ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Didn't you see Airplane?
Use Resistor To Reduce Output On Heating Element
- Thread starter Ravenvalor
- Start date
- Status
Didn't you see Airplane?
The film? No.
MTW
Senior Member
- Location
- SE Michigan
Don't resort to Rube Goldberg methods, use the industry standard controller that's on every food warmer built in the last half century. The lowly infinite switch. They come in 120 or 240V versions to suite the need. Pretty painless install, but you need to use Hi temp wire and hi temp crimp on spade connectors, to prevent connection failure, such as SRML type.
https://www.robertshaw.com/Products/Listing/?filter=2147484236&categories=2147484250
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_switch
MTW
https://www.robertshaw.com/Products/Listing/?filter=2147484236&categories=2147484250
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_switch
MTW
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
We're talking about commercial cooking equipment, having an electrician come in and disassemble and install different parts into listed equipment is not a solution for many sparkies. It might even void the warranty.
Don't resort to Rube Goldberg methods, use the industry standard controller that's on every food warmer built in the last half century. The lowly infinite switch. They come in 120 or 240V versions to suite the need. Pretty painless install, but you need to use Hi temp wire and hi temp crimp on spade connectors, to prevent connection failure, such as SRML type.
https://www.robertshaw.com/Products/Listing/?filter=2147484236&categories=2147484250
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_switch
MTW
that is the type of device I previously posted
in your link there is pdf that shows its operating mechanism
thnx
Ravenvalor
Senior Member
- Location
- Piedmont region of NC
Don't resort to Rube Goldberg methods, use the industry standard controller that's on every food warmer built in the last half century. The lowly infinite switch. They come in 120 or 240V versions to suite the need. Pretty painless install, but you need to use Hi temp wire and hi temp crimp on spade connectors, to prevent connection failure, such as SRML type.
https://www.robertshaw.com/Products/Listing/?filter=2147484236&categories=2147484250
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_switch
MTW
Thanks for the help. The original control system is still connected to the element system. It has been electrically bypassed and the components look to be in poor condition. I called Hatco and got quotes on replacing the most important components that look to be in bad shape. Such as the 2 - SSRs, 1 - Ice Cube Relay, 1 - Potentiometer, 1 - SS Infinity Switch. Those prices are not too bad. That said there are lower wattage versions of those heating elements available which would spare them from ever having to deal with a control system again.
Ravenvalor
Senior Member
- Location
- Piedmont region of NC
We're talking about commercial cooking equipment, having an electrician come in and disassemble and install different parts into listed equipment is not a solution for many sparkies. It might even void the warranty.
Fortunately I have been replacing cooking equipment components regularly for the past 30 - years. I have completely rebuilt 6 - element units similar to this one we are discussing. This is the first time I have run across one that has a control system for all 6 - elements in one control box being controlled by one knob. I naturally do not trust this control system and would rather just find a permanent solution without replacing or rebuilding the control system. I think the lower wattage elements that I have found will do the trick and save the customer a lot of future headaches. The customer has had people working on this system for about 10 - years and are frustrated with the constant trouble they are having with it. Thanks for all of the help with this one.
Not really my cuppa tea.....
MTW
Senior Member
- Location
- SE Michigan
Be careful with reduced wattage. If on the next health department inspection, the food dosen't meet the temp spec, you could have a problem, if there is no way to increase the heat.
MTW
hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
I knew what equipment you were talking about but when you said Hatco it has to be something like one of these- https://www.hatcocorp.com/en/equipment/strip-heaters
I know how restaurants are and when you say people have been messing with this for over 10 years I wonder how old it actually is and what shape its in. Maybe it's time to replace the whole thing rather than putting another band-aid on it. Not what they are going to want to hear I know.
-Hal
I know how restaurants are and when you say people have been messing with this for over 10 years I wonder how old it actually is and what shape its in. Maybe it's time to replace the whole thing rather than putting another band-aid on it. Not what they are going to want to hear I know.
-Hal
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Context is everything. Airplane was released back in the days when movies and television were separate competing entities and the movie business did not advertise on TV; the only place you ever saw movie trailers was in the theaters when they accompanied feature films, and I had not seen any for Airplane. I walked into the movie knowing absolutely nothing about it other than the title and that it was billed as a comedy. The movie is just an endless succession of one-liners, puns, and sight gags, but every one of them took me totally by surprise and I had no idea where it was all going. I thought I would bust a gut. I saw Blazing Saddles and the first two Monty Python movies the same way, although by the second Python movie I knew where they were coming from.
Nowadays by the time I get into the theater for a comedy I have already seen the funniest bits many times despite my efforts to avoid them. It really takes the edge off.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
It's every bit the same as Benny Hill or Monty Python or Mr. Bean
ATSman
ATSman
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer/ Electrical Testing & Controls
None of which grab me - not even slightly. They are too brash for my liking.
It isn't that I don't like comedy. Dave Allen or Jack Dee for example. Low key and sometimes quite subtle.
But we have wandered quite a way off topic.I still think a lower wattage element would be the simplest and most elegant solution. A one component change.
And no external parts to find a home for ad wire.
MTW
Senior Member
- Location
- SE Michigan
Click on any of the models, and look under documents. https://www.robertshaw.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147485598
MTW
ATSman
ATSman
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer/ Electrical Testing & Controls
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
Yes, plus will take longer to warm up from cold start, or may take longer to recover if suddenly loaded with material that needs to be heated up. Fortunately food warmers are typically something you don't add cold foods to, you usually place already warm foods in them and they just maintain it.
- Status