Smoker Add-on

JoeV

JoeV

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After moving the smoker away from the house so the smoke wouldn't come pouring in the windows, that left the unit 15' away from the outlet. No problem, just grab an extension cord and run it across the deck. Nice idea until some hapless sap (DW and/or her people) trips over the bright yellow cord and knocks over the smoker full of meat. So, I picked up a few items at the store and threw in a GFCI outlet in a weatherproof box, and wired it directly to a spare 20 amp breaker in the panel in the basement. Took less than 2 hours and now I don't have to worry about having the smoker knocked over.

P1010815.jpg
 
BamsBBQ

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
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very good job..glad you did it this way rather than running an extension cord again..lol

those electric units seem to lose power the longer the cord is...personal experience learned the hard way..lol
 
F

FooD

New member
Nice mod!...and very practical.

I've been plugging in my Brinkman off my interior wall outlet just inside through the patio door but I noticed how hot the outlet got after each use. I hope the insulation on the interior wall lead wire doesn't end up melting eventually. That would be a bummer.
I might just have to add an external dedicated line just to run a heavy load appliance.
 
Keltin

Keltin

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I just checked the Brinkman Gourmet Electric Smoker. It has a 1500 watt element.

Power = Voltage x Current

So: Power / Voltage = Current

1500 / 110 = 13.63

So a 1500 watt unit pulls 13.6 Amps.
 
Love2"Q"

Love2"Q"

New member
sooo .. in all actuality it should be on its own circuit if on a 15 amp breaker ..
but should be fine as long as you are not using a vacum and what not
on the same circuit ..
 
Keltin

Keltin

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Technically, it shouldn’t use the full 1500 watts (13.6 amps) constantly. Probably only at first when you turn it on and it’s trying to get to temp. After that, the thermostat should cycle the element on and off.

But yeah, it should be the only thing on a 15 Amp breaker. Joe put his on a 20 Amp breaker, so he has some wiggle room.

By the way, awesome job on adding that outlet Joe. Very professional looking. :clap:
 
JoeV

JoeV

Dough Boy
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Keltin said:
Technically, it shouldn’t use the full 1500 watts (13.6 amps) constantly. Probably only at first when you turn it on and it’s trying to get to temp. After that, the thermostat should cycle the element on and off.

But yeah, it should be the only thing on a 15 Amp breaker. Joe put his on a 20 Amp breaker, so he has some wiggle room.

By the way, awesome job on adding that outlet Joe. Very professional looking. :clap:
Click to expand...
Thanks. It pays being a licensed electrical contractor.:lol: BTW, the GFCI outlet is also rated at 20 amps so I can connect other yard tools or appliances when the smoker is not in use.
 
Love2"Q"

Love2"Q"

New member
i was just doing some reading .. and i saw where gfci's are pretty notorious for
popping when a smoker is connected .. have you had any issues with that
joe?

i dont have a clue as to why it would happen though ..
 
Keltin

Keltin

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Love2"Q" said:
i was just doing some reading .. and i saw where gfci's are pretty notorious for
popping when a smoker is connected .. have you had any issues with that
joe?

i dont have a clue as to why it would happen though ..
Click to expand...

Probably a low rated GFCI?
 
Keltin

Keltin

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Gold Site Supporter
Plus, voltage and current are inversely proportional when power is constant. So if the voltage drops below 110, the current will rise to keep the power constant. So if voltage were to drop to 100 volts:

1500 / 100 = 15 amps.

A long run of wire will dissipate the voltage a bit allowing it to drop. Any sag in voltage can causes a spike in current that could pop a 15 amp GFCI.
 
Last edited:
chowhound

chowhound

New member
Thanks for the info, Keltin. That's definitely pulling a lot if it's only on a 15a breaker and with something else (possibly) running.
 
JoeV

JoeV

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Love2"Q" said:
i was just doing some reading .. and i saw where gfci's are pretty notorious for
popping when a smoker is connected .. have you had any issues with that
joe?

i dont have a clue as to why it would happen though ..
Click to expand...
The GFCI device will trip when it senses any path to ground. This is the lifesaving feature of the device. If the humidity outside is high, this will sometimes be enough to cause nuisance tripping. They will also wear out if they trip too many times, and then need to be replaced. If this happens to you and the device at least 10 years old, simply replace it or have it replaced by a qualified electrician. I cannot begin to count the number of these devices that I have seen wired improperly by well meaning homeowners trying to save a buck (or are cheap), and there is no protection provided when this occurs. Is your life and that of your family really worth the cost of a service call? I guess it is for some.
 
Love2"Q"

Love2"Q"

New member
JoeV said:
The GFCI device will trip when it senses any path to ground. This is the lifesaving feature of the device. If the humidity outside is high, this will sometimes be enough to cause nuisance tripping. They will also wear out if they trip too many times, and then need to be replaced. If this happens to you and the device at least 10 years old, simply replace it or have it replaced by a qualified electrician. I cannot begin to count the number of these devices that I have seen wired improperly by well meaning homeowners trying to save a buck (or are cheap), and there is no protection provided when this occurs. Is your life and that of your family really worth the cost of a service call? I guess it is for some.
Click to expand...


good point joe .. being in remodeling i have seen a few homeowners who
are lucky they did not burn down their house ...
one of my favorites was having to turn off two breakers one for upstairs
lights and one for kitchen lights to turn off the kitchen light ..
and the hot nuetrals ...
 
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