Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

G'day All,

Bloody computer..2nd try.

G'day All,

I've been running the still with 2x 2400watt elements for over a year now. 2 elements on full for stripping, 2 elements for heat up - then 1 for a spirit run.

The last 3 runs I've had the power trip.
1 run for a stripping run on a 100L boiler - after about 3 hours the power tripped.
The last 2 runs (both spirit runs) after heat up using only 1 x 2400 watt element after almost 3 hours - the power trips.

When I using the 2 x 2400 elements - I'm running one from the house circuit and one from the shed.
After heat up I have used 1 x 2400 element (power from the shed) or 1 x 2400 element (power from house).

I have recently had a new 2400 watt element wired up and with the older element had a new plug wired up as I could see significant blackening at the connection points. The sparky did tell me that I might want to check the power points as well - possibly arcing.

I also noticed the same thing on the 25m extension cord as well, so I've replaced that.

Has anyone else had a similar problem with the power cutting out?

Cheers

Only when using Keg King heating elements. Since I tossed those useless frackers out, and replaced with FSD elements no problem.

So just to clarify, you run each element off a different power circuit? If so, is it the same breaker that keeps tripping?

I have just had a new shed wired up.

I have 40amps going to the shed which is divided into a 15 amp and a 10 amp circuit then some goes to the pool pump.

I was doing a test run boiling water only and managed to trip one circuit on the board inside the shed but also the shed's circuit breaker on the main power board for the house. At least I now know that the breakers do their job properly.

It had been a while since I last used my still which is why I was doing a test run.

I'm using 5 star elements with the triclamp ferrules welded onto my keg.

One of my elements had got some water into the wiring, don't know whether it was leaking through the thread in the tri clamp ferrule or if it was condensation which got in some other way but there was rust inside and a short in the wires.

This has happened before but I am not sure if it was the same element or the other one.

My advice from now on is to regularly check inside your elements wiring housing for signs of moisture.

Hope this helps someone else.

Cheers,

Richard

Cheers Guys,

Psy its the Power RCD - 40amp.

Richard, yep I had the moisture issue once as well. A quick check of the element & housing is good.

I just can't work out why it has been happening for the last few runs and not the previous runs.

Cheers

Ok, so the RCD tripping indicates there is a short to earth somewhere, my guess would be inside one of the elements because it takes time for it to trip and not instantaneous when you switch it on.

Heating elements are basically a piece of resistive wire surrounded by a mineral insulation (like a powdery sand texture) with a metal sheath to contain it. Over time moisture can ingress into the mineral insulation which would provide a current path between the internal resistive wire and the outer sheath which will be earthed causing your RCD to trip.

The circuit breaker tripping would lead me to think there is a short circuit somewhere (not down to earth, but bypassing part of your heating element somewhere) as circuit breakers are designed to switch off when too much current is drawn. A dead short would cause the breaker to trip instantly.

My 3rd theory is that as the boiler heats up there may be enough of a gap in a seal to form allowing a few drops of liquid through into where the wiring is, causing a dead short (whether it be within the circuit or down to earth) and tripping the circuit while at the same time instantly boiling that drop or 2 of liquid allowing you to turn it back on right away. (I have seen this happen with condensation from a fridge once and it took hours to find the fault!)

I recommend you have a chat to your sparky that wired up your heating elements and double check it electrically, couldn't hurt to also follow his advice about having the power points checked as the problem may not even be in your boiler at all.

hope that didn't confuse you too much and good luck! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Just had a thought of what you could do to test the power points safely yourself. Go grab a lamp or fan or something that you can leave on for hours, plug it into one of the suspect power points at a time and leave it run for several hours to see if your RCD/breaker trips again. If it does get your power points checked, if it doesn't then your problem may be in the boiler.

Thanks Psy,
I think I understand, I'll run that test and if needed I'll contact a sparky.

Probably one of those little 2000w fan heaters would be the thing to test the power point with, the higher the draw the closer simulation to a run it will be.

Is it the Earth leakage circuit breaker that is tripping.

How thick is the wire? god forbid it getting a little warm and bridging :/

I recently had an FSD 2400W element blow. They're so cheap, just replace the sucker. I literally got it wired up an hour ago and it's running like new.

Heating elements do that. I've got an electric meat smoker that I need to replace elements on too. It's the nature of the beast.