MES30 - question about electric element

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ncsmoker95

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 2, 2011
32
14
Hi all -

I've got a MES30 I was given, which I've been rebuilding.

It's the older analog 30
20070210-2-cropped.jpg


One thing I noticed while cleaning it up -
It has two permanently installed left-to-right chromed metal bars in the bottom, riveted into the walls off the smoker.
The element is mounted from the left side, just above those vars
On my MES30, the right-hand end of the element actually comes down and touches those bars.
There doesn't appear to be any sort of ceramic electrical insulator or anything like that there.
I seem to recall as well that on the electric stoves, the opposite end of the element is sometimes held up with a metal bracket, which I believe is also touching the bowl insert in the stovetop.

I understand that the element is high resistance to the 110vAC, and that's where heat comes from.

But I'm surprised there's not some electrical insulator between the element and the bars beneath it, to prevent at least some voltage from travelling to those bars, then the body of the smoker, and to YOU if you're standing in something wet.

Can someone who has that same smoker check and see if your element is touching those
bars, or whether there's some insulating block of ceramic?

Thanks, NCSmoker (Tim)
 
The element is internally insulated. The part you see is just an outer, tubular sleeve for shape and rigidity. Inside it is a much finer wire, with insulating material around that. Electric stove elements are constructed the same way, or it would short out anytime you put a metal pan on it.
 
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Err.... DOH!
OK thanks -- <whacks forehead a few times>
:oops::oops: (if there were an embarassed emoticon on here...)

Can we now not discuss the fact that I've been a amateur radio operator for 30+ years, and didn't even THINK about why pots don't short stove elements out!
Geez, that was dumb of me not to realize.... sheesh!

I think i'll allege early onset of I'm-old-now-thinking, combined with too much studying for an exam..
I swear that would have occurred to me.....really, it would...

<embarrassed smile>
 
Meh... It's just that I'm a longtime electronics/electrical tech.

That _really_ should have occurred to me.... it's not like I haven't known insulators from conductors for years...

I was actually overthinking it, imagining that by the point at which the element was touching the metal,
the voltage and current had mostly been converted to heat....

But insulation (even though the surface of an element looks like resistive metal, and would be conductive) makes far better sense...
 
Don't fret it. We all had to ask that same question (at least to ourselves if not to others) at one point. Yes, the element that is touching the support bars is the outer shell and not the actual heated wire which is inside that "element". I totally de-constructed a brand new MES Analog just like yours to make a Custom snack stick and jerky machine. I posted the build with a ton of photos and it can be found at this link:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-custom-ss-model-mods-pic-heavy.264396/

I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have about modding that smoker. Here is a link to a search response with some of the forum posts I started with info on smokes in my modded MES 30 analog.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/se...&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1&c[user][0]=50474

I insulated the smoker body and door with Roxul insulation, added a smoke stack with damper, added extra rack mounts for 8 racks, changed out the heating element to a different shape (more even heat distribution - the stock one ran hot on the right side as I'm not using the stock chip pan). Enlarged the air inlet and new air outlet for smoke stack, used a silicone plug (slit down middle) to plug stock air outlet and use it for the PID pit temp probe wire, added nomex door gaskets to seal leaky door, and finally..... Added a Auber Instrument "all-in-one" plug n play PID controller in a box for precision temp control. I think I listed it all

UFiaCa4.jpg
 
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