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40 amp SSR too small?

 
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hayesm12003




Joined: 15 Jun 2020
Posts: 1



PostLink    Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2021 11:26 am    Post subject: 40 amp SSR too small? Reply with quote


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I bought a 40A SSR for my build, a 5500w BIAB design but largely modeled off of the electricbrewery’s model. After its second use, the SSR melted. (Yes, I’ve got a heat sink and thermal paste, etc). I called Inkbird, the manufacturer, and they said I needed an 80A SSR to control a 5500w element. Has anyone heard something similar? This was their response they emailed me:

“If you use a 30A, 5500W heater, the calculation method for selecting SSR is:
30A*2.5=75A
It needs to use 80A SSR.”

FYI, this is my second SSR problem. My first one (a Fotek knockoff) got stuck in the closed position and ran everything at full boil. I thought I could avoid this by buying from a reputable manufacturer like Inkbird.
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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 Jun 02, 2021 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi and welcome to the forum!

You don't need a 40A SSR for a 5500W / 240V heating element that presents a 100% resistive load. That size heating element when run at the rated 240V will draw 5500/240 = 22.9 amps.

Our design uses a 40A SSR when 22.9 amps is drawn which provides ample headroom. A 25A would work too for such a resistive load, but is very close the maximum rating of the SSR so we chose instead to use a 40 amp SSR and run it at around half the rated capacity. Like most electronic and mechanical devices, an SSR will last longer if it's not driven to the top end of its rated capacity.

Source: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/control-panel-part-1?page=5

Our design has been in use for more than 10 years now in over 60 countries by tens of thousands of brewers. We have panels installed in commercial locations that have been brewing on them 2-3 times/day, 7 days/week, for years.

Equally (or even more importantly) the heat sink should be properly sized. Most SSR manufacturers, especially the ones who make products as cheaply as possible like Inkbird, will include heatsinks that (IMHO) are undersized. For example, this one from Inkbird is (IMHO) severely undersized for our use if only passive cooling is done: https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Solid-Thermostat-Temperature-Controller/dp/B01MCWO35P?&linkCode=ll1&tag=theelectricbrewery-20&linkId=214c0149366dc1a1ea4044d470fc8614&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

See the link I posted above for more info.

If you're looking for a quality SSR and/or heat sink, the same ones we use in our panels, see our control panel parts: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/collections/control-panel-parts

Cheers!

Kal

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