Charbroil Electric Smoker preheats, but that's it.

[moxiedog]

Hi guys,
Newbie here, and first post.
The backstory. I got a "free" electric charbroil smoker. Model 14202002 to be specific. I smoked a couple of butts this summer, no problems. I was going to smoke a turkey breast for thanksgiving, but the smoker kept tripping the breaker on preheat. I set it to a temp of 225, and while it didn't trip the breaker, it didn't heat. At all.

Today, I finally pulled the back cover off and checked the wiring to the element. It looked OK. I cleaned the connections up, plugged back in, and it tripped the breaker again. Gave it one more try, and it successfully went through a preheat cycle, heat, smoke, beeping when it was done, all as it should. I set the temp down to 225, and came back out an hour later, and everything was cold to the touch again.

So it heats on preheat, but not on temp. When I push temp for the last time to preheat, I can hear it click. Not so when I try to do it by temp. What are your thoughts? Bad element? Bad control board? Bad something else?

Thanks!
Moxiedog

 

[bill1]

Did you trip a breaker on >15A over-current, or did you trip a GFCI on >5mA ground fault current? If a high-current breaker, there's a low resistance (<.8ohm) near- or dead-short to ground in your unit, probably the heating element. You will need to replace the element to fix the problem.
If you're just tripping the GFCI, it's probably also the element, but it's developed microcracks over time in the potting between the inner filament of the element and the grounded exterior and that's allowing small currents to ground that trips the GFCI. It's best to order a new element, but in the meantime you can run the unit in an outlet that is not GFCI protected, or try to locate where the exterior of the element is touching the grounded case and wedge mica or other high-temp insulator under it, or if you're positive the outlet is GFCI-protected and you've recently verified its operation with the test button, then you can float the case of your unit by using a 3-2 prong "cheater".

 

[moxiedog]

Good catch, it was tripping the GFCI. It was just doing it on preheat, but is not anymore. Nevertheless, preheat still works without tripping the GFCI, and just running it on temp does not heat. I will try a new element and report back.