Home Distiller

Could someone explain the difference between these two style of controllers? Just wondering if either have any advantages.

As far as I know PACs are micro computers for automation controls, don't see any use in dis tilling unless your building a still like Odin's iStill

A SSR, or Solid State Relay, is just a simple On-Off switch which uses some type of control circuit... A PAC, or Programmable Automation Controller, is a control circuit which could be used with specific types of SSR's and other devices... For heating a still you only need a simple SSR controller...

There are no real advantages to making the heating process more complicated than it needs to be unless you are a gadget freak or just like playing with electronics and over-complicating every task you can... Everything I design and build falls more in line with the KISS concept rather than a bunch of bells and whistles... This stems back to when I was growing up and building projects in the basement or in my uncles work shed on his farm... Heck, every motorized vehicle I built, whether three wheeler or go cart, never even had brakes installed... I was all Go and no Whoa...!!! Even my electronics circuits have all been on the simpler side... I'm a minimalist at heart, I guess...

Thanks guys. I'm not electronic guru so that's why I asked. I'm not one to try to make things more complicated than they need be. Eventually I want to convert to electric. The last year I have gotten lucky and had a couple of 100lb cylinders of LP given to me. I've gone through one so far and now that I'm working on the second one I realize my supply is coming to an end and I don't want to spend the money on gas anymore. Let alone moving those tanks around us a pain in the ass and during the stilling process its loud!

I use a SSR (Solid State Relay) in conjunction with a PAC (Phase Angle Controller) to provide very precise control of the amount of heat being applied to my boiler/cooker.

http://www.nuwaveproducts.com/Datasheet ... rev1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Skipper1953 wrote:I use a SSR (Solid State Relay) in conjunction with a PAC (Phase Angle Controller) to provide very precise control of the amount of heat being applied to my boiler/cooker.

http://www.nuwaveproducts.com/Datasheet ... rev1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The proper amount of power input, or trying to control vapor temperature - which isn't what you want...???

I use an SCR, works pretty good never had any problems. Just ordered another one (10000 watt 240 v) for my beer set up.

rad14701 wrote:

Skipper1953 wrote:I use a SSR (Solid State Relay) in conjunction with a PAC (Phase Angle Controller) to provide very precise control of the amount of heat being applied to my boiler/cooker.

http://www.nuwaveproducts.com/Datasheet ... rev1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The proper amount of power input, or trying to control vapor temperature - which isn't what you want...???

There is no mention of temperature in my post.

Skipper1953 wrote:

rad14701 wrote:

Skipper1953 wrote:I use a SSR (Solid State Relay) in conjunction with a PAC (Phase Angle Controller) to provide very precise control of the amount of heat being applied to my boiler/cooker.

http://www.nuwaveproducts.com/Datasheet ... rev1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The proper amount of power input, or trying to control vapor temperature - which isn't what you want...???

There is no mention of temperature in my post.

I assume that your element controller uses the phase angle control unit to supply variable voltage to a SSR that is controlled by low voltage.

Skipper1953 wrote:I use a SSR (Solid State Relay) in conjunction with a PAC (Phase Angle Controller) to provide very precise control of the amount of heat being applied to my boiler/cooker.

http://www.nuwaveproducts.com/Datasheet ... rev1.1.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Read the datasheet. That makes a very elegant solution. Thanks for sharing.

Soggy Bottom Boy,
You are correct. The SSR is controlled by a PID that I can use to monitor temperatures. I originally built my panel for brewing beer where one needs to control temperatures. It is a bit of over kill (Ok, ok. I'm a tinkerer and a gadget freak) but as Skow69 has pointed out, it is a rather elegant solution.

Skow69,
You're welcome.