Scary Moment

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brokenwing

Meat Mopper
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Mar 30, 2010
258
27
Northern Maryland
I have a electric Brinkman Gourmet smoker.  I have used this smoker the past 6 or so years, and have made some excellent meals with it.  Its oldfaithul considering I paid 65 dollars for It and it lasted this long, versus the masterbuilt which made it just a little over a year.  Anyway as the ham finished smoking I reached over and grabbed the plug to unplug the smoker, It was blazing hot, and burned my hand.  I  Immediately took the outlet cover off, pulled the outlet and the box and checked the wall, everything was OK.  Scared the you know what out of me.  I found replacement elements for cheap so I'm going to try that, as this has never been a issue before.  So a word of caution out there, always check your appliances, and be safe when smoking meat.  The good lord was on my side today.
 
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Brokenwing, your element is not your problem. Brinkman element is 1500W, or about 13 amps of current. This kind of current needs VERY good contact with the outlet. Outlets often get loose after some time and don't grip the plug tightly causing resistance. Resistance causes heat.

Make sure your plug is clean and shiny. If it doesn't fit snugly (takes some force to push it in or pull it out) change the outlet.

It's normal for a plug to be warm carrying that much current but it should not be that hot.

Chuck
 
I will double check the outlet, I just replaced it less then a year ago, and have never had a problem until yesterday.  I understand though what your saying chuck, and thanks for the advice I will double check that this evening.
 
I have found that when buying replacement outlets (receptacles) there are a variety of grades and AMP sizes available. The very cheapest outlet found at a Home Depot or similar may not be as reliable compared to a more expensive/higher AMP commercial grade outlet thay may also be found at a Home Depot or similar. The higher grade outlets are not really needed for most locations in the home, but in my opinion are worthwile for an outlet used for an electric smoker. A GFCI outlet is also a good choice for such a location.
 
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Wow - I just learned a lot with this thread 

Thanks for posting 
 
Any time I do any wiring I ALWAYS use 12 gauge wire & 20 amp outlets for 120 volt use. It costs a little more but the peace of mind it affords me is worth the added expense. Just my humble opinion...
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
 
Any time I do any wiring I ALWAYS use 12 gauge wire & 20 amp outlets for 120 volt use. It costs a little more but the peace of mind it affords me is worth the added expense. Just my humble opinion...
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
X3 I had one installed on my deck to use my MES...JJ
 
I remodeled houses for 15 years, and we always required 12 ga. wire and 20 amp breakers

The extra money was a mute point compared to the potential hazard with overloading a circuit

The wires of an outside outlet can get corroded and you would never know it.

Replace the outlet with a good quality commercial outlet.

The cheapies cost $.99, and the good ones cost $3

Todd
 
I have found that when buying replacement outlets (receptacles) there are a variety of grades and AMP sizes available. The very cheapest outlet found at a Home Depot or similar may not be as reliable compared to a more expensive/higher AMP commercial grade outlet thay may also be found at a Home Depot or similar. The higher grade outlets are not really needed for most locations in the home, but in my opinion are worthwile for an outlet used for an electric smoker. A GFCI outlet is also a good choice for such a location.
use a 20 amp gfci on a 20 amp circuit, or a 15amp on a 15 amp circuit.,its normal for the plug in to be a little warm as said earlier in this thread.
 
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