Phase angle controller

[Theo]

I have been using propane to heat my 15.5 gal keg. Been wanting to switch to electrical. Cheaper & safer. I chose a phase angle controller for its simplicity. You could build one with only the SSVR & a rheostat. I added a double pole on/off switch, and a volt/amp meter.

Components & wiring are sized for 30 amps on 220 volts, so a 5500 watt heater is no problem. I didn't have a 220 outlet in the stilling room, needed more 110 outlets too. Shoulda done this 20 years ago.

The 1st test was with the heater disconnected. The volts are detected on the heater side of the SSVR, so the volt meter doesn't turn on until the knob is turned part way & the voltage is high enough to drive it. The meter wasn't happy in this mode & had a bad flicker.

Hooked up the heater & viola! Everything works! Testing showed that amps adjust nicely from 0 to 23. The amps even go up when the knob turns the right way! The meters kick in when volts are up to about 40 & amps are a little over 3. That's only 150 watts. I won't be running that slow.

Things to do differently next time:
Mount the on/off switch on the side of the box. Trying to manage 6 ga wires while closing the lid is a pain.

Things to do:
Do the cleaning runs.
Put some UJSSM in the pot.
Build a controller for my brother.

Mulekicker, thanks for the ideas!

[wv_cooker]

Good Job, Congratulations!

[Theo]

Things went very well for the first few runs. Then the volt meter let the smoke out. The controller works fine without it. Now its kinda like running a pot still without a thermometer. No sweat!

I really like a lot of things about going electric.
0. Safer!
1. The stilling room stays cooler.
2. The heat up is quicker.
3. The control is SO much easier to dial in fine adjustments.
4. $$$$$ ( $.50 vs $4 for propane per run)
5. Quieter
6. I learned something new.

Thanks to sambedded & mulekicker for the help.