Need Advice On a HeaterMeter Setup for WSM 18


 
J

Josh Bondurant

New member
So there is TONS of info on this site and I could read through it for days to determine what the optimal setup for my situation is or I could ask you fine people and hope to get an honest response. So here's the deal. I have a fully stock WSM 18 that I've had for about 7 years now and I'm ready to kick it up a notch. After looking at the different systems that are available for automatic temperature control, I've settled on the HeaterMeter due to its functionality, support base, and cost. However, I need some basic advice before I start buying the peripheral stuff. Here is my criteria for what's important to me:
  1. Will fit a WSM 18 and be able to be taken off and put on quickly and easily between uses
  2. Will be durable (I want something I can rely on, I’d rather have bulletproof than bells and whistles
So my basic questions revolve around the blowers, dampers, and probes:
  1. Which blower/damper combination will work best for my setup and why? And who is the best person to get them from? Remember I'm looking for durable and reliable, not cheap.
  2. What's the best way to attach it? I'm very handy and have an extensive set of tools (but no 3D printing capabilities).
  3. What probes do you recommend? Please be specific for pit probe and meat probe. I have THESE already.
  4. Is there anybody that you recommend to get these parts from? Anybody to stay away from? (PM me this if you want)
I greatly appreciate any help and advice you can provide. This is a great forum and a very impressive system that I know a lot of people spent a ton of time perfecting. Thanks.
 
Unfortunately, while the heater meter is the best performing item to control your WSM, it's also the cheesiest because the parts are 3D printed. 3D printed parts at the resolution these are printed, and materials, are not very refined, sturdy, etc.

You can buy everything you need from Brians heater meter store.
 
Bought everything off Bryan's store. Everything works well. The blower components come apart a little to easily for me (not enough friction in the friction fit) I'm looking at ways to improve this, maybe zip tying it together or idk, hasn't really been an issue in practice stays together just fine, but falls apart easily during set-up and take down.

I attached my blower to the bowl via cutting a hole in the bottom and built an air burner based on posts in this forum. https://tvwbb.com/attachments/f17f9d75-9f13-4672-a1d0-7c4fc28045cb-jpeg.7488/

I've been quite happy with the results thus far. I bought a cheap thermocouple from Amazon for the pit and used my old iGrill probes. worked fine.

If you need to buy probes you can't go wrong by asking the source directly:

github.com

HeaterMeter Probes

HeaterMeter and LinkMeter Arduino BBQ Controller. Contribute to CapnBry/HeaterMeter development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com
 
Dupree said:
I attached my blower to the bowl via cutting a hole in the bottom and built an air burner based on posts in this forum. https://tvwbb.com/attachments/f17f9d75-9f13-4672-a1d0-7c4fc28045cb-jpeg.7488/
Click to expand...
The above portion of your post confused me....
Generally the dog bowl is used to cover one of the vents on the WSM when NOT using an air-burner. When using an air burner the blower or damper is usually connected directly to the copper pipe, no dog bowl needed. I don't see how you could use a dog bowl and an air-burner together effectively?
 
I used a 5 foot chunk of 3/4" copper pipe and some assorted elbows and fittings to make an air burner. I drilled out one of the rivets on a damper and removed the plate so the tubing would go through the hole, all told, it used about 2 ft of tube, so, I ran the rest up the side and made a hook out of a rubber insulated cable clamp (usually called a P clamp, or Adel clamp if you work on aircraft). I just unscrewed one of the bolts that holds the grate supports in and put one side of the clamp under that, leaving the other end in a hook shape.

I left it slip fit at strategic locations and used small sheet metal screws at locations I didn't want it to come apart.


Then, I blocked the remaining three damper holes where the piece was removed with aluminum tape the HVAC guys use.

Eventually, I sealed all the dampers and the door with aluminum tape.

Works pretty well for me.
 
RalphTrimble said:
The above portion of your post confused me....
Generally the dog bowl is used to cover one of the vents on the WSM when NOT using an air-burner. When using an air burner the blower or damper is usually connected directly to the copper pipe, no dog bowl needed. I don't see how you could use a dog bowl and an air-burner together effectively?
Click to expand...
Bowl here means the bottom section of the WSM. There’s no dog bowl involved.
 
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