My plans for converting to electric, what do you think?

[The Pol]

Giggity

 

[jeffmeh]

To be totally sacrilegious, if everything is well grounded (and you don't brew in bare feet) a GFI is not needed. (The same element is in your house water heater and you handle an ungrounded kettle in the kitchen every day, both without a GFI)
Tom

That's a pretty terrible analogy. Neither a water heater nor a pot on the stove is an open vessel with an exposed, home-wired, heating element. Saving a few bucks at the cost of significantly increased risk seems penny-wise and pound foolish to me.

 

[Tegra]

I knew there would be haters.

Just my opinion but I have never seen an industrial machine designed with a GFI. Or a kitchen or home appliance with a GFI, despite many being 2 wire ungrounded.

I love GFIs but the code specifies them only in certain cases and (if you read the Home Depot reviews) often the GFI sensor fails and unless tested each time you are not aware of it.

I would use one if at all possible, but a well grounded plug in kettle plus a safety conscious person is ok.

Tom

 

[augiedoggy]

I knew there would be haters.

Just my opinion but I have never seen an industrial machine designed with a GFI. Or a kitchen or home appliance with a GFI, despite many being 2 wire ungrounded.

I love GFIs but the code specifies them only in certain cases and (if you read the Home Depot reviews) often the GFI sensor fails and unless tested each time you are not aware of it.

I would use one if at all possible, but a well grounded plug in kettle plus a safety conscious person is ok.

Tom

I'm pretty sure the newer kitchen appliances have to be on a gfcI now just like all the wall outlets. Also I really think comparing a closed dishwasher or stove to homemade open kettles of liquid with submerged electrical components and electrical connections mounted on the side of these kettles is a bad Idea.... I'm sure the dishwashers have more safety precautions built into them....
Although after seeing in another thread that you removed the fuse from your element controller board after it melted and soldered a solid wire in its place I'm not surprised at this.

 

[Black_Z28]

What I did, which I'm really liking is just a simple SSVR with a POT. I added a simple switch and a Volt/Amp gauge. The gauge is completely not needed, but I thought it would be cool to know how much draw is on the element during the boil or mash. I can quickly turn the dial to the amps I know that are needed for a continuous boil or turn it up to a specific amount that I know I can go to without a worry of a boil over. I have about $70 into my controller, which includes the switch, Contactor, SSRV(Pot), box, amp/volt meter. That does not include the SJOOW wire or the GFCI breaker I installed in my sub panel.

Only 10 amps is needed for a full boil with my setup, that's on a 5500ULWD element.

I added a much bigger heat sink that is seen in the first picture. It was way too small. This is my whole setup. Still planning a hood/vent.

 

[Tegra]

I apologize, I was only hoping to express an idea based on facts, research and experience available to me. I was hoping for dispassionate feedback based on the same that could add to my knowledge. I am sorry if I have deeply offended some. I am not trying to put down anyones ideas, but simply trying to help ones discover new options.

I will try to be more careful to direct my more controversial ideas to a safer place.

Tom

 

[augiedoggy]

I apologize, I was only hoping to express an idea based on facts, research and experience available to me. I was hoping for dispassionate feedback based on the same that could add to my knowledge. I am sorry if I have deeply offended some. I am not trying to put down anyones ideas, but simply trying to help ones discover new options.

I will try to be more careful to direct my more controversial ideas to a safer place.

Tom

Well to be fair now that you explained your reasoning behind removing the fuse and explained the additional protection that makes more sense... as far as not having ground fault protection its always a good idea with exposed liquid and electricity. Its even becoming a requirement in basement wiring now.
I get that your saying if nothing goes wrong its not needed but its there for extra protection IF something DOES go wrong right?