PID Switches

[mosquat]

Hi all,

I'm setting up a control box for RIMS and want to add some switches, they will simply turn the PID on/off and I just wondered about required amps etc.

Might be nice to have illuminated switches but if thats tricky I will give it a miss

Many thanks for any tips and advice

[Hairybiker]

If you are ONLY supplying power to the pid then any switch should do as long as it is mains rated. However if you are also switching the supply to the heater then you will need to up the amperage to over the required for the heater.

[Wonkydonkey]

Or a switch that controls a relay(30a) that controls the pid

Edit 5a switch to control the relay
Edit2,,,, it depends how you wire it up,it can be good to have a switch that just goes to a relay that turns the power off to the SSR, this way you can still see the temp as the pid thinks it's working but it's inertrupted between the pid and the SSR with that switch and the relay

Maybe someone will drop by and add a bit more. But if they don't I could do a diagram but it's a lot of work, if you just look and it's not the way your gonna do it....

But the bottom line is what you want the switch to do/ and where the switch will be in your wiring. you say just to control the pid....

I have two switches one that powers the pid and the other that controls the relay which is in between the pid and SSR.

This probably helps, but just brings in a load of more things that you never thought of ( if the switch is off to the relay, that controls the SSR, you can't burn the heating element out( run it dry). So In a kettle when you have boiled the wort and are cooling with an ic you can see the temp without the pid trying to heat it up. It's just so you can see all avenues, and don't have to change it at a later date.

[mosquat]

Ah thanks thats food for thought and something I should prob do as I recently burnt an element out doing this.....hmm...I have a pid heatsink and SSR rated at 40a but that will be feeding the element are you suggesting another relay....happy to be confused more both posts really helpful

[mosquat]

To clarify i only wanted a way to turn off the pid but there seems to be more things to consider!

[Pinto]

Its simple...... SSR switches the element, PID switches the SSR, Switch switches the PID - the last two are low current operations, the first one a high current op.

Long and short, any switch rated 240V, 6-10A will suffice - domestic light switch can do that and will be your cheapest source; look into what sparkys call "Grid" switches, although try to use the clip-in variety (some brands require a fixing yoke)

http://www.denmans.co.uk/downloads_publ ... r_2013.pdf

You can cut these direct into your control box without the need for a faceplate if you're careful.

[mosquat]

Thanks, nice and easy [WHITE SMILING FACE]

[Wonkydonkey]

But I thought with SSR there Is a little bit of current leakage. But anyhow. as you say if you only want to turn the pid off and on then what pinto says will do he job............I think I used 5a in my box of tricks and 1 one of these switches off the relay that controls the mains to the SSR.