Pro-Melt is tripping the circuit breakers today

[Walter Laich]

Went to fire up the P-M and it tripped the breaker after 10-20 seconds. did it with the PID in-line, with just the extension cord and finally straight into the wall socket.
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Same result: varies a bit but within 20 seconds or so breaker trips.
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Opened it up and didn't see any loose connectors or anything.
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two ways to go:
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1. get RCBS to send whatever is not working but not sure if it is switch, temp rheostat or heating element.
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2. wire the heating element straight into the end of the power cord and just use PID to how temps
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Welcome all thoughts and suggestions

[bangerjim]

Well it is not a short......you have 10-20 seconds of life!

What is the rating on the breaker on that outlet circuit? Should be 20 or 30 A.

What does the PM draw?

The controller does not draw hardly anything.

What else is on that same circuit?

Did it used to work on that circuit? And what has changed since it DID work?

There is no rheostat in a lead pot! It is an bi-metal t-stat.

All needed to help you out.

bangerjim

[petroid]

As bangerjim said, what else is on that same circuit? Make sure the pot is the only thing on the circuit and try again. If it still happens, put something with a decent draw on the circuit, like a space heater or hotplate or window ac unit and see if it trips. Circuit breakers do go bad, and with weather changes, especially humidity, they can trip easily.

[Smoke4320]

I am betting bad breaker ..

if you have a hot plate plug it in same circuit and turn on hi ..and unplug the Pro melt .. If breaker trips you have the cause

[shooter93]

Humidity is often missed as the culprit especially if you're using a GFI receptacle.

[jsizemore]

What happens when you plug it into another circuit?

Most 115-120VAC household circuits are 15 amp (14 gauge wire) or 20 amp (12 gauge wire). Long term, circuits are meant to run at 80% of the rated capacity. If you've been using your setup on a 15 amp circuit, could be the breakers wore out or too much is on the circuit to carry the addition of the furnace.

[David2011]

All good responses. I would bet that it's something other than the pot. A 110V circuit will have a 15 or 20 amp breaker. I would bet on an old, weak breaker first; GFCI second. As a professional troubleshooter, assume nothing is good. That which you assume is good will smite you later.

David

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I doubt it's your RCBS pot or PID, since you've used those before.
I'm guessing you have more on that circuit that you usually do.
maybe a AC unit? dehumidifier? PC oven?

[NavyVet1959]

Turn that circuit breaker off and wait for your wife to yell. Find her and you'll find out what was also plugged in that was overloading the circuit. :)

If not, then you probably just need a new circuit breaker.

Most of the time though, it's something else that is on the circuit.

Easy enough to test... :)

[cheese1566]

Is it a breaker or GFCI controlled circuit? I got my promelt used from a buddy at RCBS who is a tech. They got it in under warranty because the guy said it tripped his breaker. They couldn't replicate it. Once I got it, I found it tripped my circuit that had a GFCI on it in the garage. I replaced the GFCI to a new 20 amp ( yep, it's got a 20 breaker with 12 ga wiring) and haven't had issues.

[Greg S]

Nv59...ROFLMAO. Thanks I need it and didn't see it coming.

[Walter Laich]

OK, more data.
it's a dedicated line 12 gauge line from main breaker box to GFCI, about 20 feet. the GFCI is only thing on line--was put in just for casting.
20 amp GFCI

Everything was just as it was before this, just started the 20 sec pop of the GCI, the main breaker never popped in all the trials. Removed, in order: the PID, the extension cord and finally plugged directly into GFCI = all the same results.

Was about 70% humidity at the time for FWTW

my next step is to bring inside and use a non-GFCI circuit to see if there is any difference.

did have to dig out my Lee 20# pop to cash from and it was 'interesting' to say the least.

"the plot, like my gravy, thickens" Raj on Big Bang

[Beagle333]

So it isn't tripping the breaker, only the GFCI? New RCBS pots will often trip a GFCI for a few uses until they get broken in. Then it will stop. Something about the insulation used and having to burn off the moisture in something or other..... nevermind that. Plug it into a non GFCI outlet and cast 3 or 4 pots full and see if it doesn't stop doing it when you move it back. 8-)

[Walter Laich]

up-date:
I tried it inside the house to be sure I was not getting a GFCI. Still popped


I tried it with a PID inline and it popped.


I then bypassed the switch and temp control in the Pro-Melt, wiring the cord directly to the heating element and it kept working for 3 minutes at which time I unplugged it as it was getting quite warm 150º and rising, PID still inline.


Just for kicks as my Dad used to say, I tried it in the kitchen, GFCI system in there, and it continued to work; I again unplugged as it was now 160º

I'm thinking I'm narrowing down to the problem = switch on temp control

[Walter Laich]

up-date, Part 2

Since I was feeling lucky I decided to bypass the temp control and the switch one at a time.

to cut to the chase the switch had a very loose connection on the neutral wire connector. I squeezed it tighter, reinstalled and...

all is right with the world; everything works and this on a kitchen GCFI circuit to boot.


total cost is 5 pop rivets which I already have.

FWIW the testing process had the pot on for 12 minutes total at which time the temp was 203º doesn't take long for it to warm up (pot is completely full of lead BTW).


Now to do something else before I burn myself on it.​

[VHoward]

Loose connections can be troubling to say the least. Glad you found the problem.

[petroid]

Glad you got 'er did.

[Walter Laich]

Up-date 3: life sucks

worked fine before I reassembled
after reassembly--no joy
as I get the unit apart it works again and notice the switch on the unit stays lit in both positions--cool, not have to worry about turning it on as it's always on.

Asked tech support for a new side switch and finding something else to do before I hurt myself

Tomorrow run down to Radio Shack (motto: You need help? Let us sell you a phone) and see if they have a replacement so I can get this 15 minute job, that has run into an all day event, so far over with.

[NavyVet1959]

So, you wired your PID directly into the unit instead of into a box with an outlet that the unit then plugs into? That makes testing without the PID a bit cumbersome.

[Walter Laich]

No, didn't explain that clearly--my bad:

PID is in its own box with both male and female 120 plugs.

I took the 120 power cord in the pro-melt and ran the ends inside the pot straight to the heater coil bypassing the switch and the temp control.

In fact ran it in this fashion to empty out the 20 lbs that was in the pot so now it's much easier to move around; no GFCI popping at all wired this way

SAFETY note: if you put it back on its stand with a full pot it will want to tip forward due to the weight of the lead. I used a bar under the front lip of the green housing to take the load off the two bolts that hold the stand to the pot assembly.

p.s. turns out Radio Shack has nothing even close to the bad switch. Tempted to leave it wired as is as I always use the PID. Would really reduce resale value not to mention liability issues if I ever sold it.

[Alexn20]

Time to hard wire it. Breakers are for wimps. I prefer to live dangerously.:brokenima

**sarcasm

[Walter Laich]

I love sarcasm.

It's my middle name...actually it's Ernest but if I could pick it, it would be sarcasm.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Up-date 3: life sucks

worked fine before I reassembled
after reassembly--no joy
as I get the unit apart it works again and notice the switch on the unit stays lit in both positions--cool, not have to worry about turning it on as it's always on.

Asked tech support for a new side switch and finding something else to do before I hurt myself

Tomorrow run down to Radio Shack (motto: You need help? Let us sell you a phone) and see if they have a replacement so I can get this 15 minute job, that has run into an all day event, so far over with.


No, didn't explain that clearly--my bad:

PID is in its own box with both male and female 120 plugs.

I took the 120 power cord in the pro-melt and ran the ends inside the pot straight to the heater coil bypassing the switch and the temp control.

In fact ran it in this fashion to empty out the 20 lbs that was in the pot so now it's much easier to move around; no GFCI popping at all wired this way

SAFETY note: if you put it back on its stand with a full pot it will want to tip forward due to the weight of the lead. I used a bar under the front lip of the green housing to take the load off the two bolts that hold the stand to the pot assembly.

p.s. turns out Radio Shack has nothing even close to the bad switch. Tempted to leave it wired as is as I always use the PID. Would really reduce resale value not to mention liability issues if I ever sold it.
So, no luck with RCBS on switch replacement ?

[Walter Laich]

didn't mean to convey that, they are sending one out; just will be next week before it's shipped and want this project to be over with.

Want to get back to casting bullets and not messing with the pot which I realize is part of the big picture.

Did clean out the pot and clean up pretty much everything I can get to so now to find something else to do--have some bullets to PC so that may be my new job