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  1. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    I know the type you mean. Note that if you’re not using a fan they are designed to be mounted vertically so as to get a natural convection effect (and always with thermal grease or a mounting pad between the SSR and the heat sink)...
  2. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Horizontal S30 valve

    Will the push-fit connector give you enough torque to be able to unscrew the S30 Cylinder afterwards? I don't think I'd personally be brave enough to try refilling a cylinder :-)
  3. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Here's an example of where to find the ON state voltage drop in an SSR datasheet. This is for the following, fairly typical device (RS stock no. 903-2970): a single pole SSR from I-Autoc The datasheet for it is here: https://docs.rs-online.com/3083/0900766b81457292.pdf The bit we are looking...
  4. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Yes that's right. You can think of the voltage dropped across the SSR in it's "ON" state as being a pretty-much constant voltage of about 1.5 to 2V (you can find the exact value on the manufacturers datasheet). So the working temperature your SSR will stabilise to after a while (e.g. during a...
  5. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Perhaps I’ve misunderstood, but I think of a “bypass” as a hard, physical conduction path that connects the heating element directly to the mains supply (see below). The reason you might want to do this is that all SSRs even when manually set to “100%”, have a voltage drop across their...
  6. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Flat beer with tap system

    Don't just blindly crank up the pressure: the correct pressure depends on the temperature of the keg (CO2 dissolves much more easily at lower temps). Consult a carbonation chart for the correct pressure to use, such as the one here: https://ikegger.eu/pages/how-to-force-carbonate-brew-under-pressure
  7. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    April 2024 - lager/kolsch/pseudo lager to include European and American styles

    Really appreciate the detailed feedback - first time I've seen one of those sheets
  8. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    TETB’s Brewdays

    I’m not trying to become an alcoholic - just hoping to have a decent amount conditioned in time for the summer :-)
  9. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    TETB’s Brewdays

    Kegged off the Witbier and London Bitter from a couple of weekends ago. Lordy, that's quite a lot of beer 🤣
  10. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Major equipment failure !

    Appalling! yet more conclusive proof, were it needed, of the built-in obsolescence in such equipment 🤣
  11. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Hmmm - maybe you could mount a fan on the outside of the box, next to the heatsink, and a few holes on the opposite side of the case so it draws the air all the way through?
  12. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    @Vinylwasp I think the proper terminology these days is probably "Ferrules" or sometimes I've heard them called 'bootlaces' Maybe have a look at these... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CNR84K8V ??
  13. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Nice work there mate athumb.. great stuff. Are those spade connectors I see on the side rocker switch there? You might want to solder those instead, if they are taking any current ...
  14. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    In case it helps, here's a closer look inside one of the TETB power controllers. First and most importantly, ALL external metalwork (heatsinks, case, control knobs, etc) MUST be properly bonded to earth. This isn't "elf an safety gorn mad" ... it's just bloody sensible. You're dealing with...
  15. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Hi @Vinylwasp athumb.. yes, with the wide availability of bits and bobs off the shelf it feels like electrical engineering is a bit like Lego... but unfortunately when you're switching a few kW of power things can get a bit more complicated. I'll answer your last point first. Your friend is...
  16. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    Blimey that must be quite a meaty rotary switch, to handle 13A
  17. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    @hoppyscotty nice one - sounds like you made a good solid job of it athumb.. Hmmm not too sure about that: you get the same current through the live terminal as through the neutral one?
  18. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    For the connection to the SSR itself you should if at all possible be using crimped and/or soldered ring terminations on the cables that are a good fit to the terminal posts on the SSR. Do yourself a favour and bin the FOTEK SSRs altogether: it's just not worth the risk. Get yourself one of...
  19. The-Engineer-That-Brews

    Electrical engineers and electricians assemble! brew controller question

    @jof is correct with high current loads, making a really solid connection to all terminals is vitally important otherwise you can get severe overheating. This is equally important in your mains plug, your connection to the SSR terminals, and the actual kettle. A common cause of failure...
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