Sportsman GQF Running WAY too hot?

[RememberTheWay]

Can anyone help me figure out how to repair a GQF that is running WAY too hot? What would I need to replace?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Sounds like a thermostat issue.
What model Sportsman is it?

 

[RememberTheWay]

Sounds like a thermostat issue.
What model Sportsman is it?

1202

It's running about 120°F at least. Was unplugged after that and maybe the turners aren't working?

 

[The Moonshiner]

So wafer thermostat? One or two?
You adjusted it way down and it still got up 120°

 

[RememberTheWay]

So wafer thermostat? One or two?
You adjusted it way down and it still got up 120°

It's wafers. Sorry I could of swore I had already replied but I guess it never actually went through.

Sounds like a thermostat issue.
What model Sportsman is it?

Here are pictures of everything. I picked it up today. Do you know how to know if the wafers are good or bad? What about how to adjust them?

 

[The Moonshiner]

The wafers shouldn't set crooked like these. I can see the one is against the wood and idk if one or both has the screw bent or what.

They're also neither even near adjusted right. The way they're set it's not surprising it was heating up so high. They never shut off the heat source.
You'll see that little nub and if you push on it you'll see it's a switch. Temp. makes the wafer expand and contract. When it gets hotter it expands and pushes that switch to turn off the heat source. Then when it cools it contracts and moves away from the switch turning the heat source back on.
Those wafers are adjusted way too far from the switch part to ever contact it.
Turn on the incubator and see if you can see the wire glow or you should be able to feel the heat. But don't touch that wire. Use your finger and press that switch on each one one at a time and see it when you do it shuts the heat off. If so they work. If not they don't.
Those look like original so they are quite old.you can replace either way but they're probably $25 to $30 each.
Turn the screws to move the wafers closer to the switch. Watch and see if they're bent. Looks like they are but don't know. If bent you can try to bend them back straight but I'd just replace them. They might take some hunting to find but not too expensive.
You can test the wafers or just replace them. They're probably $10 or $15 each.
Turn that screw to get them close to the switch then monitor and adjust till they click on and off at the temp you want. Run it till it gets a little above temp them screw in until it clicks off then make small adjustments to get it ideal. It doesn't take much turning to fine tune it. 1/4 or 1/2 turns once you get close.
When you get them set turn the wingnut tight to hold them in place.
The reason there's two is the first one runs it and the second is a back up in case the first one fails at some point. Set the second one first and set it at like the high but safe range then set the first one right where you want it.
If any of that doesn't make sense let me know.

 

[RememberTheWay]

The wafers shouldn't set crooked like these. I can see the one is against the wood and idk if one or both has the screw bent or what.
View attachment 3961069View attachment 3961070
They're also neither even near adjusted right. The way they're set it's not surprising it was heating up so high. They never shut off the heat source.
You'll see that little nub and if you push on it you'll see it's a switch. Temp. makes the wafer expand and contract. When it gets hotter it expands and pushes that switch to turn off the heat source. Then when it cools it contracts and moves away from the switch turning the heat source back on.
Those wafers are adjusted way too far from the switch part to ever contact it.
Turn on the incubator and see if you can see the wire glow or you should be able to feel the heat. But don't touch that wire. Use your finger and press that switch on each one one at a time and see it when you do it shuts the heat off. If so they work. If not they don't.
Those look like original so they are quite old.you can replace either way but they're probably $25 to $30 each.
Turn the screws to move the wafers closer to the switch. Watch and see if they're bent. Looks like they are but don't know. If bent you can try to bend them back straight but I'd just replace them. They might take some hunting to find but not too expensive.
You can test the wafers or just replace them. They're probably $10 or $15 each.
Turn that screw to get them close to the switch then monitor and adjust till they click on and off at the temp you want. Run it till it gets a little above temp them screw in until it clicks off then make small adjustments to get it ideal. It doesn't take much turning to fine tune it. 1/4 or 1/2 turns once you get close.
When you get them set turn the wingnut tight to hold them in place.
The reason there's two is the first one runs it and the second is a back up in case the first one fails at some point. Set the second one first and set it at like the high but safe range then set the first one right where you want it.
If any of that doesn't make sense let me know.

Which direction do the wafers need to go? Closer to the wood wall or closer to the metal bar in front of them?

Honestly, I'm hoping it was user error and that they actually do work and I just got these for a miracle! Bc I REALLY needed it. Like so grateful I can't even begin to put words to it. It does seem like maybe the back one is warped slightly but I'm not entirely sure.

I think they were not adjusted right to begin. The person I purchased from said they shut it when the temp read 120. They have a newer better one so just left it and never messed with it. The person they bought it from was supposed to have been using it right up until their death unfortunately so it did work before they purchased it.

Really appreciate you helping. So thankful. Really. Do you happen to know anything about how to work the turners or know if they are functioning on auto. It does move when out on manual I think. So doesn't that mean at the very least the drive shaft is still working?

 

[RememberTheWay]

The wafers shouldn't set crooked like these. I can see the one is against the wood and idk if one or both has the screw bent or what.
View attachment 3961069View attachment 3961070
They're also neither even near adjusted right. The way they're set it's not surprising it was heating up so high. They never shut off the heat source.
You'll see that little nub and if you push on it you'll see it's a switch. Temp. makes the wafer expand and contract. When it gets hotter it expands and pushes that switch to turn off the heat source. Then when it cools it contracts and moves away from the switch turning the heat source back on.
Those wafers are adjusted way too far from the switch part to ever contact it.
Turn on the incubator and see if you can see the wire glow or you should be able to feel the heat. But don't touch that wire. Use your finger and press that switch on each one one at a time and see it when you do it shuts the heat off. If so they work. If not they don't.
Those look like original so they are quite old.you can replace either way but they're probably $25 to $30 each.
Turn the screws to move the wafers closer to the switch. Watch and see if they're bent. Looks like they are but don't know. If bent you can try to bend them back straight but I'd just replace them. They might take some hunting to find but not too expensive.
You can test the wafers or just replace them. They're probably $10 or $15 each.
Turn that screw to get them close to the switch then monitor and adjust till they click on and off at the temp you want. Run it till it gets a little above temp them screw in until it clicks off then make small adjustments to get it ideal. It doesn't take much turning to fine tune it. 1/4 or 1/2 turns once you get close.
When you get them set turn the wingnut tight to hold them in place.
The reason there's two is the first one runs it and the second is a back up in case the first one fails at some point. Set the second one first and set it at like the high but safe range then set the first one right where you want it.
If any of that doesn't make sense let me know.

Does this front one look closer to right? I finally figured out what you were talking about that it depresses. Lol. It's on the bar. Thinking the back wafer might be warped though

 

[The Moonshiner]

Closer to the metal bar. I'll take a pic of one of mine tomorrow to give you an idea how close to it they should be as a reference.
Like said one of yours is just a back up so if the first fails the second one will kick off the heat to not overheat the hatch.
If one operates but one doesn't or the one has a too bent of a screw you can run it with just one. You'll just have to leave the nonfunctional one backed way off with any luck.
Just by the picks I can tell you the issue was they weren't adjusted correctly. Now they could also be non-working but honestly that set up usually lasts for years and years and years.

 

[The Moonshiner]

It should be a little ways away from the bar when off or below temp. The hotter the incubator gets the hotter it causes the wafer to get. That cause the wafer to expand until it then touches the switch. That will turn the heat off then when the wafer cools it shrinks and that causes it to back off the switch until it isn't touching it then the heat comes back on and it repeats the cycle.
You can back it off a bit and turn on the incubator. Watch your thermometer and when it hits say 101° or 102° then turn the screw until it touches it enough to click it and turns the heat off.
Then watch your thermometer and see what the temp is when it clicks back on. Not the temp when it turns on and when it turns off.
Adjust the screw to get both the on and off temp to the range you want.
Make small adjustments when it's close and let it cycle several times and watch thermometer. Once it's where you want it tighten down the wing nut.