PID on but no heat in element

[mattsearle]

Hi guys,

I recently started using my electric setup again after having it in storage a couple of years, so I'm hoping this is simply some kind of setting that I've forgotten about as I really can't remember much about using the PID.

I brewed last week with no issues, but today have gone to do another and the element isn't heating up.

The PID is reading the current temp, the target temp is below and the output light is on which if I remember correctly means it putting power to the element, yet the element is cold and the water isn't heating up.

Could this mean a faulty element? Or something with the PID settings? I'm hoping the latter. As I said all worked well last week.

Thanks in advance.

 

[khannon]

The PID is going to a SSR? Does the SSR have a light on? The element is plugged in/getting electricity?

 

[mattsearle]

The PID is going to a SSR? Does the SSR have a light on? The element is plugged in/getting electricity?

The element is definitely plugged in. I can't say about a light on the ssr as it's inside the panel, but guess I could take the lid off to see.

 

[Deadalus]

What does your panel look like? Did you build it yourself? I have an Inkbird PID and the out light means it is telling the element to turn on. If you have a multimeter you could test to see if the element outlet is working when the PID out light is on.

 

[Deadalus]

I had a neutral wire off on mine over the weekend. I didn't see it at first because the wire had slipped out of it's crimp ring. I looked down the lugs on the neutral bar and didn't see any missing.

 

[Deadalus]

Another thought is on my panel, which is a 30-amp panel, I have a selector switch that turns on either the HLT element or the BK element. It has a middle position though that means neither is on. The PID will still light up the out light even though the element can't receive power due to the switch being off.

 

[mattsearle]

What does your panel look like? Did you build it yourself? I have an Inkbird PID and the out light means it is telling the element to turn on. If you have a multimeter you could test to see if the element plug is working when the PID out light is on.

I got it from a friend to use whilst building a full size panel of my own. I can take pics later but it's pretty simple. Single pid, single element, on/off switch, that's it.

 

[doug293cz]

The output light on a PID only indicates that the PID thinks it is sending a "fire" signal to the SSR. It's possible for there to be a fault in the output circuits of the PID which cause no output even if the LED lights up. Similarly, the light on an SSR only tells you that the SSR is receiving a signal from the PID. It's possible for the trigger circuitry in the SSR to fail such that the light will come on but the SSR won't turn on. More common is for the SSR to get latched on, in which case the SSR light will be off, but the SSR will actually be on.

It is for the reasons above that I always include an "element firing light" in my designs. This light is wired in parallel with the power leads to the element. If this light comes on, then the SSR is on, if the light is off, then the SSR is off. There is a quirk however, in that the indicator only works correctly when the element is connected. With the element disconnected, the indicator will light up just from the leakage current thru the SSR - it is normal for an SSR to leak a small amount of current. With the element plugged in, it's low resistance basically shunts all of the leakeage current, so the voltage drop across the indicator lamp isn't enough to turn it on.

As far as the OP's issue: if the PID output light is on, then it is not likely the failure to heat is caused by a PID setting mistake.

Diagnosis should first look at whether the element has gone open or high resistance. The element resistance should be equal to rated voltage squared divided by the rated power (V^2/P). For example an element rated at 5500W @ 240V has a resistance of about 240^2 / 5500 = 10.5 ohms. Then check to make sure that both element leads are still securely connected to the power wires, and the power wires are still connected securely in the control panel.

If the above checks out, the measure the voltage between the two power leads to the element when the PID light is on. The measure voltage should be just slightly less than the line voltage incoming to the controller.

Brew on

 

[Deadalus]

Could be a loose connection on the element cord as another possibility, since you were moving it around some. I have connections inside a junction box mounted on the keggle that the cord connects with the element plus the plug end is DIY.