Well other than your Oops, that one seems plenty good for the 1/4 hp Weed ..... nice!
I do have one question. If it has an electrical over pressure cut off, why would low water burn out the element? Seems to me that as soon as the element started to get close to exposed, the steam pressure would shoot up and shut the whole thing down. Am I missing something here?
Yes... low water exposes the element and it does not increase pressure when exposed to steam as a gas. The submerged heater's surface will never rise above the temperature of the water. For example, in this boiler at 50 psi, the water boils at 298 degrees F. The surface of the submerged element is therefore maintained at about that temperature plus 2 degrees. Once exposed, an electric heating element can and will reach 1900-2000 F.
Hope this helps.
Gil
Doesn't really help my comprehension Gil, as typical locomotive boiler explosions occur from low water levels that expose the crown sheet of the firebox (roughly equivalent to your electrical heating cartridge), thus causing the boiler pressure to climb precipitately to critical levels and explosion. As the water level in your boiler drops below complete coverage of your heating element, the overall temperature of that element is going to climb, but will still be in contact with some water while at elevated temperature.
Or so it seems to me anyway?!?!?
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