Shouldn't MES Heating Element Glow Orange When Heating?

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unity5358

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 18, 2013
42
10
I've been having trouble with my new MES 30. It takes forever to recover after loading it [I don't overload it]. Like 1.5 hours to recover from 150* back to 230*. Masterbuilt first sent me a new digital control. That made no difference. Now they sent me a new heating element. I haven't installed it yet. However, the one in there now does not glow orange like the element on a stove top. Isn't it supposed to get hot enough to glow orange like that? If so, the element or the electricity getting to the element is the problem. I hope it's the element, because I don't know what they're going to be able to do if it isn't, other than give me a whole new cabinet. I don't know if they will go that far.
 
I don't know if it should glow red, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to recover the temp if you only have the door open for a few moments.
 
I've seen it red, bright red, maroon etc. at different stages of heating. Your element should read about 18 Ohms on a meter if you have concerns on it going out.
-Kurt
 
The one that came in it didn't ever get hot enough to glow at all, it gets hot, but stays black so it's not getting very hot. I switched out the replacement they sent me, and it's the same thing. It heats up, but not hot enough to glow, it too stays black. So now we tried the digital controller and that wasn't it. Now the heating element and that wasn't it. Now I have to call them and see what more there is they can do. It sounds like I got a lemon, so to speak. Something appears to be preventing the wattage from getting to the element. Any further ideas, guys?
 
If you are using an extension cord.... DON'T unless it is 12 or 10 AWG wire... and make it as short as possible....
 
My mes 30 also takes forever to recover when you add cold meat to the cabinet. Now when i pre heat i crank the temp to 275 (max temp on the mes)for at least an hour add the meat and then start to drop back to where i want the temp to be once it starts to settle out. Also moniter cabinet temps with an accurate remote therm.
 
I've seen it red, bright red, maroon etc. at different stages of heating. Your element should read about 18 Ohms on a meter if you have concerns on it going out.
-Kurt
I have 18.2 ohms on my element, good voltage to the connectors and the element will not get hot. Ideas?
I got it at an estate sale with the cold smoke attachment for $60.
 
I have 18.2 ohms on my element, good voltage to the connectors and the element will not get hot. Ideas?
I got it at an estate sale with the cold smoke attachment for $60.
If the flat safety snap disk switch on the back wall is faulty, it may be opening and closing the circuit to the heating element. If you don't have an access panel like the Gen 1 series you can measure the distance from the switch inside the smoker to the top and left side to cut out the back over the switch to access it and bypass it to test if the element heats.
-Kurt
 
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I have 18.2 ohms on my element, good voltage to the connectors and the element will not get hot. Ideas?

Connectors may not be making connection to the element.. no pass through power... they could be corroded... remove and clean the element lugs with sandpaper.. replace the lugs on the wire.. solder the wire lugs to the element lugs...
 
If you have 18 ish ohms resistance across the element with the wires removed from the element, and you have 120V at the wire ends, you have a corroded connection somewhere that "breaks" when a load is applied...
 
If the flat safety snap disk switch on the back wall is faulty, it may be opening and closing the circuit to the heating element. If you don't have an access panel like the Gen 1 series you can measure the distance from the switch inside the smoker to the top and left side to cut out the back over the switch to access it and bypass it to test if the element heats.
-Kurt
Thanks, I bypassed the switch and turned right on. Again thanks to both of you.
 
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