[AllezAllezAllez]

Looks like everyone in this thread is using knock off SSR's. Anyone have any issues with theirs? They usually just have lower rated chips. I just had some delivered from aliexpress and they appear to be the fake ones.

Fake vs Real

Real FOTEK - FOTEK logo, Rated text and corner edge of bottom right near sticker is angled.

 

[AllezAllezAllez]

I have a question regarding the relays.

In majnu's diagram they have stated in the guide that Terminal 1 on the SSR-AA is to be Piggybacked to Brew Switch - Bottom pin and Terminal 2 on the SSR-AA is to be Piggybacked to the steam switch - Top pin.

In the photo of the relays the 1 and 2 terminals are flipped the other way around compared to what diagram in the guide is.

Are the written instructions above correct or should they be reversed?

 

[bbstrikesagain]

I was wondering about this as well. What is the point if you're not controlling it with the PID?

What does your wiring look like? Would it be the same as nonyymi24's diagram?

The point? Circa 1°C hysteretic boiler temperature control will give pretty consistent stream pressure, no more timing when to open the valve.

Same wiring? No.

For redundancy, and minimal power re-wiring, my SSRs will just replace the regular stats, so they're effectively in series, not parallel. I'll be keeping a 150°C stream stat in series too, as protection for the thermal fuse. The one you linked has the SSRs in parallel, which has its attractions, slightly more efficient, but more disruptive.

I'll be taking earths from metal casing to metal casing.

I'll be powering the XMT (etc) from a fused L and an N. Definitely not pin 1 to GND as that could put up to 8mA return current into the earth, a no-no, creating an imbalance in L and N, maybe even enough to trip the RCD in some cases.

I'm not going to share my wiring until I have all the parts and together and get it commissioned. I might share then, but it will be specific to my model, RI9480/19, 230 V completer with auto off.

 

[bbstrikesagain]

Looks like everyone in this thread is using knock off SSR's. Anyone have any issues with theirs? They usually just have lower rated chips. I just had some delivered from aliexpress and they appear to be the fake ones.

Fake vs Real

Real FOTEK - FOTEK logo, Rated text and corner edge of bottom right near sticker is angled.

Damn. I've ordered what will probably turn out to be fakes too, from aliexpress. Ouch.

Not just FOTEK being faked either, seems MGR (formerly Mager):
https://www.huimultd.com/INFORMATION/purchase_real_MGR_SSR/

Can't find any sellers for genuine FOTEK or MGR - can anyone?

Professional distributors' SSRs start around £25 incl. the VAT:
25DA https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solid-state-relays/1640576
25AA https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/solid-state-relays/9032974

Around £40 to buy a 40A pair of (DA and AA) SSRs (that may be MGR) from Auber on a slow boat from the US.

I suppose I might try whatever they do send, but once the fakers start faking they tend to progressively down rate the expensive components with reckless abandon, so I wouldn't be surprised if the "40A" SSRs fail even in our (240V) 5A application... Grr!

 

[AllezAllezAllez]

Hmm so I tried my XMT7100 with the dual SSR'S but the boiler never heat up so I just went with the single SSR. Temps while steaming seems to drop quite a bit - down to 130c but if I start steaming just as it starts going up I get pretty good steam.

Ideally I would like a second SSR to help with the steaming but it's fine for now.

 

[newdent]

I'm doing a bit of research in preparation for my PID upgrade and am I correct that the reason for two SSRs for steam and brew is because of the controller you guys are using? Presumably there's no need to have two?

I'm using an ESP32 so no restrictions imposed by the controller.

 

[AndyDClements]

@newdentWould that PID be able to have two target temperatures selectable by two inputs (switches)?

 

[newdent]

@newdentWould that PID be able to have two target temperatures selectable by two inputs (switches)?

Yes, current plan is to do so based on steam switch position but might make it selectable via web app initially. Would need extra hardware to detect switch position (I assume), though unlikely to be expensive.

 

[MartinB]

When I did mine, I only did the brew (one SSR). By having the boiler temperature 'on screen' you can easily learn how the stock steam thermostat works. In the end I realised that if I waited until the boiler was at 150 degrees and the steam light had come on, the boiler temp would drop do about 118 degrees before the thermostat kicked back in which meant an absolutely rubbish steaming experience.

By starting to steam around 140 degrees the boiler will climb/maintain it's temperature up to around 150ish and ensure great steaming.

Hope that helps.

 

[r4mmr0d]

Hey All,

I'm trying to add a REX-C100 and single SSR (40DA) to my Gaggia Classic Pro 2019 (USA). I've been struggling with this for about five days because my boiler heats up to 160C, then drops to 115C, and hits 160C again whenever the power switch is toggled on.

My PID and my SSR are only showing 'output' when i'm below my set temperature of 60C (testing temp) and i've tried two different SSRs and REX-C100s from different manufacturers to eliminate hardware as a variable.

I'm pretty frustrated because all i have done is tapped (piggyback) the neutral from behind the plug, tapped (piggyback) the live (middle post, in my USA machine its brown) wire on the power switch (note: I've also tried connecting to the hot wire on the brewing switch, which still receives power when toggled off. That is reflected in the diagram below), swapped the brew thermometer out for a K-type Thermocouple, and taken the two wires that had terminated on my brew thermometer and spaded them to the AC side of my 40DA SSR.

I've not altered anything else, and my PID and SSR are behaving as anticipated, yet the boiler is hitting steaming temps whenever the gaggia is turned on. I've validated that my switches are actually working and the steam switch hasn't failed 'closed' or anything, and my wiring is exactly reflected, (down to the color) as this 2018 USA GCP wiring diagram.

I'd be deeply appreciative of any help you could offer at this time!

 

[r4mmr0d]

UPDATE: I swapped the two wires that terminated on the steam therm over to the SSR, and plugged the two (originally brew therm wires) into the steam therm terminals. IT WORKS. However, this change means that my steam button no longer does anything. I can manually crank up the boiler temp to steaming levels with the PID, but that is a pain in the ass. Any thoughts as to why this didnt work with the brew wires?

 

[bbstrikesagain]

Looks like everyone in this thread is using knock off SSR's. Anyone have any issues with theirs? They usually just have lower rated chips. I just had some delivered from aliexpress and they appear to be the fake ones.

Fake vs Real

Real FOTEK - FOTEK logo, Rated text and corner edge of bottom right near sticker is angled.

View attachment 61643

View attachment 61645

So, I ordered carelessly and of course I have fakes. I'm daring to use them, when I'm around only, as it's only around 5A load (230V). They are working, and running cool, but like most, mine are 100% genuine fakes!

And

What the FQFER!!!

I was feeling more hopeful about another source, more SSRs on the way, planned to use genuine and tear down the fakes to check how bad they really are, but now I'm not so sure about the ones that are coming:

I know, I know, I could just drop £60 on some good SSRs, or gamble on the dodgy fakes, but I'm on a bizarre and challenging mission to land some genuine FOTEKs....