getting ready to wire my toaster oven to a PID

[asmith80]

Just wanted to make sure I have the right plan here before I go snipping wires and connecting electricity. I want to use my PID to control my convection toaster oven, and I want to wire the convection fan to a separate switch so that it will stay on while the PID turns the heating coils off and on. I've got a separate PID controller that I also use with my lead pot.

Here's what the inside of my toaster oven looks like. It's a Black and Decker, can't remember exactly which model.



So here's what I'm planning....

The white wire on the right (blue arrow) runs directly from the power supply to the fan, so I'm guessing this is the common wire. I'm going to detach this from the existing power supply and re-attach it to the common wire in the new power supply (new power supply will be a light duty extension cord)

There is another wire that runs from the power supply to the control knob on the toaster oven that allows me to switch off the convection fan, and then from that knob the white wire on the left (orange arrow) runs to the fan. I'm guessing this is the hot line and the knob acts like the switch I'm trying to replicate. I'm going to disconnect the white wire on the left from the knob and then wire that and the hot line from the new power supply to a standard light switch which will get mounted to the side of the toaster oven.

Does this sound correct?

[popper]

Fan Looks pretty beat up. I just wired from the PID to the heater rods direct disconnecting the normal rod power. Left the rest alone. Fan and timer are clock motors that don't like pulsed power. Can't tell much from you pic.

[Dragonheart]

I agree with Popper, I think your fan has a problem, either hitting something or the bearings are out. I wouldn't go to the time and expense of a PID unless you have a convection oven worth it.

I personally would look around for a Hamilton Beach Countertop Convection Oven as these are typically a better built, accurate oven giving years of good service. if you happen to live in the area of Houston, Texas and want an oven to install a PID I have a New Black & Decker Quartz oven you can have for the effort of picking it up. This BD oven out of the box is not dependable for PC as the thermostats are junk and will wander 50 degrees.

Good luck on whatever direction you go.

[asmith80]

Thanks for the replies.

I double checked to see if the fan is damaged by finding some pics on the internet on how Black and Decker fans look. Seems like mine is normal. It's a little dirty, but the ones I was able to find all look like mine

I went ahead and rewired things the way I was planning and it all worked out great. I have a separate PID in a box, similar to the type HATCH sells. I had tried just plugging the toaster oven into the PID like I do with my lead pot, but the convection fan wasn't able to work since it kept getting turned off along with the heating element.

My idea was to wire the convection fan to a separate switch with its own power source so I could turn it on and have it run independently from the rest of the oven. That way I could have the PID run the heating elements and regulate temp and the convection fan could continue running the whole time.

I've only done a few test heats, but it looks like everything is running to within a few degrees of how I have it set. All temps were verified by a mechanical thermometer as well as a digital thermocouple reader. I'll post some pics of the setup later on

[asmith80]

Here's the side with the fan switch. You can also see the digital thermocouple reader that I used to check temp



Left side, you can see the PID and thermocouple inserted into the oven


Inside with the other thermometer used to check temp and you can see where the probe for the PID sits in the oven

[popper]

I hooked to the rods directly so the timer still works the fan. You did OK but might want to move the probe up some into the air flow. Fan blades look just bent up, still should work OK if not hitting anything.
My oven gathers dust now, I use a hot plate. Get 200 40 or 30 cal per cook, no domino effect moving them. Yoshi (or equal) sheets for cooking, last a long time.

[Conditor22]

I wired the SSR directly to the heating elements (top pid in C.), Oven heats up a lot faster now. I also removed one of the knobs in front and replaced it with a toggle switch for the fan using the existing power cord for power.
I also lined the bottom of the oven with ceramic BBQ briquettes (any heat retaining media will work) so the oven returns to temperature a lot faster.

Grids on top are for warming boolits before PCing them