Heating Element Control

[rad14701]

Ok i just got these, thought I would test them with a light bulb on a cable with the plug on it first and they work a treat, best £5 I ever spent.

A light bulb doesn't provide the load that the controller is rated for... Lighting a 60W - 100W light bulb is nothing compared to the maximum rating of 3800W...

[Livetoride]

if you want to look a the bigger one, it 10000w 220v voltage regulator, it is a scr- silicon control relay-, looks more heavy duty than the 3800w

Could you post a link to the one your describing please? Interested to have a look at it!

[n1cod3mus]

Ok i just got these, thought I would test them with a light bulb on a cable with the plug on it first and they work a treat, best £5 I ever spent.

A light bulb doesn't provide the load that the controller is rated for... Lighting a 60W - 100W light bulb is nothing compared to the maximum rating of 3800W...

true, but it was just to see if the thing worked or not, In the process of wiring up the element in my still to one of them, and preparing for its first run. using a 2800W element so it should cope with that with no issues, well thats the plan lol

they are still cheaper than a dimmer switch here in the UK lol so worst case I have a dimmer switch lol

[n1cod3mus]

ok i have been running it for 40 minutes connected to my element (2800W) and its working well, only thing I have to say is that the heatsink got really hot really fast so I aimed a household fan at it and it seems ok so looks like I will have to attach a fan to the heatsink, might even putin a couple of switches so I can run it at full power using a switch the move over to the controller when i'm up to temp.

[Livetoride]

Could also put a larger heat sink on if that's possible!

[janee]

i bought one on e bay for less than 20$ listed under, 10000w 220v voltage regulator, it included shiping, the thyristor looks very heavy duty,and so do the solder lines, they have small 220v fans that i think i will try, there is a warning not to over heat the controller.

[hilbilly]

I am having issues with propane so figured I would build an electric boiler and started reading this thread. Got to page 48 and with my head spinning decided this is beyond me so I will try using a router controller and hope for the best. If that fails I guess I will try to build the 120V controller shown in the early pages.

I intend to run 2 1500W 120V elements in my 30l keg. Both elements will be on different circuits and one will be controlled by the router controller. I have checked the calculation pages on the parent site and this should be enough to run my Bok and get up to temp in about 40 minutes. I have read that some people have had problems with their elements and therefore am asking if there are any coatings, or other things to avoid when looking at the elements. I am pretty limited to what is available locally but know that I should try to get ultra low density if possible.

[zaph1]

I'm having trouble understanding how it lowers the voltage while only controlling one leg. It would make more sense on 120V, but not on 240V. One leg in and out, the other leg is untouched?

[Theo]

I'm having trouble understanding how it lowers the voltage while only controlling one leg. It would make more sense on 120V, but not on 240V. One leg in and out, the other leg is untouched?

Think of it in terms like plumbing. If you put a valve on the inlet (or the outlet), the flow thru all the pipe in that line will be affected. On 240, you can throttle the inlet or outlet. All of the amps thru the heater will be affected. Does that help?

[zaph1]

Alright, I like the simplicity and affordability of the SCR controller. Here are some pics of it in action. The voltmeter/ammeter that I have doesn't turn on until about 60v, but will stay on until you drop below 10v. It maxes out at 200v/15.5 amps, not sure why but I don't mind. 3000w was my target goal anyway. I attached a 40mm fan, but a 50mm fan would fit better. I plan to wire up a third box with a pair of 120v outlets to run the transformer for the fan.

[bcboyz86]

That looks pretty snazzy, how hard would it be for you to make me one for either 110v or 220v(have both in the garage) and for a 4500 watt element? The only ones I've found that look/sound legit are about $400 for a full setup.(cord, element, controller box with SSR) does that sound too high, or is that a fair price? I'm weighing the option of doing research and finding parts as opposed to buying it from someone who knows what they are doing...

[Livetoride]

Take the plunge, there's so much more satisfaction out of doing it yourself, they really are pretty basic once you get your head around it!

[bcboyz86]

So would I just need the 10gage wire, a relay, a thermostat/voltage adjuster, and the heating element? Maybe a small fan for the controller? That's it? Seems too simple.....

[bcboyz86]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem ... fied=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow this is a controller I saw on eBay, would this work? And what else do I need besides this? Maybe an on/off switch so it doesn't spark every time I plug it in? But besides that do I just wire this in and wire in a plug with the power wires goo.g to my element? Seems a tad too easy...

[Condensifier]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem ... fied=false this is a controller I saw on eBay, would this work? And what else do I need besides this? Maybe an on/off switch so it doesn't spark every time I plug it in? But besides that do I just wire this in and wire in a plug with the power wires goo.g to my element? Seems a tad too easy...

I'm not positive but I think it's the same one that zaph1 posted a few posts up from yours and he has some nice pics there that show what he did. I'm thinking of doing the same or similar thing on one of my kegs.

[bcboyz86]

Yea, its similar...except the american version of ebay. I've seen some really nice setups like this one.. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem ... 0880601044" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow and ALMOST tempted to just get it and be done with it... But can't seem to pull the trigger. The most basic setup he can do is $279+$14 shipping. All ya gadda do is drill the keg, screw the coil in and get a plug for it. The controller is already wired up to the switch and has a fan in the control box for the switch. But it seems like too much money. He claims to only sell them for what parts cost and a little for the time, but if a switch is $20, cable couldn't be more then another $20, say the fan is another $20 and the coil is 50$.... That's only like $110, maybe $150 if everything was top notch. It seems like a great easy plug-n-play setup... And I wouldn't have to worry about me electrocuting myself with 220v cuz I wired something wrong...but I dunno if I could justify that much money :/ any thoughts?

[Condensifier]

I don't know much about the one on ebay but if I was going to buy a controller I think I would buy the one that MuleKicker makes. He's a trusted member here and I know it would be good quality.

Here's the link to his ad in the Classified Ads forum. http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... =8&t=26221

[Antaean]

What's an HD rheostat?

I can't say much without knowing more about the type of motor and speed controller the router uses. If the motor is an AC brushless, then the control would have no effect at all on the heat output. If it's a DC motor, then it might work great - or it might blow up the speed controller, depending on how it's designed. I'll spare you the details unless you really want an explanation.

Don't use a rheostat, they waste too much power. Variacs are too expensive and bulky. I would use a triac. I almost did this recently, but found a free electric stove that someone was throwing out, so there was no point anymore. But, if you're any good with a soldering iron, you can build a very cheap, very simple controller that would work great with a heating element. It's the same principle as a light dimmer switch. The triac connects and disconnects the element to the power source on and off at 60 times a second, and varies the amount of power by changing the ratio between time spent on and off. I think a lot of electric stove-top burners use this method. If you're interested, I can show you the plans that I was going to use. The parts were going to only cost a few bucks.

Masonjar,
Would you mind expaining how and what you used off an electric stove? I have a stove I would use for this

[Antaean]

I am made that post after reading his post, but kept reading and learned that is not the way to go......there are ALOT of posts to that thread

[rad14701]

Alright, I like the simplicity and affordability of the SCR controller. Here are some pics of it in action. The voltmeter/ammeter that I have doesn't turn on until about 60v, but will stay on until you drop below 10v. It maxes out at 200v/15.5 amps, not sure why but I don't mind. 3000w was my target goal anyway. I attached a 40mm fan, but a 50mm fan would fit better. I plan to wire up a third box with a pair of 120v outlets to run the transformer for the fan.

The volt/amp meter not displaying until 60V is most likely inherently due to the controller design... Single constant phase angle controller circuits are known for this trait... Have you used a multimeter to determine whether the controller actually produces output before the display comes to life...???

[claytonhaske]

i have been through this thread a couple of times now, and im still confused on what i need. i am planning on heating a 4 or 5 gallon pot with 1500 watts of power, so i know all i will need is a 120v controller. is the triac controller what i need or a phase angle controller???? thanks,

[sambedded]

. is the triac controller what i need or a phase angle controller???? thanks,

Triac is an electronic component, phase-angle is a method to control power. So you actually néed triac based phase angle controller.

[claytonhaske]

. is the triac controller what i need or a phase angle controller???? thanks,

Triac is an electronic component, phase-angle is a method to control power. So you actually néed triac based phase angle controller.

Any build pictures on one of these???? I dont understand schematics, so actual pictures would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, clayton.

[claytonhaske]

. is the triac controller what i need or a phase angle controller???? thanks,

Triac is an electronic component, phase-angle is a method to control power. So you actually néed triac based phase angle controller.

Then why do they have two different threads on how to build them seperatly???? All the info on this site is confusing.....there is a ton of it, and nothing that really says "this is how you build a heating element controller".

[sambedded]

Any build pictures on one of these???? I dont understand schematics, so actual pictures would be greatly appreciated.

There are many of pics inside this thread.

[sambedded]

Then why do they have two different threads on how to build them seperatly????

What do you mean?

All the info on this site is confusing.....there is a ton of it, and nothing that really says "this is how you build a heating element controller".

Because there are a lots ways of to build a controller. If you want a simple solution - just buy a prebuilt controller.
Otherwise you have to do some research.

[claytonhaske]

Any build pictures on one of these???? I dont understand schematics, so actual pictures would be greatly appreciated.

There are many of pics inside this thread.

What page??? Specifically???? I dont have time to keep going through these threads......im getting frustrated!!!! All i want to do is build a simple controller for a 1500watt heating element. I asked triac, or phase controller, because they are 2 different controllers. You say i need both???? How do you do that????

[claytonhaske]

Then why do they have two different threads on how to build them seperatly????

What do you mean?

All the info on this site is confusing.....there is a ton of it, and nothing that really says "this is how you build a heating element controller".

Because there are a lots ways of to build a controller. If you want a simple solution - just buy a prebuilt controller.
Otherwise you have to do some research.

Ive been doing a ton of research...it says, you can build the triac controller in both 120, and 240volt. It does not say that you can build the phase controller in 120volt. I dont have $300+ dollars to spend on a premade unit. Thats why i have been reading through this thread. I got confused, so i asked a question. I got even more confused with your anwser.

[claytonhaske]

So you actually néed triac based phase angle controller.

Any build threads on one of these controllers??? I can only find build threads on one or the other.

[sambedded]

What page??? Specifically???? I dont have time to keep going through these threads......im getting frustrated!!!!

This way you just asking that somebody else to spend his time searching for solution for you.

OK build this one - http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 2#p7034447

This is triac phase angle controller.

I asked triac, or phase controller, because they are 2 different controllers. You say i need both???? How do you do that????

Read this two articles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_fired_controllers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIAC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow