Another smoker question

[onestepbehind]

I am thinking about running a smoker in my truck, but if I end up actually figuring out how to hook it up so that the right amount comes out to the amount of speed I'm goin would it be bad if you decided not to run smoke fluid in the smoker at times.... Would it burn the smoker out?

[WhiteWolf McBride]

Well...

I've not got any experience with smoker units, but have read a bunch of the tanker notes on theirs. Running too little fluid can be as bad as running too much, apparently.

The smoker is basically a heating element, and a fluid that vaporizes to create the smoke. The fluid also maintains the wire at a certain temperature. If it 'runs dry', or as you say, you run it w/o fluid, the element has no limiter on the temperature of the wire, and it can overheat and burn out.

One example of a similar item are those immursion heaters for heating fluids in a car, or ones used to keep livestock water troughs from freezing. If you run it without putting it in fluid, the element will get too hot, and burn out.

Bottom line, if you don't want to run the smoker ALL the time, put a switch in-line, or enable it to be unplugged when not in use. Otherwise you risk a burnout, and the heat could damage nearby items.

Anyone care to back me up?

WhiteWolf

[Bodyman]

Heck, Have a bunch of smoke come out. just tell everyone it has bad rings.
just like some of the trucks on the road. A real crop duster. haha

[Supermario]

I had a smoker. I connected to the vibration motor plug on the MFU.
First, I overfilled it no damage. Then after draining some out I got it working and was quite happy with how it worked but as quick as I grabbed my IPad to take a video, it must have run dry because the darn thing hasn't worked since. I gave up on the smoke idea. Here's the video that never smoked

http://youtu.be/E9N9X7BoQCo

Mario

[onestepbehind]

thanks for the responses they all make good sense.
Whitewolf- it slipped my mind to even put a switch in. thanks for the idea and a little schooling on it.
Bodyman-theres nothing better to me than a truck with alot of smoke rollin out the stacks.nothing like covering the cars behind it hahahaha
Mario- the idea always sounds like a good one till it doesnt work. its ashame it burnt out so fast.... it would look great in that pete your building!