How do I know if I got a bad heating element?

[BrewinSoldier]

Long story short, decided to build a RIMS tube to replace my Blichmann RIMS rocket. I got it put together yesterday and decided to test it out today for a brewday. Got my mash water dialed in, turned on the pump to get the water flowing through everything for a few minutes like I always do to prevent dry firing. Then I turned on the blichmann electric controller and set the temp to 156°. The thing climbed to 180-188° which I thought was weird. It ran for a little bit and then started tripping my GFCI breaker. There was no dry fire, no burning smells, element looks fine visually. I took the RIMS housing off to test the element and took the two hot legs off of the element for testing. My multimeter is auto ranging and set to ohms. It was reading 1.087. Is my brand new element bad? Is this common? This completely ruined my New Year brew day which sucks.

The element is a stainless steel 240V 5500 watt fold back element from ebrew. Shot them an email but everyone is closed due to the holiday.

 

[brewbama]

Touch a probe on the multitester to each screw on the element. If you get no reading, or a maximum reading, the element is bad. Elements do have some resistance, so a reading of 10-16 ohms is normal, with higher ohm readings for 3,500 watt elements and lower readings for 5,500 watt elements.

If your water is getting extremely hot and/or the reset button is popping out you may have a grounded element. Touch each screw with one of the multimeter probes. Place the remaining probe against the metal base attached to the element where it enters the water heater. If there is any value on your OHM meter(there should be no reading) the heating element is grounded and has to be replaced.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Touch a probe on the multitester to each screw on the element. If you get no reading, or a maximum reading, the element is bad. Elements do have some resistance, so a reading of 10-16 ohms is normal, with higher ohm readings for 3,500 watt elements and lower readings for 5,500 watt elements.

If your water is getting extremely hot and/or the reset button is popping out you may have a grounded element.

So I did that and that's where I got my reading of 1.087 ohms. Not sure exactly how to read that. Does that mean I have a bad element?

so I guess the one thing I don't understand is the decimal point and maybe I have a setting off on my multimeter. I'm wondering if that should be 10.87 ohms.

 

[brewbama]

So I did that and that's where I got my reading of 1.087 ohms. Not sure exactly how to read that. Does that mean I have a bad element?

I’m no expert and would double check some anonymous dude on a brewing forum, but IMO yes, if there is any value on your OHM meter when you touch either terminal and the flange (there should be no reading) the heating element is grounded and has to be replaced. In other words there should be no path between the filament inside the tube and the tube.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Yeah I was just trying to get some reassurance on my findings. I watched that video and a few others. My element is no good. No continuity and when I touch the nut or a ground, it doesn't show anything either. Really bummed.

 

[brewbama]

Yeah I was just trying to get some reassurance on my findings. I watched that video and a few others. My element is no good. No continuity and when I touch the nut or a ground, it doesn't show anything either. Really bummed.

That sux. I had a temp probe on my RIMS go out which delayed a brewday. When you buy a replacement get an extra if you can afford it. Of course, as soon as you get the extra it’ll never burn out again.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Well I decided to go to home Depot just to see if they had a 240V 5500w element and they did for $18. Brought it home and checked it with my meter. 10.5 ohms. Swapped it in and it's working perfect.

Now I know something definitely went wrong with the other element. Not sure what though.

 

[brewbama]

Oh yeah. She’s roached.

 

[Ahks]

The line near the scorch marks hints at a dry fire in the tube. There was air trapped in the RIMS tube somehow.

Unless it was like that when you bought it... Then someone else fired it only partially submerged and returned it

 

[augiedoggy]

The line near the scorch marks hints at a dry fire in the tube. There was air trapped in the RIMS tube somehow.

Unless it was like that when you bought it... Then someone else fired it only partially submerged and returned it

This, How was your rims orientated? my guess it you had it mounted vertically with the element mounted from the top and a big air pocket trapped at the base.. the fact that you said it worked and climbed to 180+ degrees indicates the damage was caused when you used it.
I'm sorry, I know thats not what you want to hear.
Also the elements at home depot look similar but the base is made of zinc plated steel which will usually start corroding and rusting in short order.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

Yeah it was definitely something I did because it looked normal when I got it. I just don't know how though because I was so freaking careful. Live and learn.

 

[augiedoggy]

Yeah it was definitely something I did because it looked normal when I got it. I just don't know how though because I was so freaking careful. Live and learn.

how was it mounted? you need to have it so the wort can push all the air out of an opening at the highest point? If vertical, most mount the elements at the bottom and temp probes at the top.
also you want to be sure the temp probe tip is in the stream of exiting wort.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

how was it mounted? you need to have it so the wort can push all the air out of an opening at the highest point? If vertical, most mount the elements at the bottom and temp probes at the top.
also you want to be sure the temp probe tip is in the stream of exiting wort.

So here is how I had it mounted originally. Problem was the temp probe is flush with the bottom of the tri clamp. So it wasn't reading temp properly. Im not sure why but I can only imagine there is air at the top due to where the tri clamp is mounted on the kettle. However, I figured that the whole tube fills up and then pushes out through the tri clamp. Due to this, I flipped it around so the element was at the top so it must be that no matter what, there is going to be air in there towards the top. That must be what happened to the element. I'm currently searching on maybe a 6" element so that it will go down into the wort. If the element is at the bottom, it will be fully submerged. Even if there is a small air pocket at the top that wort isn't going to fill, I would imagine a long enough temp probe would fix that. Only other option is to lay it sideways but I really don't want to do that. I'm trying to keep the least amount of tubing possible to try to keep my temps super stable.

The home Depot element worked for my brewday with laying the RIMS tube in the side, but the base did rust already after one brew..I figured the whole thing was stainless by the package. Should've known just by the price.

 

[augiedoggy]

yes most who mount them vertically either use a longer probe or have the exit at the top and probe mounted in the side port. looks like you discovered that the air has no where to go and gets trapped in the top.

 

[BrewinSoldier]

yes most who mount them vertically either use a longer probe or have the exit at the top and probe mounted in the side port. looks like you discovered that the air has no where to go and gets trapped in the top.

That's actually not a bad idea. If I cant find a 4 pin extended temp probe, I'll just use a 2"x1.5" tri clover reducer on the top of the RIMS tube and then and elbow that comes out of that and into the kettle. Then I can move the blichmann probe onto the side where it should be submerged, but because of the length of the probe and being tucked away at that point, I don't know how accurate the readings will be.

Saving up for the new ebrew 360 panel down the road.

 

[augiedoggy]

That's actually not a bad idea. If I cant find a 4 pin extended temp probe, I'll just use a 2"x1.5" tri clover reducer on the top of the RIMS tube and then and elbow that comes out of that and into the kettle. Then I can move the blichmann probe onto the side where it should be submerged, but because of the length of the probe and being tucked away at that point, I don't know how accurate the readings will be.

Saving up for the new ebrew 360 panel down the road.

you can also just replace the probe base with one of these which will net you an inch or so more reach.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/tc15nps_tapped.htm

 

[Goowa]

So here is how I had it mounted originally. Problem was the temp probe is flush with the bottom of the tri clamp. So it wasn't reading temp properly. Im not sure why but I can only imagine there is air at the top due to where the tri clamp is mounted on the kettle. However, I figured that the whole tube fills up and then pushes out through the tri clamp. Due to this, I flipped it around so the element was at the top so it must be that no matter what, there is going to be air in there towards the top. That must be what happened to the element. I'm currently searching on maybe a 6" element so that it will go down into the wort. If the element is at the bottom, it will be fully submerged. Even if there is a small air pocket at the top that wort isn't going to fill, I would imagine a long enough temp probe would fix that. Only other option is to lay it sideways but I really don't want to do that. I'm trying to keep the least amount of tubing possible to try to keep my temps super stable.

The home Depot element worked for my brewday with laying the RIMS tube in the side, but the base did rust already after one brew..I figured the whole thing was stainless by the package. Should've known just by the price.


View attachment 605556

Thats a nice Riptide right there at the bottom of your picture! I love mine. Perhaps you can finagle some solution like the little air release valve on the riptide, into the top of your RIMS tube? Then you can just pull that ring, let the air out and Voila!

 

[ba-brewer]

unscrew the probe enough to let the air escape then screw it back tight.