MES 40 Wiring issue

the model number 200070211. I have had it for about a year and a half.  Next project is probably gonna be to remove the back panel and do a complete re-wire.

It seemed like it was having trouble heating up the last time I used it, so I kinda suspected that it might be in need of some doctoring. 

DaveOmak said:

Bill, morning....  that may not be necessary... but good insurance...   Usually, the connection becomes loose from expansion and contraction... or the crimp was inadequate.... or corrosion.....  when that happens, the resistance increases at the point of poor connection and burns the connectors off...  The remaining wiring is still good.... Using an anti-oxidation paste or tinning the lugs will reduce corrosion... Solder the wiring to the element terminals with high temp solder would be an almost permanent solution....    Dave

Click to expand...

Dave, good morning sir.  I agree... complete rewire is probably not necessary.  I believe the repair that I did will address most of those possible causes.  The only thing on your list that I did not do was solder the wiring directly to the element.  I soldered the connector to the wire, bent the "wings" on the connector to make it a tighter connection and coated the connection with anti-oxidation paste. I also covered the connection with high temp silicone.

I was thinking about taking the back cover off to see the condition of the other components and since the wiring isn't very expensive I thought about just replacing it to extend the life of the smoker.  I am currently smoking a chuck roast and a couple of butts and I smoked two ~13 pound turkeys on Thursday, so I will probably pull the small cover off just to see how the repair looks and go from there.  I enjoy using my smoker way too much (ie: the family likes the food) to let it fall completely apart and I can't afford to replace it at the moment.

As always, I appreciate the reply/advice.  I am still relatively new to this so I am trying to soak up all the information that I can.   -Bill