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240v Receptacle On Element Box?

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cbzdel

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Mar 31, 2013
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I have seen it done several ways with 120v elements, but never on a 240v element. Has anyone successfully installed a 240v receptacle within the outlet box? I would like to be able to easily remove all wires from my kettle for storage. My plan was to keep the element cord hard wired to my mounted controller and then make only the kettle portable.

Anyone seen or done this?

With Kals design in mind, I was thinking I could get a twist lock receptacle and then a stainless cover plate on it, but I am not sure how much room I have to work with inside the box as I have not mounted anything yet.

For example, use one of these:
032664581205lg.jpg


with a cover like this:
8937.jpg


Or possibly even like this one, not for the waterproof feature but more to keep any dust and stuff out of the receptacle:
WP_Plate_1_Gang_Vertical_Twist_Lock_1.jpg
 
You will want to have a Male socket and a female plug - so that you don't have live exposed prongs. I have seen a few people use the switchcraft speakon/powercon style in other places of builds
 
Just search for twist lock "inlet" . You will find what you need.

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I wanted to do the same and spent a considerable amount of time searching. The problem is that those male inlets take up too much space inside the element enclosure. The other problem is that even if you can find a deep enough enclosure to mount the inlet, it makes it difficult to service/access the enclosure. I like Kal's design because it's easy to remove the cover plate if I need to access the element or its wiring for some reason.

One option would be to run a short length cord out of the enclosure, attach a male twist lock to it and have a female twist lock on the cord that goes to your control panel.

As someone else mentioned, you could consider Switchcraft connectors. There is a thread with a big debate on those. Personally, I opted for Kal's design because it makes the element/wiring easily serviceable and uses standard connectors designed to handle the amperage/voltage in question.
 
I would like to be able to easily remove all wires from my kettle for storage.
Are you sure this makes storage any easier? I had mine in storage for a long time when moving and found it simple to just wrap it around the kettle at the top above the handles, then tuck the male plug under the cord and pull tight. The 2-gang box and handles are what define the width of the kettle so it's no smaller if the cord wasn't attached.

Kal
 
I too wanted to have a cord that disconnected from my pots, but I also didn't want a big ol' box hanging off of the side of my pots either. Solution: neutrik powercon connectors. Small connections (small enough to fit inside a half-height outlet box), capable of handing 240v and 25a. Done deal.
 
Kal has a good point. I use the brewhardware element enclosures as I have tri-clamp fittings. The stick out pretty far, and the stiff cord sticks out every further. I may replace at some point with a gang-box style. Having the cord come out the side makes a big enough difference that disconnecting the cord isn't nearly as important.
 
My cable plugs into my control panel and triclamps into my kettle. I made my enclosure, but one of the vendors sells one now.




For cleaning and storage everything disconnects, and I can cap the triclamp for cleaning.




Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Kal has a good point. I use the brewhardware element enclosures as I have tri-clamp fittings. The stick out pretty far, and the stiff cord sticks out every further. I may replace at some point with a gang-box style. Having the cord come out the side makes a big enough difference that disconnecting the cord isn't nearly as important.

I have the brewhardware solder tri-clamp enclosures as well. For cleaning and storage just remove the tri-clamp and element completely from the kettle. The solder flange sticks out maybe 1".
 
I have the brewhardware solder tri-clamp enclosures as well. For cleaning and storage just remove the tri-clamp and element completely from the kettle. The solder flange sticks out maybe 1".


That's the one I was referring too


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