Advanco fryer shutting down

[hailstone]

To clarify This Advanco model # FF300-P is a two basket unit, four burners per unit. When I mentioned its a side by side I should have mentioned that there are two separate fryer units, Two, two basket units connected together by a stainless-steel connector flange. Its really two separate fryer units… the right side two basket, four burner unit works fine.

I hope that make since…

[fixbear]

Advanco equipment are a after market machines that are private label from Webresturant stores. Originally a PA company. In-expensive , but usable and normally reliable. They are built with old but proven design. So I’m guessing that you have a millivolt pilot design fryer. What you want to look at is if the burners are all lighting normally and that the thermostat is reliably functional. I do not like just parts changing on any piece of equipment. As a tech our job is to accurately determine the real problem.

So make sure to measure the power voltage to the gas valve. Check the burners ignition ports/transfer ports to be clean, That the electrical connections and repeatability of the thermostat is on.

[hailstone]

Thank you fixbear, I went and fiddled with it last night, I think the inner thermostat was shoved up against the burners. I did watch some YouTube did some testing on the Dial thermostat tested good with the resistance tester. one of the cooks were pretty tough on it. I read that Heavey pounding could pop a valve in the thermopile and prevent the burners from keeping the heat up or shut them down prior to reaching temp.

As for the thermostat shutting down, I think others were fiddling with it in-between me working on it.

One more thing when they were cleaning the oil, transferring the oil, they wedged the refill tube between the thermostat and heat tubes, bent the thermo stat against the heat tubes. I think that could have been the culprit pushing the thermostat against the heat tubes shutting it down keeping the temp down.

I’m going to monitor it today, hopefully it will keep its heat. I did run some frozen boneless chicken in it last night, the burners did kick on, maintained heat, so it may just have been the inner thermostat. I also used a candy thermometer and it stayed pretty steady at 350.

Thank you for your advice, I’m going to monitor it today and go from there.

[fixbear]

That machine has a bourdon tube mechanical thermostat as the main control and a high limit resettable as a safety. If the small diameter tube get bent sharply (ie crimped, crushed or kinked) it will require a replacement. They are sealed with a expandable liquid like a thermometer has to create a repeatable pressure on a diaphragm that operates the contacts inside the thermostat. The tube has a very small hole in it and any restriction will delay the thermostat’s reaction to temperature change. The accrual sensing is the bulb inside the oil tank. They do get damaged at times from improper cleaning. Especially the bulb mounting.

One of the other things to always check on fryers is the vent tube for the gas regulator. They often get plugged up with oil that has dried inside the vent port. The draining and filtering process is always a bit messy to say the least.

Glad to hear that you found a problem and corrected it.

[hailstone]

Thanks again, Fixbear, Grateful for your time and consideration as surely, I’ll be working on these in the future. The cook said it was working good last night, He thought one time it was a little cool but wasn’t so sure. I appreciate your expertise and explanation and letting me know the correct terms and how it works or is supposed too anyway. I did let him know not to be so rough on it as the manual stated in troubleshooting pounding on it could cause it to shut a valve down in the thermopile thus cutting the propane down… Don’t know why they pound so hard on the dang thing, also showed him where the inside thermostat and bourdon tube are so hopefully, they will not jam the return cleaning tube in so hard and leave it hanging there to bend the thermo lines against the baffles. I’m grateful for this site as I don’t like to just buy the parts and replace, plus we live pretty remote so it takes extra time in shipping. And it’s not my money, I just help, do the Maintenace in exchange for eating and such… Will Work for Food! LOL I’m happy, their happy.

They have an old Manitock ice machine that just drives me nuts but thats another story.

Ill check the vent tube for the gas regulator for harden oil build up as you suggested too. TY!

I do believe that was the problem, the bourbon tubes up against the Baffles, if not let it develop and fix it tomorrow. Thank you again for that explanation.

I saved this page so I can get better familiar with the terms and Issues…

Thanks again Fix It Bear! Very much appreciate it.

[hailstone]

Hello again, Well the doggone thing started acting up again, checked the vent tube, as suggested, awful small vent hole, it looked clean but as suggested, took it out, cleaned it,

waiting on a millivolt tester…

It worked fine for about two weeks then again started shutting down main burners, not holding temp, pilot stays on all the time, so that must have been somebody shutting it down as its not shut down since.

All burners come on, flames look good, fires up every time, comes up to temp but will not maintain. so Im thinking thermostat?

I took it outside, removed burners, look good no clogs.

The bourdon tubes look fine, no kinks, crimped or crushed.

tested the thermostat with a Ohlms tester, tested ok as mentioned prior.

I was thinking of switching out the thermostat with the other unit, tonight.

Any other suggestions.

Thank Again

[ectofix]

<div>I was thinking of switching out the thermostat with the other unit, tonight.</div>

<div>

I recommend you do not try that. Those thermostats are fragile as it is. Once they’ve been in use, they’re even more so. So you run the risk of having TWO down fryers instead of one.

If you decide to order the thermostat, the part number is 177400044. I got that from THIS manual:

</div>

177ff300-518_manual.pdf 730 KB PDF - Click to view Copy Download Link

[ectofix]

One other thing to check that’s not been mentioned. I recommend you inspect all wire connections to make sure they’re all good, clean and TIGHT.

That fryer uses 750mVDC (maximum) power source via the thermopile. That is 1/2 the voltage of a standard flashlight battery, so not much there to push through a failing connection.

SO, check those connections!

[hailstone]

Thank you ectofix

I did as you mentioned and cleaned all wire connections, and did not trade out the thermostat’s as suggested, Thank You, would have had the lady boss on my ass had I shut down both units… So thank you for that advice again and the manual, downloaded. I had downloaded manuallib.com manual as well for the unit. It was not much help under troubleshooting. And Damn thank you for the Part number two, you guys are a great help, Thank you!

Well darn it, if it seems to be working again, one of the wires did seem a little lose, the explanation of the power only half of a standard flashlight battery helped me to understand how low a 750mdc millivolt is.

I also cleaned the vent, as suggested by Fixbear, took it off and used mass air flow valve cleaner on it, it seemed pretty clean considering it is aimed straight up. I didn’t see any gunk in it surprisingly, Seems like a bad design straight up like that when it could just as easily point down so as not to trap oil. I thought oh here it is until I removed it. Such a tiny vent hole. It actually said vent on the housing, Doh!

I cleaned the baffles and burners, they were really pretty darn clean considering.

I double checked the bourdon tubes again for kinks or cracks… they looked good.

fixbear said, “So I’m guessing that you have a millivolt pilot design fryer” yes indeed it is. Yes the burners seem to light fine, however it was shutting off/down not maintaining temps at times while mid frying… Could be as ectofix suggested the wires and they were fairly clean surprisingly but again one seemed a little lose. I could move it slightly with my fingers. took them all off and cleaned them.

I was wrong about the pilot going out, I had several of the cooks take notes on what it was doing since last posting and asked them to keep fiddling with it. It was just not maintaining temp, burners shutting off/down prematurely during frying, but pilot staying on consistantly.

I put a candy thermometer in it after putting it back togather/cleaning came right up to 350. I did watch a vid where they suggested getting up to temp, lowering thermometer down then brining back up, seemed to work fine, both units seem to have a boost up while frying to maintain oil temp at 350.

The cook said it seemed to be OK now during dinner rush, however they are all pretty new cooks with not much history with these units.

On a side note, I’ve been trying to reply since you posted 7 hr. ago ectofix but the reply tab just would not work for me, it’s been that way since I registered, it just doesn’t want to work for me, I tried at the business highspeed internet and here at home, reloaded many times, log out and back in, same as the other day trying to reply to Fixbear… But I’m grateful for you Guy’s help and expertise… Thank you again, from an Okie out in the woods… So between the Vent and wires cleaned tightened… I’m back to considering it fixed, let’er develop.

Thank you again fixbear and ectofix very much, I appreciate your time and energy helping us even though I’m not a tech, however I’ve worked on a lot of different types of junk over the years.

That freaking Manitok Ice Machine though Ugh…

[ectofix]

On a side note, I’ve been trying to reply since you posted 7 hr. ago ectofix but the reply tab just would not work for me, it’s been that way since I registered, it just doesn’t want to work for me, I tried at the business highspeed internet and here at home, reloaded many times, log out and back in, same as the other day trying to reply to Fixbear

Glad to help.

That REPLY button not working is the very reason why I rarely…well – reply here anymore. I had to log off and back on three times just to make these replies to you. This platform is very glitchy.