ok, so here is my wiring schematic. please let me know if you see any glaring errors or possible fixes. I would like to NOT die in the process of building this thing
haha, wow, in my tiredness i did make the 3rd PID go to the pump, wow.......
alright, ok so to clarify, PID #1 will control the HLT, PID #2 will act as a temp sensor for the mashtun (not shown in diagram, i will update sometime today) and PID #3 will control the kettle.
seriously though, thanks for pointing out my dumb mistake, funny part is i showed thed diagram to one of my electricians here at work tonight to double check it and the he didnt catch my mistake either, lol
alright so between the 2 topics i have going i've decided to change my power source from 20a to 30a (dryer outlet) and rework the wiring drawing i had. Here is the new one
Looking good.
A few things,
There is no neutral at your heating elements. The only place you'll use the neutral is at the pump (Or any other 110v stuff) The elements only need both "Hot" wires, and ground.
(Check your manual, of course) But you can power the PIDs with 110v or 220v. I don't see the neutral going to your PIDs so I'm assuming you just forgot to draw it in. So you can either wire them to the two Hot's, or carry the neutral to each one for 110v.
As a matter of fact, if you get a 220v pump, you won't need the neutral at all, and can use a 3-wire plug, and cheaper 3-wire cable.
Looks like you're on the right track though!
since i already have a 2000W element i think i will use it for the HLT and i will get a 3500W or maybe 4000W for the kettle. For the kettle, someone on another thread i had going made a very good point in stating, that "you need your kettle to boil, so there is no real need for a PID to control it", if i do a 3500W element it should be more than enough to keep a 5gal batch boiling (without scortching) and it will be as simple as let it run at 100%.
Or is my electrical knowledge incorrect in thinking i can use 2 SSR's for the kettle without a PID? And can you explain to me what a PWM circuit is? i've read about it online but i dont see how i would incorporate this into my panel
Thanks!
ok so here is my next question, if i do add the PID for the kettle do i have to connect it to both SSR's? and the same question goes for the HLT?
ok so here is the new diagram:
I still don't fully get how the PID controls the SSR's, or maybe i'm confused on how an SSR works.
Is the following correct: the switch will cut off power to both SSR's (either for the kettle or HLT), BUT the PID is what provides the small electrical currect which actually closes the "gate" which will let the 110V current flow through the SSR to the elements.
If thats the case then whats the purpose of having manual switches? OR is there a way to wire it so that the elements are only controlled manually by the switch and the PID is used almost solely as a temp sensor?
sorry about all the questions
ok i think i have it figured out now, i will post my new drawing in the next couple day. i've eliminated the dual ssr's, since if one fails, things could go BOOM! which is something i would like to avoid.
what i will do is have the wire come in from the dryer plug and connect to the e-stop and terminals as before. Then 2 sets of hot wires will go to 2 separate DPDT's and then onto the elements. The DPDT's will be actuated by the use of 120V selector switched which will allow the coil to energize and "close" allowing energy to pass onto the elements. for now i'll just my primitive thermometer to measure the temp in my vessels and once i have some more cash i will add the PID's
Second - You can't trigger an SSR with 120 volts
It looks pretty good, with a few suggestions...
- Get a double-pole switch on your pain power input - Switching both the hot and the neutral isn't necessary, but it is a good idea.
Just curious, why is this an improvement? The neutral is completely harmless if your not wiring a gasoline pump...
True - But I like to...
It's just comforting to know that no matter what, when I turn off the switch there's nothing connected to the load.
Just personal preference, and DP costs about $2 more than SP...
...and DP costs about $2 more than SP...
ok so i think i finally have all the parts i need to get phase 1 completed, i'm planning on working on this tomorrow and friday morning.
I do have a question tho, i have read about TTHN wire being used inside of panels, how does this differ from the Carol 10/3 or 10/4 wire i have purchased from home depot? Can i just use extra wire i have, discard the rubber outer coating and insulation and use the inner; hot(red), hot(black), nuetral(white) and ground (green) for my internal wiring as well?
Also, when wiring a DPST do i need to connect a neutral to the coil? I understand that i need the 2 hot wire's going in and then 2 going out. There will be a 3rd hot wire which will actuate the coil to close the circuit, for this third hot wire, i would assume that a neutral would be necessary again to complete the circuit, correct?
i'm planning on using the dpdt as a "switch". Similar to a SSR, a DPDT needs some sort of signal to close the circuit. In the case of a SSR this is a 12VDC signal from the PID (or some other source). For a DPDT you have a coil which is rated to a certain voltage, when that voltage is applied to the coil, and electromagnetic reaction occurs which closes the circuit. The contactors to which the 2 hot wired are connected close and allow the current to pass through into the element.
My question has to do with the voltage i am applying to the coil. It will be supplied with a 120V hot wire, since my coil requires 120Vac to close. My question is, do i need a neutral wire on the other end of the coil going back to the terminal block?
Stage #1: elements to be controlled manualy through the use of 2 allan bradley selector switches.
ClaudiusB: As for the e-stop, i'm rethinking the way i have that set up, my electricians at work pointed out the same issue to me, so i'm not quite sure how i will change that up. any suggestions?
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