PID outdoor operation question?

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ziggy

Fire Starter
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
33
11
HI!

I am starting to conver this 1931 refrigerator to smoker.

My plan is to use Pid with solid state relay. In the manual for PID it say operational temperature from 32F up to ...(do not remember the top teperature)

How do you solve the problem if temperature outside is lower?

Also, it does not seems like the PID is water resistant, did you installed inside the waterproof box?

I have used PID on my expresso coffemaker with the probe in the boiler with great results but that was indoor.

Thank you for any sugestions.
 
I Have my PID in a plastic control box and i Have basiccly made it a plug and play unit with everything plugging in.  I live in Nebraska so we have all kinds of weather.  It will work below 32 degrees just wont register a value till it gets to 32.  I put my smoker under eve of garage to weather doessnt get it!
 
Thank you doctord1955

That is why I was wondering, the electronic does not like temp below freezing.

I have build Rv and one of my ampmeter is electronic and when freezing it is blinking until gets worm inside.

I was thinking to use "pipe heater cable" aroud the control box. It has the thermostat inside and it start to work when temp drop below 38F

As far as water problem I would install PID in waterproof box with little window cutout and installed lexan in it.
 
Yup.  i like the idea of being able to unplug it from unit and taking it inside for storage during winter when we have a blowing snow storm or a driving rain!
 
I have also just started using a PID, so I'll be interested in any answers to this post. One thought; if the PID is kept inside and not taken out until you start the smoker, will the heat the SSR generates be enough to keep it warm enough? I know, I know... the answer is probably "it depends", but I wonder if any of you have hands on experience with this.
 
I have never had trouble with my PID working in cold weather!  Weather i store it inside or forget to take it inside!  The only thing is it will blink 32 degrees till smoker gets to 32 degrees on inside!  I have used it at 5 below zero with no problems!
 
What brand and model of PID are you guys using?

I'm in Saskatchewan up here in Canada and although most of my smokers are in a heated garage I do have a Traeger 075 that sits out all year which is controlled via a PID. I do have it covered (the traeger) when not in use.

All the PIDs I use are Aubers. In speaking with Suyi from Auber he indicated that while the PIDs are not waterproof, they are splash resistant on the expossed portion of the unit. I have never had a problem even in the rain or snow.

Also, I have never had a problem with PID's not reading or flashing because of the cold weather. I've smoked turkeys on Christmas Day at -40. Crazy I know but it had to be done.
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Mike
 
I use the Aubers SYL-2352!  The reason it blinks is because the thermo couple stays in my 2 smokers outside and plugs in to my control boxes.  Its readin below 32 degrees.  Once smoker heats up to 32 degrees all is cool!
 
I use the Aubers SYL-2352!  The reason it blinks is because the thermo couple stays in my 2 smokers outside and plugs in to my control boxes.  Its readin below 32 degrees.  Once smoker heats up to 32 degrees all is cool!
That's interesting. Prior to installing one in my Traeger which stays out side, I put the TC for one of my indoor units into an upright deefreeze that sits next to it to see how it would respond. I believe it was also a 2352 but it may also have been a 2352P (bad memory). I don't recall it flashing, although that really doesn't matter at all.

Mike
 
I will be useing Micro-infinity INC77R553-pv
 
I love mine have no problems with either controls ive built.  Both are upright freezers.  1800 watt burner element ran on 220 have no problem maintaining temps or control of smokers.  Built my own chip smoke generators.  No problem with smoke rings!
 
That's a good idea, so you're using a real PID (proportional integral derivative) for industrial systems? I normally use them to control air valves to keep a constant system pressure during heavy/uncertain load. What is the variable that the PID is changing to keep your process constant? Power to the heating element?

I'll be using RTD's (ordered, on the way) connected to a small PLC to monitor the IT of each individual cut of meat, and a couple positions within the smoker itself. Since I'm using charcoal I can't really control the heat, but I can trend-map, and send an alarm to my laptop if the temp spikes, or goes low. I guess I could see about how much a small remote air valve (we only use 3"-10" valves at work, and are a LOT more expensive than what I'm looking for), and try to use a PID loop in the logic to open/close the valve based on temperature. I don't think it'll be perfect, but it will mitigate and temperature spikes/dips.
 
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