Troubleshooting help

[stlbeer]

If so, what type probe is it? Does the display show any error codes?

 

[tunaboatbeer]

right the PID terminals in the diagram are not the same as the actual PID. Here is the diagram from the PID manual. 1 and 2 are power. 6 and 7 are SSR. 7, 8 and 9 are RTD probe. Sorry for all the confusion

 

[tunaboatbeer]

I can't tell, but is your temp probe connected?

yea, the connectors for the probe are on the back. The probe is a Liquid tight PT100 RTD temperature sensor. No errors on the PID. Temp reads fine.

 

[lschiavo]

What does the DC voltage measure at pins 6 & 7 on the pid? Are you sure the polarity of these match the polarity of the ssr input? If that's not it, I'm going back to a bad SSR.

 

[thargrav]

Here is a pic of the SSR. It came from kegkits and didn't include a manual. I have the power going in to 1 and 2 goes to the element.

This is Tom from kegkits.

Because the load is AC, the hookup direction to the load side does not matter. Like all SSRs, the control voltage polarity does matter & the two terminals are marked + and -.

And BTW, all ACV, zero switching SSRs are wired the same way.

 

[DustBow]

The diagram in post #28 appears to show the hot line running thru the SSR first, then to the terminal block. Is that how it is wired?

Hot 1 & Hot 2 need to go the terminal block first, then distributed from there to different points such as the PID and SSR.

Or am I reading the diagram wrong?

 

[tunaboatbeer]

Hi Tom,

I'll check the polarity of the PID control when I get home from work. Hopefully that's all it is.

 

[tunaboatbeer]

The diagram in post #28 appears to show the hot line running thru the SSR first, then to the terminal block. Is that how it is wired?

Hot & nuetral need to go the terminal block first, then distributed from there to different points such as the PID and SSR.

Or am I reading the diagram wrong?

The cord goes from the wall outlet directly to the terminal block. Everything is connected from there

 

[DustBow]

The cord goes from the wall outlet directly to the terminal block. Everything is connected from there

Ok, I just can't see where the 2 power lines to your PID are coming from - I see the one small red wire coming off the main white, but don't see the other power line coming off the main black.

These guys know more than I do tho, I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

 

[meadmazer]

Here is what I would do. MAKE SURE POWER IS UNPLUGGED, then hook the cord connections right to the heating element. Plug back in. If element heats it is working, if it doesnt, it isnt. Check for voltage going to element, to check if it threw a breaker. This will eliminate the element as a variable.

 

[tunaboatbeer]

Ok, I just can't see where the 2 power lines to your PID are coming from - I see the one small red wire coming off the main white, but don't see the other power line coming off the main black.

These guys know more than I do tho, I'm sure you'll get it figured out.

I do not have a wire running from the large black power wire to the PID. I only have 120 VAC going to the PID. I don't believe I need 240 VAC to it. The small black wire connects to the large green wire at the terminal for the ground going to the PID

 

[DustBow]

Ok, but I don't think the PID needs to be grounded. It needs 2 wires for power tho - either 2 hot lines for 240 or 1 hot & 1 neutral for 120.

Hopefully someone can back me up on this....

Then again you are getting some power since your PID is on and you're getting a temp reading, right?

So I could be way off....

 

[P-J]

Ok, but I don't think the PID needs to be grounded. It needs 2 wires for power tho - either 2 hot lines for 240 or 1 hot & 1 neutral for 120.

Hopefully someone can back me up on this....

Exactly. No ground.

 

[OMJ]

For this setup you should really have 4 wires coming into your box. 2 hots a neutral and a ground. Seems like you dont have a ground since you are getting power to the PID.

I think the wiring diagram you showed is based on a 120v setup but it is hard to tell without seeing the context of where it was originally posted.

 

[lschiavo]

He should be able to power the pid with 240v. Then a neutral is not needed in this system. As I said earlier, if the green is equipment ground the pid may trip a gfi upstream which I hope is part of the plan.

 

[DustBow]

But you still need both hots to power with 240 right? not just 1 and a ground?

 

[lschiavo]

But you still need both hots to power with 240 right? not just 1 and a ground?

Yes. That's correct.

 

[mimur]

I can't see a low voltage DC supply to control the SSR. The SSR you are using looks like it needs a 12VDC control supply.
Can you take a better photo of your external SSR?
The PID should also have a schematic of some sort on the side of it.

 

[tunaboatbeer]

I'm having trouble keeping this straight, but hopefully it's the issue. I should have 240 vac going to the PID from the terminal strip? Does that mean one wire from the white connector and one wire from the black connector? Should they both connect to #2 on the PID? Or one to 1 and one to 2? Do I not need a wire running from the green terminal to the PID at all?

Here is the SSR
http://www.kegkits.com/Merchant2/me...de=W&Product_Code=40A-SSR&Category_Code=EBREW

 

[DustBow]

Yes, both hots to the PID, no ground to the PID.
Check your manual, but I think you just wire both hots to the same PID terminals as you would for a 120 setup. You're just swapping out the neutral for another hot.
Again, check your documents to make sure.

 

[P-J]

It just dawned on me the very serious problem that I'm having in understanding the wiring within this setup. The wire being used is a 3 wire cord meant for 120V power. It has been repurposed for a 240V feed. The wires (as illustrated in the photos) are still the black, white & green conductors that have been repurposed.

To the OP. Go to the store and buy rolls of electrical (Ace Hardware will have them) tape in the colors required for your set up.

A roll of White, Black, Red & Green will get you there.

Now with that, flag the wires (in other words - cover the insulation color completely) within your controller using the tape so that each one represents the actual electrical circuit intended. This should be done anytime a wire is repurposed. Mistakes like this can kill...!!!

In your photos, Green is not ground but something else. I do not have a clue what you repurposed that wire into.

Wow. What a waste of time messing with this.

Good luck.

 

[tunaboatbeer]

I'm not sure why you feel the need to be rude, but none of this is repurposed wire. It is all 10-3 wire purchased from a hardware store. The plug, components, and everything were bought as a kit.

 

[P-J]

I'm not sure why you feel the need to be rude, but none of this is repurposed wire. It is all 10-3 wire purchased from a hardware store. The plug, components, and everything were bought as a kit.

Rude????

Wow.!!!

Ok. So the Green wire in your photos is really a ground wire and not something else?

 

[tunaboatbeer]

correct, the green wire is a ground

 

[P-J]

Then you are powering your pid using the ground conductor and the White conductor which would be neutral.

Never happened.

 

[DustBow]

He needs both Hot 1 & Hot 2 wired to the PID to get it to function properly at 240, correct?
So does he just use the same 2 PID terminals as he would for a 120 feed?

I know most PID's can run on both, but mine is an Auber and I have it on 120 so I'm not 100% sure if the terminals remain the same for 120 vs 240 power on his model....

I think he just needs to take the small black "power wire" from the PID and tie it into the main black wire at the terminal block instead of into the green ground.

 

[lschiavo]

Then you are powering your pid using the ground conductor and the White conductor which would be neutral.

Never happened.

The white is the other leg of 240. It's allowable in a cable or cord. Marking it with tape can't hurt.

 

[lschiavo]

He needs both Hot 1 & Hot 2 wired to the PID to get it to function properly at 240, correct?
So does he just use the same 2 PID terminals as he would for a 120 feed?

I know most PID's can run on both, but mine is an Auber and I have it on 120 so I'm not 100% sure if the terminals remain the same for 120 vs 240 power on his model....

I think he just needs to take the small black "power wire" from the PID and tie it into the main black wire at the terminal block instead of into the green ground.

Do verify the terminals but it looks like the photo of your pid above confirms 240v supply.

 

[tunaboatbeer]

I confirmed that the polarity is correct. I connected both hot wires to the PID and the display doesn't light up.

 

[lschiavo]

Have you measured voltage across black and white on your power cord to verify 240v?

The way you have it wired, the black wire on the power cord could be dead and it would do exactly what it has to this point.