Temp regulation and/or probe issues in 3.5

[Mnsesq]

When I seasoned my new 3.5 I did so without the convection fan running (outside temp went from 30’s in the morning to 50’s later) and the unit impressively stayed within a few degrees of 300.

The three subsequent smokes, using confection and the cold smoker attached, have shown that like today, outside temps in the 30’s, the unit was set to 125° but a meater probe showed the actual temperature inside The unit was over 180°. And the internal temperature of the sausages was 145°.

Temperature fluctuates wildly and is always much hotter than the set temp.

I reached out to Steve after the second smoke went down poorly, and he suggested the problem was a pan of water I had on a rack. I’ve reached out to him with the data on the third smoke and I’m waiting for a response.

But in the meantime, I’m hoping that someone may have some ideas on here. Does cold weather affect the functioning of this supposedly upgraded controller?

Any other ideas as to why I am having these issues?

 

[old sarge]

I have never had a problem like you describe and do not use wifi or my phone. I set the box temp and meat temp (or box temp and time) at the controller and let the smoker do its thing and walk away. I use an instant read to check the meat temp when needed but that is all. Just a question: Have you checked your meter with the ice water and boiling water test for accuracy? Keep in mind that 212 degrees for boiling water is a sea level temp and will vary by elevation.

 

[Mnsesq]

I have never had a problem like you describe and do not use wifi or my phone. I set the box temp and meat temp (or box temp and time) at the controller and let the smoker do its thing and walk away. I use an instant read to check the meat temp when needed but that is all. Just a question: Have you checked your meter with the ice water and boiling water test for accuracy? Keep in mind that 212 degrees for boiling water is a sea level temp and will vary by elevation.

I’ve been using the meater probes for years and find them pretty accurate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I bought yet another set of probes and will be running a test using all.

 

[old sarge]

Sounds solid.

 

[Mnsesq]

Here are the results of the test and the exact info I sent to Steve:

"At 6:22AM this morning with outside temps in the low to mid 30's, I placed 8 temperature probes inside the unit in various places: 4 Meater probes (wireless) and 4 thermpro's (wired). (Two of the probes must have fallen onto or near the heating element shortly after beginning the test so most of the data is from 6 of the probes). There was no wind.

As you can see from the data, the unit promptly heated up and far surpassed the 125 degree set temp and stayed well above for quite some time, fluctuating wildly, while the unit was neither able to correctly measure its own temperature nor regulate at any level for hours. It was over 30 degrees over the set temp for over an hour while it read its probe as being much cooler than it really was. To be clear, it could not measure its own temp correctly AND it could not regulate to even its incorrect temp.

Over three hours passed before the unit came close to the accuracy that you advertise.

Your FAQ states the unit can be used in rain or snow (presumably it would be very cold outside when snowing) and you also recommend against preheating.

I'll admit I'm a bit cranky at this point, because not only have I spent my entire morning gathering data, but this past weekend I put some 12 hours (and plenty of money) into crafting 4 different types of sausages that were promptly ruined because this thing can't perform as advertised.

So these are only two conclusions from this test:

Either 1.) The unit is not actually designed or able to function in cold weather.
Or, 2.) It is indeed designed to work in cold weather, but I have faulty controller.

Which is it?"

Steve I believe was honestly trying to be helpful but was in something of disbelief. He asked to chat about the result so I called him.

Below is the email follow-up I sent him after the conversation:

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the temperature regulation problems.

In summary from our conversation:

You stated that if I felt strongly that the temp was 30 degrees off that I could make an adjustment to the PID to compensate. I explained that the data showed it was thirty degrees off but only for a certain amount of time (3 hours or so) after which it seemed to be able to both sense and regulate. So your suggestion would just move the temp issue from the front end of the cook to the back end.

You said that cold should not affect the operation or accuracy and that you have not seen a problem like mine.

You suggested that I try an autotune.

I agreed to give autotune a try. If autotune doesn't resolve the issue you agreed to a refund."

So when I have time, I will try an autotune. But I also followed up with another email:

"I have only ever used my phone and the app to control the SI unit. After we spoke yesterday regarding doing an auto tune from the unit itself, I uncovered the unit and looked at the control panel. It was covered with condensation on the inside obscuring the LED.

If there is condensation (water) inside the control unit, presumably it would freeze in cold weather. Could that be affecting the unit's ability to properly gauge its own temperature?"

He has not responded to my last email.

At this point I'm wondering if anyone else has done the kind of testing (not relying on the apps info but using other probes to measure the real temp) and what the results were.

Any help here is greatly appreciated.

Two photos are attached. One is the raw data as I wrote it down and the other is one of meater probe temp charts.

 

[old sarge]

I am at a loss. Steve has sold a lot of the 3.5 so maybe someone will come along.

 

[Mnsesq]

I later noticed condensation inside the digital control box and reported to Steve. This is his reply. I think we are getting closer to finding the issue.

"There should not be condensation on the inside of the digital control box. The control box has a silicone gasket at its base and it should also have a sealed access hole directly beneath where the wires come into the box. Are there any holes in the faceplate on the control box where the buttons are? You can remove the screws that hold the control box to the top of the smoker and do a visual inspection of the wire access hole to see if it is completely sealed off. Moisture can affect the circuit board and performance of the temperature control "

 

[old sarge]

The controllers are well sealed, I can attest to that. Just maybe yours was not 100% from the factory (human error) but should be a very easy fix. Check it out like Steve suggested.

 

[old sarge]

If you do find a gap or leak, RTV650 should seal it up well. If you need to reseal, I would recommend thoroughly drying out the controller with a hair dryer on a low setting. I would check with Steve for his opinion/expertise since your smoker is under warranty. One other thought concerning the long time to heat up. Have you fired it up with no food or wood and looked at the heating element in the dark? It should be a bright uniform glow with no dead or dark spots. Given enough time even a bad element will eventually raise the box temp. Here is a link on elements:

Appliance411 FAQ: Testing a Range/Stove/Oven/Cooktop Element

An electric range's element is basically just a resistance wire suspended inside of a hard metal alloy (see picture). When power is applied to it, the resistance wire generates heat which is conducted to the element's outer sheath where it can be absorbed by the cooking utensil or the air inside...

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