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roasting with popper - help installing dimmer
dncpax
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Posted on 01/04/2019 5:46 PM
Hi there.

After reading lots of articles and watching videos, I still need help with modding my popper. The question is: is it possible to just cut 1 wire and install a dimmer to control just the heating, and leave the fan always running 100%?

This is a photo of the popper:
www.homecoffeeroaster.co.uk/images/imported/2019/01/103.jpg

Another angle:
www.homecoffeeroaster.co.uk/images/imported/2019/01/104.jpg
(You can more clearly see the input wire, and the earth wire going up to the bean container at the top. )

This is my interpretation of elements:
1 - input cable 220v
2 - switch on/off wires (I had removed the switch to disassemble the thing)
3 - circuit board that I don't know what it's for (may be transformer?)
4 - thermo cutoff?
5 - don't know - some security fuse?
6 - these wires come from the circuit board and enter the metal base, I assume to the heating element?

So I have a 1 phase dimmer, 220v 4a, and want to control the heating with it.

What wire can I cut and install the dimmer on?

I am inclined to cut the brown wire that comes from the #4 thermo cutter. It comes from the bottom through the circuit board and is originally the brown wire from the 220v input cable...

Thanks.
Duarte
 
renatoa
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Posted on 01/05/2019 2:39 AM
Depends how is your fan wired, taking its low voltage from a main heater split (parallel), or having its own series resistor.
Only in the second case you can mount the dimmer and let fan always 100%, which is not so good, imo...
This detail can't be seen from your pictures, it's internal to the blower build.
To find the connection type, I would unsolder the rightmost white wire, which probability to be fan power is 90%, and measure the resistance against the other wires.

The circuit board host the rectifier diodes bridge (motor is DC), and a LC filter, to
cut the motor brush sparks noise.
The 5 is indeed looking as a security fuse, but the placement is strange, usually this is inside the blower... so I guess is a current fuse, not thermal.
 
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