MES 40 Gen 1 element replacement

[handsonfire]

Good morning,
Been a while since I've posted, but always sneaking around looking and reading.

Month or so ago, right in the middle of the well anticipated apple juice brined turkey (Thanksgiving): my MES 40 gen 1 started tripping the GFCI outlet it was connected to. After testing the outlet .. it's the smoker (as luck would have it). Read all sorts of posts on the below SMF standard wiring and decided to rewire with heavier gauge heat resistant wiring. Down the local ACE and back to start the disassembly after a serious cleaning (easy off). When I get to the element assembly box in the rear: one side of the wiring (right side as you are looking at rear)falls apart. Refer to attachment

Fast forward a bit.
Rewire complete with much heavier heat resistant wiring and brand new heat resistant connectors as well as replacing the insulation (with fire place rated foam)and additional sealing with heat resist caulk (once again think fireplace): i plugged it in this morning. As luck would have it: it tripped the breaker yet again after 3 minutes plus.
So leaves me with the next step .. leaning towards replacing the element and avoiding the controller at this part.

As I read through the forums: Lots cutting out their chip box unit , replacing the element, and even turning it "upside" down for better heating. Since I have to do surgery anyway..here comes the questions..
1) Element or controller (best guess)?
2) Any recommended element replacements? for the 1200 watt element, to include 3rd party?
3) Any adverse effects for flipping it for better heat dispersion near center?
3a) I make the assumption that you flip the element and flip the wires along with it or does it matter?

BTW the turkey still turned out good after spending some time in the backup (oven) ..

 

[handsonfire]

Ok updating .. pulled the element: it looks to be in very good condition. Now I'm leaning towards the controller. Any recommendations or threads?

 

[Bearcarver]

I would check with somebody like tallbm .
He's m GOTO for anything electronic in an MES.

Bear

 

[chopsaw]

Is it tripping the GFCI after running for 5 or so minutes ?
This is a problem I have had , still do at times . If you have an ohm meter check the reading of the heating element . Unplug the smoker , remove the wires to the element , take the reading at the element connections . I believe it should be 17 / 18 ohms .

However ,,, a low reading ( mine reads 5 ohms ) will trick the GFCI into thinking there is a problem and cause it to trip . Mine is intermittent .

Also while you are at it check resistance between the element connection and the smoker case . should read 0 .

 

[handsonfire]

That's almost exactly the symptom, only much less than 5 minutes. Three perhaps. It's pretty consistent. If I'm reading your reply correctly, it eludes to the controller circuit or a shorted ground to the case ..

 

[chopsaw]

If you check between the element and the case and it shows continuity the element is grounding out .

The low ohm reading at the element it self makes the GFCI think there is a bleed to ground . Like an extension cord in water type thing . Tat's why it takes a bit for it to trip .
Have you tried plugging it into a non GFCI protected circuit ?

 

[handsonfire]

No on the non GFCI. I don't have any externals that are not GFCI so slightly problematic ..

 

[fished]

my problem turned out the cabinet high temp sensor, one of the wires was burnt off. You can about six of them for about $5 on Amazon

 

[handsonfire]

Had not considered that. The wires to the sensor looked to be in good shape when I replaced them with larger gauge.

 

[cmayna]

The controller in the Gen1 MES40 that I got for free was toast, so I wired my element to a cord that now plugs into an Auber PID controller. Best mod I have done to this rig, besides flipping the element which places it more into the center of the smoker.

 

[handsonfire]

Leaning towards an Auber PID, just not quite ready to pull trigger. Have to resolve the GFCI tripping (probably, altho not entirely possible, not the GFCI culprit). We'll see after the element replace.
As far as flipping the element: I assume you drilled new element mount holes? Since when you flip it, they do not match the old OEM holes. Any other case mods to accommodate the flipped element?

 

[dr k]

Leaning towards an Auber PID, just not quite ready to pull trigger. Have to resolve the GFCI tripping (probably, altho not entirely possible, not the GFCI culprit). We'll see after the element replace.
As far as flipping the element: I assume you drilled new element mount holes? Since when you flip it, they do not match the old OEM holes. Any other case mods to accommodate the flipped element?

Carefully bend the element tabs 180° if flipping the element. I used vise grips to hold the tab to the wire it's welded to before bending. I have a Gen 1 40 so I cut the element mounting bracket in half lengthwise so no smoker box cutting. I used a longer ground bolt and two nuts. One nut to secure the ground wire like normal and the other nut inside the elemant access area to hold/secure the element. I screwed the other half of the element mounting bracket back where it originally was. I put shrink tubing over the rest of the longer bolt inside the element access area to keep the nut from backing off and to insulate it from a lug failure. I used a dremel cut off wheel to cut the bracket in half. You may have to zoom in to see the cut bracket so both halves are symmetrical to flip the element and fit existing smoker cut out. The Gen 2 and 2.5 may have different brackets. It just so happens my ground hole for the ground bolt is centered between the element legs so it worked out perfectly.