so how are you attaching your blower to the smoker


 
So I've got an assembled HeaterMeter up and running, I just need to attach in to my WSM. From the sounds of it, the standard way of doing that is with a dog bowl attached via a spring toggle through an open vent.

What I haven't yet managed to work out is how people are then attaching (and sealing) their blower to the dow dish..?
 
I've gone with a temporary electrical-tape solution for now until I get a damper of some sort built.

18449816_10155212991223771_1056512580_n.jpg


In case anyone in the UK ends up looking, here are the parts I used and where I sourced them from.

 
First Attempt with HM and Airburner

My previous Controller disappeared, along with my standalone temperature probes....

So I thought I would give a heatermeter a try, I soldered it up and ran it overnight last night into this morning. I had drilled a 7/8" hole to fit the 3/4" pipe and an "air burner".

The AirBurner has 18 1/8" holes (the center T broke my 2 1/8" bits.... oops). I think I might need to dial back the top vent and maybe open up the holes a little bit. I was tweaking things in the beginning, but didn't understand the PID parameters, I think I re-read the descriptions this morning and it makes more sense... I think I might want my P to go bigger to ramp faster and then tweak I and D to hold things steady.


Things looked awesome after tweaking values (the great part, 20% fan, within 1 degree of set point), then I opened the lid to see how it would recover.... it did not go well. Overshot by a lot, I tweaked values a little, closed the top vent a little more (from pencil sized to half that). I went to bed at 10, and just let the charcoal do it's thing. I guess wind may have hit for the big dip there.

But then it felt starved for air... which I think means I need more/bigger holes and keep the top vent more closed.

This is all on a 18.5 WSM with gaskets around the top and access port, and the bottom vents closed (will get more tape soon).

Thoughts from people who have done this more?

Rich
 
on my 22.5 WSM my Pid settings are:
P=4; I=0.02; D=5
Fan pulse; min 10%; max 30%; max at startup
Servo 700 - 2110 inverted
 
I think I had something similar (from memory), P=4; I=.035; D= either 4 or 5
I had no minimum fan, max was 100%, which is what worries me. No damper.
 
WSM's work great on fan only, but they don't like damper when fan is off. I run mine with damper fully open @ 1%. It acts as a flap that doesn't allow inflow if the fan is off. Of course, this is for a stock WSM with no modifications. They're leaky some-beaches.

XHUBOoR.jpg
 
Last edited:
RCDavis said:
Has anyone ever converted a stoker 10cfm blower for use with a HeaterMeter?
Click to expand...


As you probably have noticed the Stoker runs on 5v DC (at least mine does) and who knows what all the electronics on the side of the fan does (I don't). I decided a long time ago to forget that idea. My first Heatermeter fan was a copy of the Stoker fan I made pretty easily out of aluminum sheet from local hardware store. That may be the best way to go rather than butcher an expensive Stoker fan.
 
Hmm, Stoker 10 CFM Fan, $120! WOW! I guess there is some stainless steel involved, but WOW!

First point, the HM fan is really cheap compared to that, like 10% of the cost.

As for using the stoker fan with the HM, if they left the label on the fan that shows the model # and/or specs you are in luck. Fans often operate over a range of voltage, if it is rated up to 12VDC then you can use it, if it is rated at max 5VDC then you cannot. You might have to take the fan out of the SS enclosure to see the label.
 
WBegg,

Resurrecting an old post here, but do you happen to remember what your settings were like for this?

Which damper were you using?
 
Phillip P said:
WBegg,

Resurrecting an old post here, but do you happen to remember what your settings were like for this?

Which damper were you using?
Click to expand...

If you're speaking of the graph i posted a page back, then I think I was using the stock settings? I really can't confirm that, as I haven't used a WSM since in Australia in mid 2016.

I used the Adapt-a-Damper
 
Ron Webb said:
Here is the "airburner" installed in the fire bowl;

DSCN30471_zps8d58c2d7.jpg


4mm holes but I may increase these to 5mm. I struggle to get the smoker to over 325F last night but this may have been other causes!
Click to expand...

@Ron Webb, I know you have sold this now but, how did you find this solution in use? Did it clog from ash? On long cooks, did it fill over in ash? I'm asking as I want to copy your idea but have these reservations. Appreciate the response, if you would so king.
 
Last edited:
Richard,

I built an airburner pretty much identical to that and it works well. I was able to go for 18+ hours on a pork butt without having to refuel at 225F. I think i may need to drill larger holes (or light more charcoal initially), but I struggled to get up to 325F for the Thanksgiving bird. That may have also been because of all the wind and it being rather chilly outside.
 
Ron Webb said:
My V2 Rotary Blower lives! Thanks Tom Kole for the excellent design. The 3D prints I had done by a local bureau were pretty poor and need a lot of sanding and filing to get to a functional state. Job done and this was the result;



I opted to use the 22mm brass compression fittings so epoxied a nut onto the outlet;



My first attachment was the dog bowl method and used a Tank Flange Compression fitting in 22mm;



This proved to be unsatisfactory with the HeaterMeter not able to get decent control. I played with the PID values for two test burns but could not get to a happy control. I'm pretty sure the problem was the side entry of the blown air. Using Heat Beads, the pit oscillated by 30-50F and nothing I tried stabilised it. This is the problem;



So time to build an Airburner! Thanks Ralph Trimble for the idea!

I decided to go with 22mm copper pipe (nearly 3/4") and drill a hole in the bottom of the smoker. I've used stock copper fittings readily available in the UK so this makes the build real easy and the Airburner can be removed and the hole plugged with a stock end plug fitting. I used a compression Male Iron Coupler and a compression Female Iron Coupler to "bridge" the newly created hole in the bottom of the smoker. This in side the smoker;



And this outside;



Then onto the Airburner build;

DSCN3040_zps655bbbd9.jpg


The finished item;

DSCN3041_zpsf4289515.jpg


A final 90deg elbow and a few extra pieces of 22mm pipe plus a 22mm Compression Coupling means I use the same nut that I glued on for the Dog Bowl;



Pit is now almost Rock-Solid. I'll have fun tweaking the PID values for months yet!!

3 hours later and still within a degree of 225F either way.



Thanks again to Brian, Tom & Ralph for all your hard work and superb design.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this fab post Ron! I am about to do the same thing.
I have just printed my Damper and got it all working.
I have the same smoker. I don't suppose you can remember how many holes you put in the copper tubing, and what size they were?

Aaron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top