HT Oven Help

Mike

The plans are here http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com/papers/HT-FURNACE.pdf as well as many other locations online. I bought the coils from Budget Casting Supplies. The plans call for 2 coils. This is where I made my mistake. I put 2 240v coils wired together in the oven. You only need one 240v coil. The PID should have wiring instructions with it.

If you have any questions please let me know and I will help if I can.
 
Thanks buckaroo.

I had seen these plans before, but lost them in all my searching. Thanks for posting the link.


So, questions:

Did you use a PID Controller? I saw you mentioned the directions. I am still a bit cautious of working with 240V and I'd really like to see pics and/or schematics so I don't hurt myself. :)

If so, would you mind posting a picture and/or wiring diagram?



The single element: I see how you would order two and only need one--the stretching to length should make it fit nicely, am I right?
 
Can someone explain the difference in wiring the elements in series and wiring them in parallel. I have ordered 2 of the 240v elements. I am converting an old paragon oven to run off a pid and ssr.
Thanks,
Rickey
 
Rickey - I see nobody has answered your question about parallel vs series yet. I'll make a stab at it. Just think of your elements as if they were batteries with a positive (+) end and a negative (-) end.

Parallel would be with the "+" ends wired together, and the "-" ends wired together. This would give you the same voltage but twice the amps/watts from the battery. Same with oven element, paralleled would operate at same voltage, but take twice the amps, and produce twice the watts (in general numbers).

Series wired would be with the "+" of one battery (element) wired to the "-" of the other battery (element), allowing you to have a "+" end and a "-" end to connect to. This would give you twice the voltage, but the same amps/wattage as one battery (element).

This is just general terms to make it fairly simple so folks like me can understand.

Ken H>
 
Series vs parallel,
KenH has explained it nicely, I just add my version here:

you can also think of it as pumping water through a hose.

At a certain pressure (voltage) you pump a certain amount/volume( Amperage) through a certain diameter (resistance) hose.

If you wire the elements in series you have just created a longer hose of the same diameter. With the same pressure applied the volume you are pumping will not be more than before, You will need a bigger pump/more pressure to achieve more volume because the internal resistance is going up.

If you wire the elements in parallel you create a hose of double the diameter compared to a single element and at the same pressure you can pump now double the amount.

Pressure + Volume indicate the power of the system so its clear that if you can pump more water its more poweful.

Its not a perfect analogy but imagining it like this helped me to understand why parallel configuration will give you more Watts overall .
 
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