Was browsing fleabay for a regulator and saw THIS (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-3800W-AC-0-220V-Voltage-Regulator-Dimming-Light-Lamps-Speed-Control-/331012329594?)
I don't see any problem in using it as a dimmer for an argos kettle element.
Any thoughts?
I've used one with my buffalo in the past. I'm now using it as a speed controller for an angle grinder. Its perfect and dirt cheap.
Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk
Hi Lord Erin
I use two of these to control the rolling boil in my boil kettle where I have 2 * 2.4kw heating elements. There was a prior thread discussing these exact things. See the following for details.
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,176.msg32540/topicseen.html#msg32540
I had an electrician mount them side by side in a large junction box. They are used to control the power being fed to a pair of sockets where the heating elements are plugged in.
Shanna
Eoin, I have one one those gathering dust in the garage. I can give out to you Saturday?
oops, too late. already ordered 2 ;D
you've a lot of stuff in that shed Garry!
@shanna - cheers for the link, missed it. looks like the exact same one i found. great! we can't all be wrong. but now i want solid state relays too..
@Garry, I have some dust in need of gathering.
I'll borrow the spare dust at some point garry :D
I'll bring it Saturday, ye can fight over it :P
I've more dust than LE. It will feel more at home in my shed.
I meant that I'll borrow some of the spare dust you get off john. But only if there's enough.
sorry to disappoint
A feck it, as I just got rid of a load of dust.
always a feast or a famine
The live wire connects in and out through the 2 connectors, right?
Does it matter which way?
Like this?
any idea which connector is input and output?
For grounding the heatsink, I suppose just run a wire to the lead's ground wire? (like in the updated attachment above)
Did it not come with instructions?
I'd ask for your money back. :-*
Quote from: LordEoin on March 24, 2014, 04:59:28 PM
Does it matter which way?
No it's AC you using if it was DC yes it would matter
Sent from the thingy in my hand.
Quote from: ratsathome on March 24, 2014, 08:10:44 PM
No it's AC you using if it was DC yes it would matter
I was thinking the same. AC shouldn't matter?
It didn't come with instructions I'm afraid :( I think it's a Chinese government conspiracy to kill us all. They send us enough cheap electronic components with no instructions and we'll electrocute ourselves and family's. Jim Corr has a great website, you should check it out :P
Back on topic, I didn't realise you'd have to earth the heatsink. I've got an SSR relay with an exposed heatsink, should this be earthed?
Rightio, i kinda figured it wouldn't matter when there were no markings, but wanted to check it out.
Spent the day playing with the SSR instead, but will mess with this regulator during the week.
Christ Garry, you weren't joking about the heat off those SSRs...
Lordeoin just wondering how this worked out for you, I installed one other day and having trouble with overheating the unit and stopping altogether. :(
Describe your setup and exactly what happens. How is it overheating?
YES it does matter how you connect these. See the photo in the first page of this.
It is not a light bulb or an element. The electronics may be sensitive as to which is feed and which is load.
The terminal nearest the heat sink should have either 220 or a wavy line (symbol for ac) printed in white on the pcb.
This (as pictured) is live in, second terminal is live out and do make sure to earth the heat sink!
Here is how I wired up my regulator. It's smells badly when it running. It reaches boiling with the dial turned just over half way. Then stops working, as in keeps boiling and not letting me turn down the boil. By this stage it's very hot. When I turn the power supply off for about ten minutes it will work again, ie I can turn heat up or down. There was no mention of earthing the heatsink with the instructions
Well its obviously a totally different thing to the 3.6 kW dimmer mentioned so far!!
heres a link to the one I purchased.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/201326501530?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
It says in the item description that you may need to add a cooling fan to help with heat dissipation from the heat sink. Depending on the wattage of your element, this is most probably the problem. Either that or attach it to a larger heat sink