My head hurts…

[john]

Good job solving the issue. What are we looking at–and what’d you have to do?

[ectofix]

John, that’s an industrial-grade SMOKER, capable of smoking 2000lbs of meat in a cook session.  Made by Enviro-Pak. 

Enviro-Pak Smokehouses, Ovens, Food Processing Equipment 

 

We have two of them.  The one pictured above is a 1995 model which was upgraded to newer controls (computer, PLCs and such) in 2014.  Unfortunately it’s still congested with the original wiring, switches and chart plotters – all of which are no longer used.

 

These smokers have a damper box on top (requires an 8′ ladder to access) which either lets in smoke or fresh air.  On this older unit, neither appeared to be working. Controlled by special motors.

One damper motor was sticking (a simple spring return). I got it cleaned up and lubed.  It’s fine now. The other?  It appeared to be unresponsive and I was scratching my head over it for w-a-y too long – for my not understanding its theory of operation.  I know how to do a forced system operation (with the computer) for just about everything else this smoker does – EXCEPT this one damper.  The schematic and manual were no help.

 

Later on, I called the factory…when they finally opened.  They’re in Washington State.  Tech support explained it to me.

Turns out the motor uses a built-in modulating control board.  I’ve never seen anything like it…and still don’t fully understand it (I hate it when that happens).  However, he walked me through testing it. 

 

I always wanted to know why there’s a milli-ammeter in the control box…so, now I know.

 

There wasn’t actually anything wrong with it.  SO…the problem was all in my head (or NOT). 

[fixbear]

Interesting. Are those mercury contactors?  Never seen that design.

 

  Lower left of panel you have 3 white blocks, one on each wire. What pray tell are they?. 

 

Not impressed with how they shortcutted wiring over the top of the IO’s so you can’t see the LED”s.

[john]

Why not remove old wiring and other internal components that are just taking up space? I can understand not removing old switches or items that would otherwise cause holes in the external case, but just comparing the two is giving me a headache. 

[fixbear]

And hence why the old relay logic, electro-mechanical has given way to computerization.   But the real problem is those who worked on it before Ectofix.  Losing wire covers, not maintaining the box seals, jumpers.  And who ever tied in the new control didn’t even bother placing the wires into the wire way.  And it would take a follow-up person 4 times as long as the original conversion to straigten it out.  To many dollars.

[ectofix]

All of that old wiring/ toggles switches remain there because (I think) there were concessions were made in the price for upgrading it.  A factory rep did the upgrade.  He flew out (Washington to TN) for the upgrade of the old smoker and to start up the new smoker. 

I’ve considered removing it all myself, but then the unit’s schematic would be way wrong…and I don’t have the time.

 

Their leaving those toggle switches there has caused some problems in the past – when someone in the kitchen flips them on for not knowing any better.  Both of the resident senior Sous Chefs tell me that they don’t use any of them.

 

Understand that…the OLD smoker was designed to use electricity, water, live steam, chilled water and compressed air to make all its of its ORIGINALLY designed features to work. 

 

SO…the most recent problem (thanks to those switches that were left in the circuit) arose just a few weeks ago – and was THE MOST problematic and elusive one for us to figure out.

Bear in mind that, since they’re not used, I tend to forget they’re there:

 

Without going into a bunch of details (unless you ask me), the problem was that the BUILDING was having some MAJOR water problems.  Faucets throughout the building were spitting/spewing air and dirty brown water. 

 

Over the course of TWO 3rd shifts and my OWN two 1st shift periods…TWO DAYS (a dozen guys and MANY man-hours TOTALED?) the problem eventually got narrowed down to a system within that old smoker where compressed air and water comes together.  A system controlled by JUST TWO of those toggle switches – which were turned ON.  Switches for operating a feature that they NEVER use. 

 

I FINALLY figured out (through some intense troubleshooting) that this ONE designed, much maligned…NEVER USED feature – was injecting 110 psi of compressed air into the building’s 100 psi water plumbing.

 

I immediately disabled those two switches, so THAT shall NEVER happen again!

[fixbear]

Nice, now about the proportional vent controller. Is the actuator a Honeywell?

[ectofix]

You said relay logic.  Here’s that old smoker before its renovation:

[ectofix]

Are you talking about the modulating damper box I’d mentioned earlier? 

Yes, a Honeywell.  I took a picture, but it’s in my phone at work.  You apparently know about those.  I know nothing. 

At 58, I’m STILL lernin’…

[fixbear]

There what is used in a dehumidification kiln to control the dampers that control the suction pressure. They change the amount of cold air that goes through the condenser versus the evaporator.  I took care of 2 of these for many years for Lincoln Logs.  They used 12 HP and 15 HP R22 compressors with R12. I worked directly with Nyle kiln in Maine for refrigerant conversion. A real pain in the A__. Finally found R416 worked. We are talking head temps of 260F to 290F and the  directional baffle held 70 to 76  suction.  One has to learn refrigeration all over to work on these. 15 HP double squirrel cage blower moved the air. Nine 3 hp fans to circulate the air in the kiln. Forward and reverse every 3 hours.