# Do the drippings hurt lifespan of heating element?



## livewirecs (Apr 19, 2015)

Should I cover the heating element? Would the food drippings hurt it?


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## daveomak (Apr 19, 2015)

Don't know for sure......  but .... my guess is.....   anything that drips on a heating element causes immediate contraction from the temperature change..   that can't be good over time....


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## livewirecs (Apr 19, 2015)

That's what I'm thinking! Thanks!


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## cmayna (Apr 19, 2015)

Do you have a chip tray sitting on top of the heating element?  What type of smoker do you have?  If your element is exposed with possible drippings from above, I would create a drip pan above the element but just big enough to protect it.  Don't let the drip pan block the smoke from coming up to the meat.


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## livewirecs (Apr 19, 2015)

It didn't come with a drip pan but I put one in on the bottom shelf.


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## mummel (Apr 19, 2015)

My guess would be yes.


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## tjwheels (Apr 20, 2015)

My heating element is some what covered and hard to get at but I will take a dry green scrub pad and wipe it off the best I can after every 4-5 uses. The salesman at Bass Pro gave me that advice, he claims to be a long time smoker and offered plenty tips.


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## dcarch (Apr 20, 2015)

Drippings on a heating element will do no damage.

The actual heating element is a nichrome resistance wire embedded inside a thick ceramic jacket, and the ceramic jacket is inside the metal tubing you see. 

The drippings can never get to the nichrome wire.

Over voltage is the main cause of heating element failure. Something like for every 5% voltage jump, the life of heating element will be 50% shorter.

dcarch


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## daricksta (Apr 21, 2015)

Do you have a Masterbuilt electric smoker? If so, drippings will never hit the heating element thanks to the wood chip tray cover which also covers the heating element. Some guys foil over the cover just to prevent grease drippings onto it. I don't.


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