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Troubleshooting a short.

 
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Ggwheeler




Joined: 20 Feb 2011
Posts: 15
Location: Portland


PostLink    Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 3:46 am    Post subject: Troubleshooting a short. Reply with quote


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I built my control box years ago and has been working fine. Today I was heating the HLT and I smelt electronic burning. It was the black contact on the main power source. Both the plug and outlet were burnt on that prong and the black wire going to the relay was fried on the outlet side and not on the relay side. I've ordered new contacts.

I have 2 questions:
1.do you think the relay needs to be replaced?
2. Do you know why that could have occurred (I can't remember the last time I unplugged that plug)?

Thanks,
George
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wscottcross




Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 212
Location: CT

Drinking: Launch IPA, Double Sunshine clone, Maple Coffee breakfast stout

Working on: expanding my beer horizons (and my beltline)


PostLink    Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Definitely sounds like a poor connection that was causing high resistance and heating the wire/components. If the wire was not damaged where it connects to the relay, the relay should be fine.
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Kal clone controller, 30 gallon Spike Brewing kettles, 6 tap keezer
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1.

It's not a short. If it was a short, you should have blown a fuse/circuit breaker almost immediately.

Heat is created when current flows through an area that is too small to handle the amount of current. This can happen:

(a) with a loose connection where only a few strands are making contact because the wire is not properly tightened/fastened, and/or
(b) a wire that is too small to handle the current is used, and/or
(c) when a properly sized wire is used but some of the copper strands were cut/trimmed to get it to fit (this should never be done), or
(d) if an electrical socket or blade is dirty or charred or if the plug is not pushed and locked in properly with the receptacle.

Your problem could be any of these but it's likely (d).

All of these cases effectively reduce the contact area meaning that more current flows through a smaller area which in turns creates more heat which can melt the insulation on wires and damage nearby components.

It could also be that you’re actually pulling too much current by using oversized heating elements. This would only be possible if an incorrectly sized breaker was installed in the electrical panel (larger than 30 or 50 amps, depending on your control panel size) as otherwise the breaker would pop if more than 30A or 50A was pulled. A 30A or 50A breaker must be used (sized for your control panel) per our control panel instructions.

I may also be a bad part, but that's rarer.

I hope this helps,

Kal

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