SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Tips and Tricks you have discovered with your S1, VII, Mini-VII, Dream, or Dream T that lets you do any aspect of coffee making, steaming, maintenance, etc better.
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Endo

SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Endo »

Apparently the lastest SSR upgrade is reto-fittable into the older S1s.

The SSR is a solid state relay (silent switch), which replaces the earlier "Triac" boards. The board used for the steam boiler carries more current than the smaller brew boiler, so this board needs to be cooled using a tiny (and noisy) little computer cooling fan mounted on the bottom of the frame. I hate moving parts...because they fail often...especially noisy ones. So I figure getting rid of this fan will be a fun little project (as long as it is less than $100).

Apparently the parts are available from Chris Coffee, but I don't know the cost exactly or what parts are involved. For anyone else interested in this upgrade, I'll post the details here as I get them and let you know.
Endo

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Endo »

Jason says the new SSR and wiring harness is $85.75. Not too bad. I might buy it next time I'm down in Albany.

No word if you need to drill new holes in the frame to mount it.
Endo

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Endo »

CC says if you want to install the new SSR, you'll need to drill and tap a couple of holes in the frame for the new mounting screws. Not a big deal for most , I suppose.

Here's the location as shown on Louis' machine:
New SSR Mounting Hole Location
New SSR Mounting Hole Location
IMG_2620a.jpg (42.95 KiB) Viewed 16071 times
Louis

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Louis »

Endo, if you need more pictures, just let me know.
Bitches_Brew

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Bitches_Brew »

Endo wrote:CC says if you want to install the new SSR, you'll need to drill and tap a couple of holes in the frame for the new mounting screws.
i don't think you would need to tap them. you might even be able to to mount it using the bolts and washers from the fan. (after drilling the holes)
nicfortin

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by nicfortin »

Let us know how it went. And after few wks of operation how it's doing.
I'm not familiar with electric stuff, but what is the difference between a "triac" and a SSR and why the latter would be better?
I'm not a fan of changing a part just for changing it... but if the "triac" fail on me down the road (I move my machine quite often for catering/show/PR for my business) it's good to know there is a better option.

thx
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chas
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Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by chas »

I think it would be a good upgrade IF the triac module fails. There is not much difference between the circuitry on that triac board and the circuitry inside an SSR. There is a triac at the heart of both. The SSR does use an optoisolator in front of the triac. I doubt the discrete triac board in the S1 has that. This provides some protection. In case the triac fails, the AC line voltage is isolated from the rest of the circuitry.

The advantage as a replacement is that the SSR mounts on the inside of the chassis and uses the chassis as a heatsink, so no more fan. The main complaint about the current arrangement has been fan noise which is easily cured with about 5 cents worth of flat washers. In the years this forum has been in existence I only remember one or two people complaining about a blown triac.

If you purchase an S1 that comes with the SSR and it fails out of warranty, you can buy a compatible SSR from a number of on-line parts distributors. For the triac modules you HAVE to buy that LaSpaz part.
Chas
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Endo

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Endo »

I now have all the panels off my machine, but it still seems there is a lot of work to be done disconnecting wires in order to be able to remove the fan and triac.

So I think I'll change my mind, and for this overhaul, I won't get into playing around with the electrical stuff and risk not being able to put it back together again (if it ain't broke.........). :lol: I think this overhaul will be restricted to simply opening the boilers and removing the grunge.
Louis

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Louis »

nicfortin wrote:Let us know how it went. And after few wks of operation how it's doing.
I'm not familiar with electric stuff, but what is the difference between a "triac" and a SSR and why the latter would be better?
Nic,

If you are technologically inclined, Wikipedia summaries how both components work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid_state_relay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIAC

Other than their different electronic nature, the main difference is that the S1 triac board is less energy efficient and dissipate more heat than the newer SSR. The lower the voltage; the more heat. On the original 220V S1 in Europe, the triac didn't need a fan. With the lower North American voltage (110V), a fan was added.

So the main advantage is lower noise (no fan required for the SSR).

Other than this, in terms on longevity, only time will tell if the new SSR will be better/worse than the original triac board. In any case, it should be easy to change, as this is a COTS component (of the shelf), rather than the proprietary triac board.
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GDK
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Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by GDK »

I noticed an old thread for making the fan quieter with simple modification - has anyone done that here and how effective is this mod?
Endo

Re: SSR Upgrade Retrofit

Post by Endo »

GDK wrote:I noticed an old thread for making the fan quieter with simple modification - has anyone done that here and how effective is this mod?
Yes. As Chas mentioned, several people have done the washer/spacer mods and it's apparently VERY effective.

I think I read that it was more effective on the V1 (the V2 is less noisy). Also, some machines are quieter than others, which seems to depend on how the fan is placed relative to the holes in the frame. So I assume if it is quiet enough as is, then it's best to leave it alone. But if you find it noisy, I'd start by adding a couple of spacers, and if that doesn't work, move on to the SSR.
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