Trying to repair an induction heater

[poseidon't]

I don't know why my client still has this... it's literally older than me. I was born in 1989 and this heater, for some reason, is from 1975. Wow. It even has a Siemens RS3020CJ tube. Anyway, I don't know what to specifically look at. How can I figure out that there's really a problem with the tube? Please enlighten me.

 

[TulsaPrince]

That's wild!! It's definitely had a long life. Easiest way to check the tube is to test it with a tube tester if you have one or swap it with a known good one if possible. Also look for signs like no glow, weak output, or crackling.

 

[Mr_electricals]

Man, 1975? that thing belongs in a museum or a fallout shelter, still running, then that's german engineering for you, you have to do good visual check for the siemens, look for any cracks, white residue (which could mean a vacuum leak), or dark burn marks inside the glass. Next, if you have access to a tube tester, you can actually measure emission and transconductance. Not always easy to come by, but super helpful

 

[poseidon't]

Man, 1975? that thing belongs in a museum or a fallout shelter, still running, then that's german engineering for you, you have to do good visual check for the siemens, look for any cracks, white residue (which could mean a vacuum leak), or dark burn marks inside the glass. Next, if you have access to a tube tester, you can actually measure emission and transconductance. Not always easy to come by, but super helpful

Hahaha, sorry this is quite funny. It does seem like a relic already, even the steel part doesn't look too "steel" any longer. The client agreed to throw it away.

 

[OhmMy]

You've got some solid suggestions here, if you can track down a tube tester, that's definitely the way to go, or you might want to trade it for one that's known to work well. Also, keep an eye out for any visible signs, look for a lack of glow, any white residue, or burn marks. I'm honestly amazed it's held up for this long

 

[dreyfuss16]

I don't know why my client still has this... it's literally older than me. I was born in 1989 and this heater, for some reason, is from 1975. Wow. It even has a Siemens RS3020CJ tube. Anyway, I don't know what to specifically look at. How can I figure out that there's really a problem with the tube? Please enlighten me.

Do you have a multimeter or any test gear handy to check voltages around the tube, or is this more of a "by feel" troubleshooting??