dump load bank from heating elements

[hydro control]

If you are planning and connecting the electrical parts of your hydro system yourself, sooner or later the question about the dump loads arises.

This is a suggestion for a low cost load bank:
Use heating elements for electrical ovens. You can get them cheaply from ebay or amazon or other online household spare part shops.
However these elements are not designed for nonstop use. So wire them in 2 series of 2, then the series in parallel.

Example with 2kW elements:


You will get the same total load power, but each 2kw element will only be used at 1/4 of its rating, that is 0,5kW in the example.

You will need 4x the amount of heating elements, than your total system output.
So if your system needs 10kW of dump loads, you will need to buy heating elements with a total of 40kW.

Make sure the heating elements are ventilated well and protected from touch (danger of electrical shock and burning) and rain (electrical shock through water)

Examples:
 

[ThomasS]

Aeg Electrolux Kuppers Ofen Haube Backofen Heizelement 3871425108

https://www.amazon.de/Electrolux-Kuppers-Backofen-Heizelement-3871425108/dp/B009LM8VDG/ref=sr_1_143?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1518360099&sr=1-143&keywords=heizelement&refinements=p_36%3A-800

Backofen Heißluft, Umluft Heizelement 2500 Watt passend für Bosch Siemens 083517, AEG-Electrolux 899661912861

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00COPP80Q/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

http://www.amazon.de/Backofen-Hei%C3%9Fluft-Heizelement-AEG-Electrolux-899661912861/dp/B005FE5PZG/ref=sr_1_19?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1424987046&sr=1-19

 
https://www.amazon.de/Candy-2100-Watt-Zirkular-Backofen-Element/dp/3020625289/ref=sr_1_111?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1518360594&sr=1-111

amazon search result:

http://www.amazon.de/s/ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank?fst=as%3Aoff&__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&bbn=340693031&qid=1424986833&rh=n%3A908823031%2Cn%3A!908824031%2Cn%3A265854011%2Cn%3A340693031%2Cn%3A1349000031&sort=price-asc-rank

https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank?fst=as%3Aoff&__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85Z%C3%95%C3%91&bbn=340693031&qid=1424986833&rh=n%3A908823031%2Cn%3A!908824031%2Cn%3A265854011%2Cn%3A340693031%2Cn%3A1349000031&sort=price-asc-rank