Heat stick question

Hello all, I had a question for those of you using 120v heat sticks. So I built a heat stick using a 1500w element and checked it for leaks and all that, and it worked well for a couple of brews but recently I started having problems. About 20-30 minutes into usage it trips my GFCI, I can take it out let it cool and try again and the same thing happens. Do I have a leak somewhere that is causing the ground fault? Anyone else ever have this issue. I've checked the wiring a dozen time I know it is correct, I stopes just short of tearing apart the heat stick to check there.

Water is getting in somehow, you've got a leak my friend.

On one of my heat sticks developed a leak, a hair line crack at the bend. Hard to see, but was getting water in the unit.

tom

I had the same thing happen with mine after about 6 months of use. The J-bend one.

I went to mounting elements in the keggle, which I recommend.

Ya I figured it was a leak, I was just hoping not to hear the truth. Well at least My GFCI did the right thing!

Mine was a "J" Bend type as well, I used two packages of JB Weld but I guess it wasn't enough. I guess I need to really load up the bottom end of the stick with that stuff!

So just in case you've never seen one this is what it looked like when I tore apart my dead heat stick











This last picture is where I think the problem began notice the cracks around the threading, this is where I think the water entered.