PK100 fail
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Of course this had to happen a few days before elk hunting. I could have as many as 4 elk to process. Not gonna have time to get it fixed. I think it must be a stat. Burner works. I just replaced it.
I can’t deal with it right now. -
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
lkrfletcher said in PK100 fail:
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
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So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
lkrfletcher said in PK100 fail:
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
Just a safety reminder. If you uncomfortable or have no experience with a volt/ohm meter or working with electricity then please disregard the below advise.
Before you do anything drastic there are 2 things you should check. Check your heating element for resistance. Make sure your smoker is unplugged before you even start . Disconnect all wires that are on the heater element. Using a volt/ohm meter measure the resistance of the heater element. The resistance of the element should be around 28-32 ohms. If it’s real high then you have an open. If it’s zero then it’s a shorted out. If the heating element checks out fine reconnect the heater element to any wires you removed. Then using the same volt/ohm meter that you used to measure the elements resistance measure the voltage on the heating element. You should see 120 volts when the controller is calling for the system to heat up and 0 volts when the system turns the heat off. If the controller is bad my advice would be to chuck the old controller out and replace it with a PID controller. The PK-100’s controller is digital but all that means is you can dial in a specific temperature. If you want 175 you dial in 175. What a digital controller does not prevent is temp swings. When you set the temp to be 175 the heat will turn off around 175 but since the heater element is still hot you temp climbs 10-15 degrees. The same when the controller calls for heat. The controller will only turn the element back on around 166-170. By the time the element heats up your temp may be 150-155. Eventually the temp swings will close the gap but they will still be there. This also depends on how much mass/food your smoker has in it. A PID controller keeps the temp of your smoker what you set it at. If you want 150 you get 150 with no temp swings. The only time you will have a slight temp swing is when the smoker 1st starts to heat up. You may see a 5-10 degree swing on the up side but once it drops back to your setting it will hold it there forever regardless of how much your smoker has in it.
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lkrfletcher said in PK100 fail:
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
Just a safety reminder. If you uncomfortable or have no experience with a volt/ohm meter or working with electricity then please disregard the below advise.
Before you do anything drastic there are 2 things you should check. Check your heating element for resistance. Make sure your smoker is unplugged before you even start . Disconnect all wires that are on the heater element. Using a volt/ohm meter measure the resistance of the heater element. The resistance of the element should be around 28-32 ohms. If it’s real high then you have an open. If it’s zero then it’s a shorted out. If the heating element checks out fine reconnect the heater element to any wires you removed. Then using the same volt/ohm meter that you used to measure the elements resistance measure the voltage on the heating element. You should see 120 volts when the controller is calling for the system to heat up and 0 volts when the system turns the heat off. If the controller is bad my advice would be to chuck the old controller out and replace it with a PID controller. The PK-100’s controller is digital but all that means is you can dial in a specific temperature. If you want 175 you dial in 175. What a digital controller does not prevent is temp swings. When you set the temp to be 175 the heat will turn off around 175 but since the heater element is still hot you temp climbs 10-15 degrees. The same when the controller calls for heat. The controller will only turn the element back on around 166-170. By the time the element heats up your temp may be 150-155. Eventually the temp swings will close the gap but they will still be there. This also depends on how much mass/food your smoker has in it. A PID controller keeps the temp of your smoker what you set it at. If you want 150 you get 150 with no temp swings. The only time you will have a slight temp swing is when the smoker 1st starts to heat up. You may see a 5-10 degree swing on the up side but once it drops back to your setting it will hold it there forever regardless of how much your smoker has in it.
John Belvedere
Thanks for the info. The typical temp swings I get are around 20 degrees, and slow going as the PK100 is super insulated. This was working fine for 2 cycles, then it just started to drop and kept dropping. I was sure the burner had burned out, but sure enough it was still red. the burner is recently replaced.
UPDATE - I just got off the phone with PS Seasonings and they think the thermal bulb and wiring is shot. I need to order that and try that first.Life is a Garden - Dig it.
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John Belvedere
Thanks for the info. The typical temp swings I get are around 20 degrees, and slow going as the PK100 is super insulated. This was working fine for 2 cycles, then it just started to drop and kept dropping. I was sure the burner had burned out, but sure enough it was still red. the burner is recently replaced.
UPDATE - I just got off the phone with PS Seasonings and they think the thermal bulb and wiring is shot. I need to order that and try that first.lkrfletcher sorry for your luck right at elk season. Good luck on your hunt.
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lkrfletcher my new to me Smokin Tex 1400 just conked out too. I’m going to order a new element and thermostat. I was going to do this anyways but now I will have too. At least my sticks got to 135 before it crapped out and I was able to finish them in the roaster oven.
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lkrfletcher my new to me Smokin Tex 1400 just conked out too. I’m going to order a new element and thermostat. I was going to do this anyways but now I will have too. At least my sticks got to 135 before it crapped out and I was able to finish them in the roaster oven.
ND Mike Bummer - I think I can fix mine up. I mean the thing is bomb proof besides a few small devices. Stainless Steel inside and out. I just have to find the time when I return.
Life is a Garden - Dig it.
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ND Mike Bummer - I think I can fix mine up. I mean the thing is bomb proof besides a few small devices. Stainless Steel inside and out. I just have to find the time when I return.
lkrfletcher same with the Smokin Tex. There controller and element have not changed in over 20 some years.
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ND Mike Bummer - I think I can fix mine up. I mean the thing is bomb proof besides a few small devices. Stainless Steel inside and out. I just have to find the time when I return.
lkrfletcher I guess that’s one reason I like my smoker that’s built out of an old vending machine. Its wood fired, no computers, electronics, elements. Only time I run out of heat or smoke is when I fall asleep in my chair.
hey vegetarians, my food poops on your food!
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lkrfletcher said in PK100 fail:
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
Just a safety reminder. If you uncomfortable or have no experience with a volt/ohm meter or working with electricity then please disregard the below advise.
Before you do anything drastic there are 2 things you should check. Check your heating element for resistance. Make sure your smoker is unplugged before you even start . Disconnect all wires that are on the heater element. Using a volt/ohm meter measure the resistance of the heater element. The resistance of the element should be around 28-32 ohms. If it’s real high then you have an open. If it’s zero then it’s a shorted out. If the heating element checks out fine reconnect the heater element to any wires you removed. Then using the same volt/ohm meter that you used to measure the elements resistance measure the voltage on the heating element. You should see 120 volts when the controller is calling for the system to heat up and 0 volts when the system turns the heat off. If the controller is bad my advice would be to chuck the old controller out and replace it with a PID controller. The PK-100’s controller is digital but all that means is you can dial in a specific temperature. If you want 175 you dial in 175. What a digital controller does not prevent is temp swings. When you set the temp to be 175 the heat will turn off around 175 but since the heater element is still hot you temp climbs 10-15 degrees. The same when the controller calls for heat. The controller will only turn the element back on around 166-170. By the time the element heats up your temp may be 150-155. Eventually the temp swings will close the gap but they will still be there. This also depends on how much mass/food your smoker has in it. A PID controller keeps the temp of your smoker what you set it at. If you want 150 you get 150 with no temp swings. The only time you will have a slight temp swing is when the smoker 1st starts to heat up. You may see a 5-10 degree swing on the up side but once it drops back to your setting it will hold it there forever regardless of how much your smoker has in it.
John Belvedere said in PK100 fail:
lkrfletcher said in PK100 fail:
So disappointed. My PK100 just stopped working today. It is older. But have never had an issue before this morning. Went right up to temp. Then shut off normally. Went back to temp once more then on shutdown. It would not heat up again. I just cleaned the sensor. So I have no idea. What an embarrassment having to finish my porkbutts in the oven with minimal smoke added. Guess I will shove it to the curb. I’m disappointed. I guess it is asking too much to just have things work the way they are supposed too.
Just a safety reminder. If you uncomfortable or have no experience with a volt/ohm meter or working with electricity then please disregard the below advise.
Before you do anything drastic there are 2 things you should check. Check your heating element for resistance. Make sure your smoker is unplugged before you even start . Disconnect all wires that are on the heater element. Using a volt/ohm meter measure the resistance of the heater element. The resistance of the element should be around 28-32 ohms. If it’s real high then you have an open. If it’s zero then it’s a shorted out. If the heating element checks out fine reconnect the heater element to any wires you removed. Then using the same volt/ohm meter that you used to measure the elements resistance measure the voltage on the heating element. You should see 120 volts when the controller is calling for the system to heat up and 0 volts when the system turns the heat off. If the controller is bad my advice would be to chuck the old controller out and replace it with a PID controller. The PK-100’s controller is digital but all that means is you can dial in a specific temperature. If you want 175 you dial in 175. What a digital controller does not prevent is temp swings. When you set the temp to be 175 the heat will turn off around 175 but since the heater element is still hot you temp climbs 10-15 degrees. The same when the controller calls for heat. The controller will only turn the element back on around 166-170. By the time the element heats up your temp may be 150-155. Eventually the temp swings will close the gap but they will still be there. This also depends on how much mass/food your smoker has in it. A PID controller keeps the temp of your smoker what you set it at. If you want 150 you get 150 with no temp swings. The only time you will have a slight temp swing is when the smoker 1st starts to heat up. You may see a 5-10 degree swing on the up side but once it drops back to your setting it will hold it there forever regardless of how much your smoker has in it.
I agree with John Belvedere on this. These smokers can be repaired or upgraded and would be well worth the time to learn how. Another option is to find someone local who can assist you. If I was closer I would give you some help with it,
If you decide to repair it, customer service would be a good resource to contact to find out your next steps.Good luck on the elk hunt.
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lkrfletcher Yeah, I’d encourage you to fix it. Even if you don’t have time now, set it aside instead of throwing it out. We replaced a PK100 heating element in our service shop a year ago or so and while I didn’t do it, from what it looked like it wasn’t the hardest project in the world? https://www.waltonsinc.com/pk-100-heating-element available but you could check with them to see if they’d replace for free?
Get more help with your processing questions and learn more about processing meat by subscribing to our waltonsinc.com youtube page at https://wltns.link/waltonstv I am a Gorilla, love yourself
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lkrfletcher Yeah, I’d encourage you to fix it. Even if you don’t have time now, set it aside instead of throwing it out. We replaced a PK100 heating element in our service shop a year ago or so and while I didn’t do it, from what it looked like it wasn’t the hardest project in the world? https://www.waltonsinc.com/pk-100-heating-element available but you could check with them to see if they’d replace for free?
Jonathon I have a part on the way, the tech at PS said it may be the thermal bulb, so I will replace that when I get back. It is a good place to start. I already did the element, but perhaps it is going haywire.
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lkrfletcher I guess that’s one reason I like my smoker that’s built out of an old vending machine. Its wood fired, no computers, electronics, elements. Only time I run out of heat or smoke is when I fall asleep in my chair.
kyle that is very true!
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lkrfletcher I guess that’s one reason I like my smoker that’s built out of an old vending machine. Its wood fired, no computers, electronics, elements. Only time I run out of heat or smoke is when I fall asleep in my chair.
kyle true but with your stick burner your limited on what you can do. As well as the temperature swings are more erratic and lack of proper air flow for certain products.
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kyle true but with your stick burner your limited on what you can do. As well as the temperature swings are more erratic and lack of proper air flow for certain products.
twilliams I guess I have never found anything I cant do. All types of sausage, pork belly bacon, fish, pork butts, briskets and turkeys have all been done in it. True its not a “set it and forget it” like new electric smokers, but to me thats part of the fun.
hey vegetarians, my food poops on your food!
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twilliams I guess I have never found anything I cant do. All types of sausage, pork belly bacon, fish, pork butts, briskets and turkeys have all been done in it. True its not a “set it and forget it” like new electric smokers, but to me thats part of the fun.
kyle I like your style
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if the old timers did it with wood fires in smoke houses we should be able to
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lkrfletcher I guess that’s one reason I like my smoker that’s built out of an old vending machine. Its wood fired, no computers, electronics, elements. Only time I run out of heat or smoke is when I fall asleep in my chair.
kyle My hunting party still use our old block house smoker for our sausage, it was built by our fathers, will hold 500 rings of sausage.
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kyle My hunting party still use our old block house smoker for our sausage, it was built by our fathers, will hold 500 rings of sausage.
that is a keeper
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