Dual element issue

[Bigun]

I added a second 500w element to my smoker this spring. I replaced the original at the same time, and now with less than a year on element has gone out. I have just noticed it tonite so I have done no troubleshooting on it. It is the element that is NOT controlled by the bypass switch that I added. I guess I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing shorter element life with the dual element mod.?

[beefmann]

Bradley has had a run with bad elements, I believe they have taken care of that issue.. though there might  be a few still around  which you  might have gotten a hold of

[Bigun]

I hope that is all there is to it..At least I kept the original.I can throw that one back in and pick up a new spare.

[GusRobin]

It is not a dual element issue as I did the mod in 2009 and mine still works fine.

[viper125]

Nope kept the old one in and added another both doing fine. Im one of the lucky ones.

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[devo]

Nope kept the old one in and added another both doing fine. Im one of the lucky ones.

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LOL  Ya but your door fell off  ;D  Hope your luck is not the bad kind  ;)

[TedEbear]

guess I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing shorter element life with the dual element mod.?

Several months after I added a second element one of them went out.  I don't have any bypass switch and so the other element just continued like normal.  I guess I had one of the bad batch elements because I replaced it and everything has been fine for over a year now.

[Bigun]

Thanks everyone. Sounds good, I could not think of a logical reason for this mod. to cause a shorter lifespan, but I knew if that was the case you guys would have it all figured out by now.

[mikecorn.1]

Lil late here but. I've never had any trouble with either element. Original or the second added. I do keep a spare, just in case. :). No bypass switch


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[rexster]

My original element went out last week, purchased the DBS back in May. I had a spare and used it. Going to call Bradley for a warranty replacement this week

[viper125]

LOL! Devo. Well it seems the door breaking is expected. Seems they all do sooner or later. Figured more the 15 months though. But nope still blessed and lucky.

[Bigun]

I have a spare element so of course it is not the element. Turns out to be the factory thermal fuse. I'm trying to figure out a cause.Runaway, or do these wear out over time? Guess I will be running a single element in the morning..

[viper125]

Nope! Not normally. Id go over it closely for a short. Could be dangerous.

[Bigun]

I have looked it over very closely, no shorts. I guess my question now would be when I added the second element I did not add a thermal fuse to protect that portion of the circuit.Should I have added one? Or is it protected by the p.i.d.? If so is the protection sized large enough to handle both elements? I understand you would want the original thermal fuse in place to protect if you lost the p.i.d. and needed to go back to the factory controller(with one element).

[Habanero Smoker]

When you are talking about the thermal fuse, are you speaking of the in-line fuse, or the temperature sensor? If it is the in-line fuse, and you wired the second element separately, I can't see why that would blow the in-line fuse to the original element.

I have the OBS, and did not install a second in-line fuse or a second temperature sensor. I've been running my unit with the second element for almost 4 years, and still have the same two elements since I made the modification.