# Need a little help with my Little Chief smoker



## SallyE (Apr 8, 2018)

First post ever and brand new to the forum.  Here we go...

This is my first electric smoker, so please bear with me and my newbie questions.  (I did a forum search and couldn’t find my answer.)

This is a used Luhr Jensen Little Chief electric smoker.  I love it however, I can’t get it to heat up. I think I need to switch out the elements?  Seemed like an easy fix, right? I’ve replaced heating elements in incubators before.  Problem is, I can’t find a replacement online that matches the original.  Am I out of luck?

Thank you in advance for your help and assistance.


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## SallyE (Apr 8, 2018)

Here is the heating element, up close.
	

		
			
		

		
	

View attachment 360020


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## old sarge (Apr 8, 2018)

That is old looking, certainly different than what is currently offered.  Here is a link for testing the element.  If it is indeed dead, send the photo to SmokeHouse products and see if their newer element will work.   Maybe a small range top element from a hardware store would work.  Good luck!
http://www.appliance411.com/faq/test-element.shtml


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## SallyE (Apr 8, 2018)

old sarge said:


> That is old looking, certainly different than what is currently offered.  Here is a link for testing the element.  If it is indeed dead, send the photo to SmokeHouse products and see if their newer element will work.   Maybe a small range top element from a hardware store would work.  Good luck!
> http://www.appliance411.com/faq/test-element.shtml




Thank you so much!  That gives me a good starting point to figure this thing out.


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## old sarge (Apr 8, 2018)

You are welcome.  May be you just need to get a new smoker.  They are still manufactured.  Another oldie but goodie is the Old Smokey line.

https://www.oldsmokey.com/products/electric-smoker?variant=350587737


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## daveomak (Apr 9, 2018)

I found an older model and a newer model...  both "should" work....  



If you get an element with more BTU's, there is a device that will control the heat...


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## SallyE (Apr 9, 2018)

daveomak said:


> I found an older model and a newer model...  both "should" work....
> 
> 
> 
> If you get an element with more BTU's, there is a device that will control the heat...


Thank you. I can’t wrap my brain on how to get the new elements to fit into the element “box” designed to house my previous, short pronged element. 

I’m taking it to a friends to be tested.  Hopefully it’s just the cord. The element still looks brand new, save for the wires.


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## daveomak (Apr 9, 2018)

Hopefully it's a corroded wire connection....  That would be cool.....


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## SallyE (Apr 12, 2018)

UPDATE:  Turns out the smoker works perfectly, as is.  It was just tripping my fuse box.  (Running my hairdryer and curling iron at the same time do the same thing, so it’s my house’s problem, not the smoker.)


Anyway, thank you all for the help.


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## GaryHibbert (Apr 12, 2018)

Well, you sure gotta love it when the problem fix is that cheap.
Gary


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## SallyE (Apr 12, 2018)

I know, right?  

At least it gave me the opportunity to take it all a part, clean the element and put on a new cord.

Unfortunately, unless I want to do an upgrade on the house, I won’t be able to use it.  So, on Craigslist it goes.  Bummer.


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## old sarge (Apr 12, 2018)

That is certainly good news. Sort of.  Might want to have the house wiring checked at the panel and the outlets and see if they can support a higher rated circuit breaker or were you serious when you said "fuse"! And there might be a problem that you have inadvertently uncovered.  Safety first!


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## Rings Я Us (Apr 12, 2018)

I run my smoker off a line by itself  using an extension cord I bought special for bigger appliances.  My smoker is 3 times the wattage of yours.  1650 watts compared to the chief 450 watt. To bad you can't run it on it's own line for a few hours.


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## SallyE (Apr 12, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> I run my smoker off a line by itself  using an extension cord I bought special for bigger appliances.  My smoker is 3 times the wattage of yours.  1650 watts compared to the chief 450 watt. To bad you can't run it on it's own line for a few hours.



Would you mind posting a link to your extension cord?


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## SallyE (Apr 12, 2018)

old sarge said:


> That is certainly good news. Sort of.  Might want to have the house wiring checked at the panel and the outlets and see if they can support a higher rated circuit breaker or were you serious when you said "fuse"! And there might be a problem that you have inadvertently uncovered.  Safety first!


Yep.  I agree.  Safety first.  I have an electrician friend coming over to check it out.


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## Rings Я Us (Apr 12, 2018)

It's a cord 25 foot rated for a 1800 watt appliance or something..  It's from a regular hardware store .

HUSKY 25 ft.  14 gauge extension cord..good for running a big electronic appliance. I bought it at a home depot store for like $20.00


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## indaswamp (Apr 13, 2018)

I have nothing to add to what has already been mentioned on your smoker. But will welcome you to the forum. Hope you get things figured out. A larger cord will help.


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## old sarge (Apr 13, 2018)

SallyE said:


> Yep.  I agree.  Safety first.  I have an electrician friend coming over to check it out.


Good to hear you are getting your electric checked. Far more important than running a smoker. Good luck.


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