Element Guard Kit: How to tighten Element?

WVSHINER

Wondering how you guys that have the element guard kit are tightening the element into the guard. My inch and a half socket out of my tool set is way too heavy to fit inside and my stamped metal element wrench won't fit inside either. Kind of space challenged so to speak.

Time to get out the grinder?
TIA,WVS

CothermanDistilling

does not need to be more than hand tight, any tighter and you risk the gasket pinching out and leaking.

WVSHINER

Hey there CD, thanks for the quick reply. I wasn't going to crank it down hard but your post made me think so I put a screwdriver across the element to keep it from turning and VERY GENTLY turned the guard onto the element and could actually feel the gasket compress slightly as it's fairly soft. BINGO!!! DONE!!! Will check before during and after each run to make sure it remains liquid tight !!! Thanks again, Sir.

Smaug

I put a rag around the element and grip it with a pair of channel locks.

WVSHINER

Great idea, Larry

Smaug

Cheers

grim

if you change your own oil and happen to have a strap wrench in your toolbox, that works.

punkin

It's a rubber o ring on the elements i stock, should never be more than lightly hand tightened.

To check for leaks there is no need to disassemble there is a leak detector built intl the design. Just align the small slot in the endcap with the bottom of the kit. It helps if you cut a short piece out of the silicon gasket, then if there is ever a leak you will see it dripping straight away.

Smaug

@punkin said: It's a rubber o ring on the elements i stock, should never be more than lightly hand tightened.

To check for leaks there is no need to disassemble there is a leak detector built intl the design. Just align the small slot in the endcap with the bottom of the kit. It helps if you cut a short piece out of the silicon gasket, then if there is ever a leak you will see it dripping straight away.

+1

Anavrin

As an Electrical/Electronic Engineer, I had a thought when I fitted mine that the drain hole would be suited to allowing the earth cable from a 3 core mains power lead to be brought out through the hole before being attached to the side of the boiler.

You just need to make the cable end with 2 short wires to connect to the element and a long earth wire so it can pass back out trough the hole.

punkin

The new kits also have a hole where the earth lug screws on instead of a tapped thread, so you could take a wire out that way. But an earth connected to the kit will connect to the boiler by default anyway through the clamps?

WVSHINER

@punkin said:

To check for leaks there is no need to disassemble there is a leak detector built intl the design. Just align the small slot in the endcap with the bottom of the kit. It helps if you cut a short piece out of the silicon gasket, then if there is ever a leak you will see it dripping straight away.

Great idea on cutting the gasket to observe if there's a leak,Punkin . Nasty business if it should fill with mash.

WVSHINER

@punkin said: The new kits also have a hole where the earth lug screws on instead of a tapped thread, so you could take a wire out that way. But an earth connected to the kit will connect to the boiler by default anyway through the clamps?

Mine has slot. Could you post a pic of the new model?

punkin

They all have a slot, the new model has a screw for the earth lug that is tapped all the way through the cap and can be mounted inside or outside the guard like the pic below.
The old model had a tapped bore inside the cap for the earth

WVSHINER

Thank you, @punkin and please, please excuse my late reply.
I have the plate with the hole threaded all the way through.