This could happen to you

[snowtiger1987]

Today during my brew session everything was going normally until it came to the boil. I have a Kal Electric clone system. I turned on the heating element for the boil kettle after I had collected about 3/4's of the volume I was collecting for the boil like normal. About 10 minutes later I noticed that the element did not appear to be heating. The control panel indicated the element was on but the amps weren't where the should be. After I turned the pumps off the amps were 0 even though the element power was on. Time to investigate. I turned off the control panel and moved the boil kettle around (with 15 gallons of 150 degree wort in it) so I could look at the element box in the back. I opened it up and the entire inside was black. Upon further inspection the white wire plastic covering was totally burned away and the wire was almost burned through. Apparently the vibration from countless boils had moved the wire so it was touching the inside of the box which was attached to the kettle and the thermal heat from the boil had burned up the cable insulation. Not only that, but when I unplugged the cable from the main control box and took apart the plug everything inside was melted together .

Now I had discovered the problem but what do I do to boil the 15 gallons of beautiful wort I had collected? I inspected the plug but it was unsaveable. No one locally carries the 250V 30A plugs. I decided to remove the hot liquor tank plug and attach it to the boil kettle fused one. I rewired both ends (this time taking away any slack inside the boil kettle box) and now I am back in business. I will order a new plus for the hot liquor tank tomorrow.

 

[Smellyglove]

If I understood this correctly, no ground wire?

If I get you, and my electrical stuff right, a ground wire would trigger a breaker? I can't melt, or have a short in my home-made panel as it would trigger the GFCI I have inside the panel. The party would just shut down.