Wiring cooker hot plate

LooseNut

Hi, I have a home made meat smoker but the electric element failed. I got a used replacement but this replacement has 4 wires (the old one had 2).
I put a multimeter across the terminals and got a reading of 240 ohms between 2 wires so I connected these. It heats but on a low setting. How should I wire the new one to get full power?

murphaph

I presume the other 2 wires are another element in the same housing but you didn't mention any resistance so perhaps it's burned out and gone open circuit leaving only the low heat element working. If you're unsure you should not mess around with this stuff of course. Electricity is dangerous and all that.

LooseNut

Thanks, I well used to electrics, there is no reading from the other 2 wires. Yes possible that it's gone open circuit but I suspect I'm not wiring it correctly. The control knob I'm using is controlling the temperature with only 2 wire coming from it to the element. Maybe I'll need to get a different switch.

Paulw

Moved to Electrical where you might get better replies.

Bruthal

The 2 wires giving 240 ohms, is there any reading between each of them and the other 2?

brightspark

Murphap is probably right, should be readings on more than one pair of contacts. The element was probably wired to a three heat switch.

Very much doubt changing your switch will solve your issue though if only one element is intact.

Bruthal

Clearly it is a double plate. No mystery there. If only 2 connections are giving a reading from any possible checks, one part is gone.

LooseNut

No other readings from the other wires in any combination, I'll assume the element gone. I'll source another and hopefully that will do the trick.
I'll go hungry in the meantime.
Thanks all.