a.

 

[fbold1]

The question here was whether it was safe to run the 20a induction cooker on a 30a circuit. My response was basically, yes, assuming the induction cooker has its own fuse or breaker that will trip in an overcurrent situation above 20a, as the breaker will not protect it until it gets above 30a.

I was just agreeing with you in my own awkward way.

 

[trussell]

All equipment must have its own protective device, you certainly can't rely on the breaker in the main panel to protect each appliance that is connected to that circuit, it is sized to protect the wire. Lets say that you try connecting two 120 v. 1500 watt toasters to a 20 amp circuit, it will exceed the rating of the wire and trip the breaker.

Yes, breakers exist to protect the building wiring from overcurrent and thus over heating. They do not protect the devices connected to the wiring.

 

[jeffmeh]

Yes, breakers exist to protect the building wiring from overcurrent and thus over heating. They do not protect the devices connected to the wiring.

Unless, you have a device with wire and components rated to, say, 20a, on a 20a or less breaker, in which case it protects both. So I think it fair to say that a breaker must be sized correctly to protect the house wire, and that may or may not be sufficient to protect a specific device.

 

[borealis]

Anybody ever get the E03 error code? I finally wired up an extension cord to be able to plug into my dryer outlet and when I turn it on I get that code. The manual says "temporary voltage overload." I wonder if it something I did wiring or if plugging it into the dryer outlet is not going to work.

 

[Weezy]

Was there a pot on it when you got the code?

 

[borealis]

Yes.

 

[Weezy]

Eh, I thought I remembered getting that code w/o a pot. Maybe it was E08.
Do you get the code w/o the extension cord? If not maybe check you're handy work o. The cord.

 

[borealis]

Is there any way that the wiring of the extension cord could cause this? Or is it a problem inside the burner?

 

[AnOldUR]

Have a meter? Check voltage coming from the end of your extension plug. 120V from each hot to the ground socket. 240V across the hot sockets.

 

[borealis]

No, I unfortunately do not have a meter. Is that the best way to figure out what went wrong? I could probably get my hands on one.
What would be the cause of the error?

 

[IslandLizard]

+1 to the meter.
Harbor Freight nearby ($3-$7)? Or a friend or neighbor?

If there's no cookware on it, or it's not magnetic (enough) it keeps beeping when you turn in on. I have an 18/10 SS skillet that won't work.

 

[borealis]

Got it figured out! Thanks for the help. Tested it out and it worked great. Hoping to brew tomorrow!

 

[IslandLizard]

Got it figured out! Thanks for the help. Tested it out and it worked great. Hoping to brew tomorrow!

Well, what was the problem? Not just curious, it may help the next person to troubleshoot.

 

[borealis]

Great point. I followed the unclear, black and white directions that came with the plug I was wiring and accidentally put the ground wire in the wrong place. So the wiring was not properly aligned from one end to the other. I googled "wiring 220v extension cord" and there were a lot of useful images that were much more clear than the instruction sheet from the plug. Easy as that. Just wish I did it right the first time.

Maris otter / citra SMASH tomorrow...

 

[nutty_gnome]

So.. I've got a 16 inch diameter 10 gallon tri-clad pot that is magnetic. Do I need to build a U-shaped wooden frame to keep the weight of the pot off of the Avanti? How are people using these with larger pots? What diameter is so big that you can't reach the control buttons?

How long is the cord? The Spec sheet doesn't say....

 

[IslandLizard]

So.. I've got a 16 inch diameter 10 gallon tri-clad pot that is magnetic. Do I need to build a U-shaped wooden frame to keep the weight of the pot off of the Avanti? How are people using these with larger pots? What diameter is so big that you can't reach the control buttons?

How long is the cord? The Spec sheet doesn't say....

I have both 8 and 15 gallon pots that overhang by a few inches. They work fine without extra support. The pot actually rests on the stainless frame, not on the glass. I can still get to the controls.

The actual heating area from induction is about 6" in diameter, and spreads out from there.

Try empty or with a quart of water at a low setting, and check the outside bottom for blistering or discoloring (bluing) after a short period (10-20 seconds). Increase the wattage and repeat each time until you're confident the bottom is solid and good. One person showed a blister forming after a while. That was one isolated incident, probably a manufacturing fault.

 

[phyllobeddo]

Wow. Can't believe I haven't seen this thread yet. Or maybe I did and just forgot about it?! My memory is terrible at times seems like.

I bought an Avantco IC3500 a while back with intention to install it in the basement and brew in front of a window. I have a sub panel in the basement that is rated at 60 amps (per an electrician that was doing some work in the basement recently). Last week I bought 250' of 12/2 Romex to wire it out. I measured from the sub panel to the spot where I am going to install the 3500 and it's 73 feet. I plan to add a few 110 outlets at the same time, on a separate breaker, so I'm hoping the 250 ft of Romex will cover everything. Most of my basement is unfinished, so I can easily tack the wiring to the floor joists, with a staple gun maybe. Also, I still have to buy an outlet for the 3500 as well as a few feet of conduit for the run down the wall to the outlet. It's just a matter of finding time to do it at this point.

I started this thread a while back as well. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/another-help-me-my-basement-brewery-thread-509359/

It seems that all my question may have been answered by reading this thread. I am in the process of reading this whole thread now, but it seems that I should be good with a 20A two pole circuit breaker, X number of feet of 12/2, and the appropriate outlet mounted on the wall with some conduit mounted on the wall as well. I plan to use a box fan for exhaust while I boil in front of the window. I'll just have to make some test runs to find out how well the exhaust fan plan works.

Any thoughts, considerations, or advice before I start hanging wire?

 

[tmendick]

So I finally got everything in order; pot, IC3500, 20a 240 breaker, and outlet. I turn it on for the first time and get a E03 error (voltage overload/overheating) right away. Any suggestions, or do I need to return this bad boy?

 

[IslandLizard]

So I finally got everything in order; pot, IC3500, 20a 240 breaker, and outlet. I turn it on for the first time and get a E03 error (voltage overload/overheating) right away. Any suggestions, or do I need to return this bad boy?

Start reading from here, a few posts above, followed by the solution a bit lower.

 

[tmendick]

Stupid search bar, I tried searching e03 and got no results, should have tried error. Thanks