Need some head nods before proceeding

[Patience]

I am not building a huge oven like you all are. I am only using a single 2400w element in a well insulated 2x4x4 foot upright stainless box with a 4 wire plug. Since I only require max of 300*F I think I'm ok with only 1 element.

My questions,

Does the element portion behind the mounting bracket (i.e. the 2 inches from the terminal to the bracket) get just as hot as the rest of the element? I've seen different designs which guys poke that portion through the oven so the terminals are outside the insulation, and others use high temp wiring and keep the entire element in the oven shell. For those pokers, how much space between the exposed element and the insulation do you allow?

I will be using PID/SSR to control 1 leg of the 220V, do you fuse that leg between the SSR and the element, or the SSR and the incoming hot. Do you really need a fuse with 220v element? I will be using a 20amp breaker and the PID and convection fan will be fused seperatly.

When you guys talk about contactors, is this specifically when more than one element will be used? I just planned on using a PID/SSR to control a single element.

Thanks in advance!

[ed_denu]

For safety sake, the element should be mounted inside the oven on a metal utility box. The electrical connections to the element should never be exposed in a way that could allow contact with the oven shell. I would recommend using high temp wire running into this box. Wiring once outside the oven would not require high temp.

Contactors can be used in place of SSR's. They perform the same function. There are advantages and disadvantages of each, but one is required regardless of the number of elements.

[krownkustoms]

no the couple inch portion of the element from terminal to the mounting bracket does not heat up I asked that question to a oven repair specialist just the other day because I am building a 7x3x4 oven myself as a first time build and I have inquired as much as I think is possible so far