Cover for heating element

[H12rpo]

ok bought one of those heating elements for a mash tun off the web but what do you guys use for a ‘cover’ or protector for the electrical connection on the end of it ?

 

[Dutto]

Personally, I don't heat my Mash Tun but for the Strike Water and Sparge Water Heater there was a little cap that came with the element.

If you send a link, so that we can take a look at the particular element that you have purchased, then a suitable (and safe) solution may spring to mind. :thumb:

 

[H12rpo]

https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A9mSs3DZaJVaiZcAIZqA3YlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByZmVxM3N0BGNvbG8DaXIyBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=heating+element+image&back=https://uk.search.yahoo.com/search?p=heating+element+image&rd=r1&ei=UTF-8&no=1&fr=ipad&h=147.9&w=197.5&imgurl=www.vetusdirect.com/image/cache/data/Vetus/heating_element-1024x768.jpg&rurl=http://www.vetusdirect.com/calorifier-thermostatic-mixer-whmixer-1552521216/&size=47KB&name=CALORIFIER+HEATING+ELEMENT+-+500W,+1000W,+230/120V+|+Vetus+...&oid=d992b3701e3747179200000000443511&tt=CALORIFIER+HEATING+ELEMENT+-+500W,+1000W,+230/120V+|+Vetus+...&sigr=12coee60n&sigi=127nblo31&sigb=129v0tv10&sign=11u7dk01f&sigt=11u7dk01f

Like one of these

 

[Dutto]

IF I couldn't find a properly engineered cover supplied by the manufacturer, I would look elsewhere for a solution ...

... and looking at the photograph, a 50mm plastic drain cap may fit over the exposed connections very nicely.

If you take a measurement of the diameter and then Google "xx mm plastic drain cap" you may find something like this ...

https://www.bosta.co.uk/end-cap-011...MI76es3OLG2QIVpLDtCh1rCQosEAQYAyABEgIRyPD_BwE

Personally, after making sure that the element/boiler connection was secure and not leaking, I would:

• Ensure that the cap/element was a tight fit.
• Drill a suitable sized hole (for a round cable) in the base of the cap so that the cable could be passed through it.
• Drill a second small "weep hole" in what will become the bottom of the cap (near the outer end) so that any leak past the element would drain out of the cover before it touched the cable connections.
• Pass the cable through the hole in the base and connect it to the element.
• Slide the cover along the cable to cover the element connections; ensuring that the "weep hole" faced downwards.
• Secure the cable in place with a tie-wrap so that the cover couldn't slide back up the cable if it ever came loose.
• Fill the boiler with water so that the element is covered and then switch it on.

If everything was okay I would carry on and fill the boiler to its operating level and bring it up to the boil whilst checking that there were no leaks as the water heated up. At ANY sign of a leak from the element, I would switch the element off and dismantle everything so that the element could be refitted.

Hope this helps. :thumb:

 

[Ciaran12s]

I've used kettle elements on my boiler. To cover the electrical outer parts, I took some baby tupperware type bowls complete with lid and stuck them on. The lid has a small hole for to cable to run through and the bottom of the bowl has a hole that fits over the electrical connection housing. Very rough and very crude. I see it as a way of covering up bare electrical connections to protect from accidentally touching them whilst live and to stop any drips or spills from coming in to contact with them.