My digital went whacky

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jerrykr

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Oct 23, 2007
206
10
I have a Comark HLA1 that I got from The Sausage Maker.

Suddenly it has gone whacky displaying all kinds of high temps even just sitting in my 50F garage.

Is the whole thing toast? or is it possibly just the probe? Everything seems to work OK except for the temp reading.

I replaced the battery, no change.

Thanks.

-=- Jerry -=-
 
Sounds like it might be. You might try testing it in boiling water to see if you get 212 or a cup with water and ice to see if you get 32 degrees. Usually the probes go first but if it happened just sitting around, hard to tell. Did it get exposed to any water?
 
Thanks guys, appreciate it.

I was using it yesterday to finish off some summer sausage that I had in smoke. It just went off with crazy high temps.

When I'm not using it, I usually have it sitting in the kitchen window, and it always registers very near ambient temperature in the house. That no longer happens, I know it's not 295F in here.

Rich, with the probe unplugged, it always just displays "Lo". That's what it's always done.

The paperwork has some fine print I read right after I posted.. "Wipe off grease and liquid of the steel probe with tissue, wash the tip of the steel probe, do not immerse the complete wire into water because water can penetrate into the precision sensor inside the steel tube, causing temporary malfunction until water everopates.

This is what I've been doing with it. So, on the off chance that it has moisture in it, I have the probe thru a potato and in the kitchen oven set on 200F right now. That should everaporate any moisture if there's any in it. It still reads well over 300F, so I'm just going to bake it for a few hours this afternoon and see if it clears up.

Thanks again!

-=- Jerry -=-
.
 
i have a accurite that does this same thing......and i have been told its prob. the probe..................

BUT......trying to find a replacement locally ...............GOOD LUCK...........heheh
 
If it's a corroded connection inside <most likely since they rely on the resistance of a thermistor/semiconductor for the temp reading> you are done with that probe. Drying may stabilze it, but it will be unreliable.
 
thermistor/semiconductor wow (hot roll/cold roll)wow and can smoke food i'm impressed keep up the good work richtee we appriciate it.
PDT_Armataz_01_34.gif
 
It seems to be toast. Started looking good mid-afternoon, but out of the oven, it's back to it's old (well new) tricks.

I think Rich is right.

I sent the company an email asking about replacement probes. Guess I'll see if they respond after the holidays.

Good thing the freezer is stocked up with fresh and summer sausage right now.

-=- Jerry -=-
.
 
Sausage Maker emailed me that they have replacement probes for $15.

My Albertson's has a complete unit for $14.95. Hmm, what to do?
 
Mr. Dude, yep they did,

I went by Albertson's and they had them on sale for $12.95. I grabbed 2 of them. When I checked out, they rang up $9.99. Even better! I think I'll go back tomorrow and get one more!
-=- Jerry -=-
 
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