What cured me of filling the water pan with sand was the greasy mess I had to clean up the next time I opened my MES 30. I wheel my smoker in and out of the garage bungee corded to a small hand truck. I thought the aluminum foil would keep the sand securely in the water pan but I was VERY wrong. When I opened the smoker the next time after wheeling it out into my backyard the back of the MES was filled with damp, greasy sand. I had a heck of a time wiping it all out completely, getting it out from the rear rod I place the
AMNPS on, the seam between the floor and the wall, and wherever else it settled and clumped. Took me about 45 minutes. Yep, that was the last time I used sand and is why I keep the water pan empty and foiled over.