Which side is the top on this heating element? - Page 2

#11: Post by **Jake_G** » May 11th, 2022, 11:25 pm

I'm sure Ira is typing his reply right now, but yeah. You could pop a breaker and probably melt some wires if you hook up the element wrong.

As for a diagram, look at your old crusty element.

See how three sets of tubes start on the left and then loop back to the right?

You need to orient the new element the same way in order for the connections to look the same as they do on the old one. So rotate it counterclockwise and then you can place the two shorting bars on the left three posts (grabbing the left side of each of the three elements) and then place the remaining shorting bar on the top two posts on the right. As Ira pointed out, if the two wires on the right head off to the same place (pair of contacts in the pressurestat?) Then it really doesn't matter whether the right shorting plate is on the top post or the bottom. What's important is that you don't have the wire on the left side connected directly to either of the wires on the right side when all is said and done.

Cheers!

- Jake

#12: Post by **ira** » May 12th, 2022, 1:45 pm

it looks like it's built like this to me, but you need to confirm: (bad picture alert!

      1a   |   3b
    2a     |      2b
      3a   |   1b

One end of each element needs to be on opposite sides of the line, all 3 elements are identical. Connect 1a, 2a and 3a and then connect 1b and 2b or 2b and 3b on the other side then add the black wire to the remaining post.

May 13th, 2022, 6:48 pm

Thanks for your reply! Although I don't quite understand the diagram (very cool use of the forum I might add); I think I understand better now. Let me post a couple more pics. I think I can line the wires up correctly just by understanding where the soldered tube attaches. So I have the soldered tube lined up in these pics and you can see that it's more about where those tubes line up than how the front faces line up.

Does anyone know if that white thing that the company sent is the gasket? I'm assuming it is. The one that came off of my unit was black. It broke when I took it off.

Thanks!
Joe

#14: Post by **ira** » May 13th, 2022, 7:11 pm

So I guess it's actually like this:

      1a   |   1b
    2a     |      2b
      3a   |   3b

But the instructions I gave are still correct. and yes, that's the gasket.

May 13th, 2022, 7:25 pm

Thanks Ira! Check this out. I think this is correct (assuming that the soldered tube lines up and I believe it does). The original wiring (before I dismantled it) is in last pic. The black and orange wire on the right go to the pressurestat.

#16: Post by **ira** » May 13th, 2022, 7:30 pm

As far as I can tell, that looks correct. If you have an ohm meter and could measure the resistance between all 3 wires I could say for sure.

Ira

#17: Post by **Jake_G** » May 13th, 2022, 9:19 pm

Well, its 180 degrees out, but otherwise, yes.

#18: Post by **ira** » May 13th, 2022, 9:40 pm

But unless the wire length is a problem, that makes no difference.

#19: Post by **Jake_G** » May 13th, 2022, 11:00 pm

Correct, but for the sake of clarity, easier to rotate the whole element and hook the wires up the way they were before than to try and twist the wires with the element when it is properly aligned in the hole.

May 14th, 2022, 3:32 am

Thanks! I think that there's plenty of room for the wires to reach, How would I test with the Ohm meter?