Home Distiller

I've had the same 5500 watt element for about a year now, and it seems like the heatup time has become slower and slower. Transition from heatup to a stream is very steady, whereas it used to be very sudden. I've stuck a meter and I have a full 120V on each leg, the only change I've made is added an MK5500. But my heatup is on full tilt on the controller.

Ideas?

I've had mine for a year and haven't noticed any difference actually this is the first post I've read that even discusses it. With hot water tanks using the same element for years it is actually surprising to me have you in someway scorched the element?

No, I can look down in the keg with a light, looks great.

I'm stripping a wash now, have more to strip when I'm done. I may bypass the controller all together and see if that makes a difference

What is your reference point for times? An 11 gallon wash takes me 30 minutes to get to temp before timing reflux, I also have a 5500 element that I run at 20 amps on a 240 circuit.

I don't keep very good notes, fill my keg with about 12 gallons 10%. Old heatup time would be around 30 minutes but now its on the + side of 45 minutes.

you haven't dropped your AVB of your charge over time? Lower ALC = longer heatup

Related heating element question:

Short question: How long would a element need to be out of water before it's no good?

Long question: I just converted my rig to electric with the help of an electrical engineer buddy of mine and literally thousands of posts here and on beer brewing sites. I'm working on typing up the build for post on this site as it goes through the first stripping run. I'm moving soon so we rationalized it best to install 2 heating elements going to one controller and go with 120 on both. One element goes straight to a plug, the other goes into a variable controller (triac, resistor, bascally mulekicker's design).

Last night, in doing my first water test boil, with only one ext cord plugged straight into the wall (a test/reset plug), i filled it up and was waiting waiting waiting. at about 1030 and at about 150 degrees, i unplugged the heater, dumped some water and fired it back up. at 11, it still wasnt boiling, so i dumped more water out. as i was leaning it over, i realized that i forgot to turn it off and quickly righted the ship. the element was out of the water for about 1/2 second to 1 second. It still came to a maintained boil last night despite my foolishness. Now, experimenting during this stripping run, i have them both full power and the condenser is cool enough and fast enough to knock it all down. However, if i drop to only the non-variable element, the flow is almost the same. But if i drop to only the variable one, it slows down considerably.

Is one second out of water enough to ruin an element?

Also, the side of the box with the triac on it is warm. not hot, but warm. It may need a more formal heat sink, or at least a larger one. some holes in that box would probably help too...