Author Topic: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months  (Read 37245 times)

Offline brianmch

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #15 on: July 18, 2023, 07:32:41 AM »
Yaaarrrggghhh!! Did you guys see my previous post about my extreme difficulty changing light bulbs now with these new fangled  LEDs?

Anyway, I just did a roast using a bit less than 1/2 cup and got away with it. The new Poplite didn’t quit. The older Poplite, of course, cranked on perfectly. Roasts are really short though, 3:45. Might try the 50 ft extn. cord again.

SM  is supposedly coming out with a new version of the Popper which addresses the overheating problem. They’re calling it a dark roast Popper. They’ve had manufacturing problems and the release date was pushed back to October. Not a real confidence builder.

If those roasts are super short the Poplite is probably putting out too much heat. Maybe put a small fan under it to cool intake air?

I'm not sure that SM delaying a release of the PAAR should cause heartburn. I'd much rather see a delay to rectify something that doesn't work the way they want it  than to just push something out.
 

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #16 on: August 12, 2023, 02:44:51 PM »
So Brian, you think it’s worth waiting and getting one of the new Poppers in October?
Since my last post, both my old and new Poplites now keep going tits up (overheating). Would a voltage meter or something, (long extn. Cord) do anything here?

Offline JackRussell

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2023, 04:04:32 PM »
An AC speed controller might help if your Poplites are overheating. I used one on my hot air popper when it was to hot and roasting to fast. I had it wired to the heat element so it didn't effect the fan speed but I think people have had success plugging into one also.

Offline Ascholten

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #18 on: August 14, 2023, 03:34:34 AM »
With that in mind, I think a Rheostat might work wonders as well.

Heating elements can get VERY sensitive to voltage at their upper / operating voltage end.  So if it's a 120 element, running at 110 volts or so may drop it's output significantly to fix your problem, however won't really kill the fan too much, it'll run a bit slower but you can easily compensate for that.

Aaron
As I have grown older, I have learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake!

Offline brianmch

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #19 on: August 14, 2023, 06:48:42 AM »
So Brian, you think it’s worth waiting and getting one of the new Poppers in October?
Since my last post, both my old and new Poplites now keep going tits up (overheating). Would a voltage meter or something, (long extn. Cord) do anything here?

Like what Jack & Aaron said, a rheostat of some sort is in order (ac fan speed controller, variable light switch dimmer, etc).Those are more controllable than an extension cord. Because ultimately what you're trying to do is limit your variables as much as possible to focus on variables in the bean.







Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #20 on: August 16, 2023, 05:18:02 PM »
OK, I see some plug & play 1500 watt rheostats on Amazon. I’ll try that.
Thanks gang!

Offline ptrmorton

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #21 on: August 17, 2023, 08:21:49 AM »
I stopped by my local thrift shop yesterday looking for parts to make a vacuum filtering system, and saw TWO older Poplites - one of which looked brand new for less than $5.
AZ Peter

Proverbs 3:5-6

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #22 on: August 19, 2023, 06:15:58 PM »
You’re not in Burbank are you? 😀😀

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #23 on: September 17, 2023, 01:21:51 PM »
Well Aaron, et.al., the saga continues. I was about to report that you’d fixed the problem because my last roast a week ago went perfectly. I got a rheostat and set it down to 102, lots of rotating, etc. After a few hits & misses, it then seemed to work consistently w/o overheating. But today, with a thoroughly cooled Poplite and the volt reader on 102 the newer Poplite just overheated & quit…again. Is it just a dud, or are all the new ones duds with a quicker tendency to overheat?

Offline brianmch

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #24 on: September 18, 2023, 08:01:01 AM »
Honestly I'm not surprised with the inconsistency.

My PAAR has become inconsistent too recently.  The fan quit blowing so I had to dis-assemble, clean out, lube, and re-assemble.  I've heard of over 1000 roasts on one but I think I may be at 100.

You may need to futz with your Poplite-could be the thermal shutoff is crappy. 

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #25 on: September 18, 2023, 12:52:57 PM »
Yeah I tried to futz with one Poplite. It did not end well. I’m thinking they’ve changed something in the sensor bc I’ve gone thru more poppers in the last year than I have since 2009. The Amazon warranty is only 30 days too, a telltale sign of something. Maybe I’ll just wait for the new popper from SM in October.

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #26 on: September 19, 2023, 03:45:52 PM »
So Brian, SM just got back to me re: Popper V2. Delayed till “some time next year.” So, I might try futzing with a Poplite again. I’ve seen videos and I’ll look around again, but do you have any hot tips on how to do this? Also, what’s a Paar?
Thanks,

Offline brianmch

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #27 on: September 20, 2023, 07:05:48 AM »
So Brian, SM just got back to me re: Popper V2. Delayed till “some time next year.” So, I might try futzing with a Poplite again. I’ve seen videos and I’ll look around again, but do you have any hot tips on how to do this? Also, what’s a Paar?
Thanks,

Paar=Popper as a Roaster.

I've never cracked open a poplite. 

Offline Ascholten

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #28 on: September 22, 2023, 06:52:16 PM »
If they are overheating, try cleaning out the roast chamber.,  Where the temperature thing presses against the metal, if there is crud caked on there from roasting, ie the char and baked on grease, try cleaning that off.

Also,  if the fan is running slower because bushings are drying out etc it will overheat. 

If nothing else changed and it's overheating the only thing it really can be is a reduced airflow, or faulty sensor for temperature cutting it sooner than it should.  do you have an external thermometer you could shove an rtd down in there and see?  if it's the fan you are kind of porked, because most of them are bushings not bearings and once they start to dry out, not a hell of a lot you can do.  yah you can spray oil on it but it turns into a dirt magnet and it just gums up faster.  Disassembly usually makes matters worse, unless you can get another fan or run two in tandem if th ey are getting that crappy.

Another thing to keep in mind, if the heating elements are wearing out, they are not putting enough heat on the beans, so you run it longer trying to get them done, that slow cooks everything,  ie the thing is designed to withstand the heat of roasting / popping corn for say 5 minutes, but because the elements are weak,you are now running it for 10 minutes, the heat gets thru, soaks the walls and now it trips on hi temp because you heated EVERYTHING up trying to get the beans done because of insufficient heat being aplied to begin with.

Have you looked at the wattage it takes when you first got it /vs. now?  try upping the heat a bit, I know it sounds crazy but give it a try, see if that pushes them thru till done before the high temp kicks you out.

Just a shot but might work.

Aaron
As I have grown older, I have learned that pleasing everybody is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake!

Offline newroaster

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Re: Several new Poplites, all overheat within a couple of months
« Reply #29 on: September 28, 2023, 02:43:03 PM »
Aaron, let’s go with “faulty sensor for temperature cutting it sooner than it should”

This Poplite is 5 months old & clean as a whistle. The other, old Poplite just keeps on trucking. But I might have just solved the problem. I snapped up a Poppery II on eBay, $19 bucks, shipping included. We’ll see. Thanks again, all you guys, for your help.