Will this POT suffice for a controller build?

[Deplorable]

I followed advise given here, and grounded the pot. I shouldn't have. I took them apart, and one of visibly burnt out. The SSVR is yet to be tested for damage. I'm in the middle of a stripping run to I can't run the box to check it.
Mars, I respect your opinions and advise, but your way is not the only way, there are many here who don't run two Pots. I'm not sure what advise it is that I didn't follow aside from that.

[Deplorable]

The SSVR worked last night when fiddling with the first pot. I could get 2750w for a time, then it was like the contacts opened on the pot, and output dropped to 0w.
The water was heating in the boiler.

Have you checked the wiring above? I don't want to insist forgive me, only it seems strange for me that 2 out of 2 of those potentiometers are dead.

With power applied, and a jumper applied across the SSVR The voltage at the plug on my meter is 128V/15 amps on that line. (white wire in the pictures).

[StillerBoy]

I followed advise given here, and grounded the pot.

Pot are grounded, and the ground has its own leg..

Mars, I respect your opinions and advise, but your way is not the only way, there are many here who don't run two Pots. I'm not sure what advise it is that I didn't follow aside from that.

Had you follow the schematic in the link provided, the controller would be operating.. I always provide the best advise, and the link provided at the very beginning, is one of best for building a controller.. unfortunately.. most of the other threads here on a controller built lack clarity on the building..

Another point is that the controller is wired backward.. the 2 pole switch only serves to break power to the element.. but the controller is still live.. to break power to the controller, you need to go the panel to break power to the controller.. I like the 2 pole breaker to shut power not only to the element but also the controller..

As too only using one pot, it was a simple task, just follow the wiring for one on the schematic of the link provided.. yet down the road you will realize that two pots are better than one.. when it comes to efficiency of operating a still..

Mars

[shadylane]

With power applied, and a jumper applied across the SSVR The voltage at the plug on my meter is 128V/15 amps on that line. (white wire in the pictures).

I'm assuming there's 240volts coming in and a 5,500w element.
There should have been around 22amps.
Using your fluke, measure the AC voltage between terminals 1 and 2.
If the SSVR is conducting wide open, there should only be a couple volts.

[Yummyrum]

I followed advise given here, and grounded the pot. I shouldn't have.

Yes I gave you that advise and I still stand by it .

As I said before , the way you went about grounding the Pot was wrong . No bodies fault just a fuckup .

If the Pot you used hadn’t come with that instruction ,( which you followed and far call ) , you probably would have asked “ how do I ground the Pot ?”
In which case you would have been told to connect it to the body of the Pot ... not the spare terminal .

Heres a pic of a Pot with the special ground terminal which is connected to the Pot case .

Anyway what is done is done and It’s a bugger that you wreaked two Pots by connecting them incorrectly . However when you get your new ones , you still must ground them by soldering the ground wire to the case of them . .

Incidentally , if you are wondering why the hell the instructions with your Pot showed a ground connection on the first terminal , it is as I mentioned earlier how you might wire a Pot as say a Volume control in an electric Guitar Where the wires to the pickup and the socket have a common ground wire .

[Deplorable]

With power applied, and a jumper applied across the SSVR The voltage at the plug on my meter is 128V/15 amps on that line. (white wire in the pictures).

I'm assuming there's 240volts coming in and a 5,500w element.
There should have been around 22amps.
Using your fluke, measure the AC voltage between terminals 1 and 2.
If the SSVR is conducting wide open, there should only be a couple volts.

Your assumptions are correct. With a jumper between 3 and 4, I get line voltage across 1 and 2, or half of the voltage supplied to the controller.

[Demy]

When you receive the new parts, I suggest you use a lamp as a loading, you will have a visual reference, it is a first useful test to understand that it works.

[shadylane]

With a jumper between 3 and 4, I get line voltage across 1 and 2, or half of the voltage supplied to the controller.

Sounds like you fried the SSVR also

[Deplorable]

With a jumper between 3 and 4, I get line voltage across 1 and 2, or half of the voltage supplied to the controller.

Sounds like you fried the SSVR also

I have another. I bought 2 of each, because well, two is one, and one is none. (most of the time)
Also, the replacement pots I purchased have a dedicated ground lug. (Pins 1,2,3, and ground)

[Deplorable]

I followed advise given here, and grounded the pot.

Pot are grounded, and the ground has its own leg..

Mars, I respect your opinions and advise, but your way is not the only way, there are many here who don't run two Pots. I'm not sure what advise it is that I didn't follow aside from that.

Had you follow the schematic in the link provided, the controller would be operating.. I always provide the best advise, and the link provided at the very beginning, is one of best for building a controller.. unfortunately.. most of the other threads here on a controller built lack clarity on the building..

Another point is that the controller is wired backward.. the 2 pole switch only serves to break power to the element.. but the controller is still live.. to break power to the controller, you need to go the panel to break power to the controller.. I like the 2 pole breaker to shut power not only to the element but also the controller..

As too only using one pot, it was a simple task, just follow the wiring for one on the schematic of the link provided.. yet down the road you will realize that two pots are better than one.. when it comes to efficiency of operating a still..

Mars

The circut is live to the double pole switch on the face of the box with the breaker on, yes. Having a gfci breaker in the control box wired to a outlet on a gfci breaker in the circuit breaker panel, literally 28 inches away, is redundant. The controller sits right next to the circuit breaker panel.

[StillerBoy]

Whatever.. your the user of the controller..

Having a gfci breaker in the control box wired to a outlet on a gfci breaker in the circuit breaker panel, literally 28 inches away, is redundant.

You are misunderstanding what I stated.. re-read what I stated.. furthermore, GFCI breaker should not or relied on, to be used as an on and off switch..

It is still wired backward, no matter how hard you defence it, from a proper functioning point..

Mars

[Deplorable]

Whatever.. your the user of the controller..

Having a gfci breaker in the control box wired to a outlet on a gfci breaker in the circuit breaker panel, literally 28 inches away, is redundant.

You are misunderstanding what I stated.. re-read what I stated.. furthermore, GFCI breaker should not or relied on, to be used as an on and off switch..

It is still wired backward, no matter how hard you defence it, from a proper functioning point..

Mars

I am not understanding what you mean by backwards Mars. The breaker is NOT an on/off switch. That's what the red switch is on the face of the box. Power is fed from the breaker, to the outlet, from the outlet to the switch, from the switch the white wire feeds 120 the SSVR, the black wire feeds 120 to the element directly. How is that backwards?

[shadylane]

Stillerboy still thinks you have the switch between the output of the controller and the element. He doesn't realize or want to except you have the switch on the input to the controller.

[Deplorable]

Stillerboy still thinks you have the switch between the output of the controller and the element. He doesn't realize or want to except you have the switch on the input to the controller.

What kind of fool would do that?

[Yummyrum]

Deplorable , I noticed that you have used Black and white cables . These are normally used for 120v wiring . Bkack being hot and White being Neutral .

I know you said straight up that you had 240V 50amp socket available but I have to ask , have tou actually got it wired to 240 or are you actually only using 120v

This could explain why you can only measure 128v .

240v connection should be done using the Black and Red wires with no connection to the White ( Neutral)

[Deplorable]

Yummy, the wire used is 10/3 SOOW. I am hooked to 240 30A service, the errant readings of only having 128v was on me. I had a moment of clarity yesterday and double checked everything again. I have in fact got 128V on each of the black and white wires.
Further, I've done some studying on potentiometers and their various uses. With a better understanding of its purpose in this role, I'm confident that the new pots I ordered will work as intended on the first install.

While it may have cost me a bit in fried components, I've learned a good bit on this build. I consider it $20 well spent on "furthering education.

[Butch27]

Deplorable , I noticed that you have used Black and white cables . These are normally used for 120v wiring . Bkack being hot and White being Neutral .

I know you said straight up that you had 240V 50amp socket available but I have to ask , have tou actually got it wired to 240 or are you actually only using 120v

This could explain why you can only measure 128v .

240v connection should be done using the Black and Red wires with no connection to the White ( Neutral)

Lots of jurisdictions in NA use black and white for 240v if only running the 2 hots and no neutral. Red only comes into play when it is a 3 wire setup with a neutral and a fourth wire for ground of course.

[Deplorable]

New parts arrived yesterday.
I believe this is proper.

[Yummyrum]

Yes Sir . So long as these daggy wires aren’t touching the case , you are good to go .

5AA28B85-A6C9-4B0C-B950-5ECC4739A682.jpeg (29.15 KiB) Viewed 1722 times

[Deplorable]

Good eye mate! I've got heat shrink to slide over the soldered joint after I trim then flyers off, but the case is plastic. Either way, they need to be corrected.

[Yummyrum]

I've got heat shrink to slide over the soldered joint after I trim then flyers off

sounds perfect

Man you deserve this one to work .
You have definitely taken one for the team

[shadylane]

Looks right to me.
I wonder what else could go wrong

[Deplorable]

Looks right to me.
I wonder what else could go wrong

Shit. Hopefully nothing.
But I do have a spare SSVR and a spare POT just in case.
So as long as the element doesnt take a shit on me I should be good to go. (I know, it needs to be fully submerged while under power.)
I've got a few things to do today before I put some water in the boiler and test the full circut, but everything from the wall to the end of the power cord checks out with my fluke meter.

(Edit) I have also read on here to ensure the pot is turned all the way down before applying power to the box. Or maybe it's just something I saw on Larry's boxes...

[Demy]

It looks ok.

[Deplorable]

It's alive

It definitely needs a resistor to get full used of the dial on the pot.