New element for MES 30

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azbohunter

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Nov 23, 2013
465
39
Home is Glendale, AZ.
My MES 30 quit on me in the middle of a pork butt this morning. I had rewired it a couple years ago and have built and use a PID with it and have been pretty pleased with it for 3 or 4 years. Don't want to throw the whole thing so who has a recommendation for a source for a element other than MES. Would like to go with something that would give me a little more heat too. 
 
You should be able to remove the housing and mount a burner like this...  connect the wires to the burner and run out the back...   You will need high temp oven wire...  


 
Hey Dave, thanks for the reply. Should have been more specific maybe. 2 or maybe 3 years ago I replaces all the wiring in my MES 30 with a heavier gauge and got it at a appliance store along with high temp spade connectors. Actually now I am thinking that it may not be the element after all but one of the connectors failed. So, I will do it over again. I think I may try to figure out a job box of some kind and to mount on the back so the connectors are a little separated from the heat. 

Thanks and I hope you get some of the Okanogan kokanee for your smoker!
 
If your connectors failed...   AGAIN....  I replaced the connectors on my element with regular connectors that I removed the plastic insulation..  Then I crimped them to the replaced wire...  slid them on the element lugs where I had gooped them up with dielectric grease....  then crimped them "TIGHT" with side cutters, being careful to crimp only and not cut them....  wrapped with fiberglass electrical tape, for insurance....   it has been operating for 5 years like that...   (knock on wood) without problems...   a good solid mechanical connection is always recommended..

I think the grease protects the metal from corrosion...  dissimilar metals, in a humid environment, will corrode...   especially due to the smoker body being moist and having salt and other stuff inside...  

Don't give up... it's a great smoker body...   SS and insulated...  hard to beat...  except for the crappy electronics... 

FWIW....  when I had my maintenance business, I did most of my work around the salt water..  I always applied dielectric grease to any electrical wiring...  whether it be 12, 24, 32V DC stuff or 120-240 stuff....  I had an industrial electrician teach me that...  he worked in a refinery on Puget Sound..    I used it on my boat also...  wiring to bilge pumps and all wiring in general...   You'd be amazed at how stuff corrodes...  no corrosion on stuff I greased...  it always looked like new.....
 
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