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An electric smoker that won't heat is usually a cheap repair, and the heating element is rarely the part that failed. The same dead end catches pellet grill owners whose grill won't come up to temp: the biggest, most expensive component gets blamed first. On an electric cabinet, a burned spade connector at the back of the heater, a tripped high-limit thermostat or a dead relay on the power board each produce the identical symptom of a lit display over a cold box.
The order of the checks matters more than the parts. Work from the wall outlet inward: power and GFCI, then the operating sequence, then the element connector, then the element itself, and only then the control circuit upstream of it. Most of these faults are cheap and easy to pin down with a multimeter and twenty minutes. The expensive mistakes all come from skipping a step and ordering a part that was never broken.
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Three Different Faults Owners Call "Not Heating"
"My smoker won't heat" covers at least four distinct failures, and they lead to different places. Sorting your symptom into the right row before picking up a screwdriver is most of the diagnosis.
| What you see | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Nothing lights up: no display, no timer | Outlet, breaker and GFCI first, then the high-limit safety thermostat |
| Display and timer work, cabinet stays cold | Element connector, then the element, then the relay or power board |
| Heats, but never reaches or holds the set temperature | Door gasket and latch, dirty chamber sensor, cord voltage drop, weather, wrong-wattage element |
| GFCI trips the moment heat is commanded on | Stop. Heater insulation leakage, moisture intrusion, corroded or loose contacts |
Two of those rows aren't element failures at all, and a third only sometimes is. The next few sections follow the current path in the order it should be tested.
Start at the Wall: Outlet, Cord and GFCI
Test the outlet with a known-good appliance before touching the smoker. If the outlet is dead, check the breaker panel, then reset the GFCI once. A circuit that trips a second time is a fault to find, not a button to keep pressing.
Then inspect the cord and the plug end to end. Look for cuts in the insulation, melted or discolored jacket near the plug, a missing ground pin, or water tracked into the connection area. A cord with visible heat damage or a broken ground is a replacement part, not something to splice with indoor appliance wire. Match the new cord or controller to the heater's electrical rating, not to whatever is on the shelf.
Char-Broil states plainly that the smoker should not be operated on an outdoor circuit without GFI protection, and that guidance holds across brands. Moving the smoker to a non-GFCI outlet to stop the tripping is not a repair, it defeats the one device standing between a leaking heating element and the person holding the lid.
GFCI Trips the Moment Heat Comes On
A GFCI that trips only when the heating element energizes is reporting current escaping where it shouldn't. Char-Broil's own troubleshooting points at a rusted or holed heating element letting moisture inside the sheath, water intrusion into the cabinet or gasket area, and loose or corroded contacts.
Stop using the smoker and isolate the cause. A continuity check from the element terminal to the chassis can catch a hard short, but a normal reading on a handheld meter does not prove the heater's insulation is sound. If the smoker has ever given you a tingle or a shock, if the breaker or GFCI trips repeatedly, if you find charred insulation or a melted board, or if water and grease have reached the electronics, take it out of service and get a qualified technician to look at it. That list is also where the repair-or-replace decision usually lands.
Plugged In, Lit Up, Still Cold: Check the Operating Sequence
This one costs nothing and gets missed constantly. Some Masterbuilt digital models, including the MB20071117 generation, will not begin heating until a cook cycle is programmed. Temperature alone is not enough; the timer has to be set or the controller sits there with the display lit and the element cold.
Owners who skip that step conclude the element is dead and start shopping. Set both the temperature and the cook time first, confirm the unit was started through the normal sequence rather than by flipping the power switch, and let it run long enough for the controller to energize the element before condemning anything.
The same logic applies to a Masterbuilt 710 WiFi unit displaying a door code while the door is closed. That points to the door switch position, not the heater.
The Burned Connector at the Back of the Element
This is the most recurrent failure reported on Masterbuilt electric cabinets, and it's frequently mistaken for a dead element. The female blade terminal where the high-temperature wire meets the heating element corrodes, blackens, or melts away. The element itself can still be electrically intact while the connection feeding it has failed.
Unplug the smoker and let it cool completely before removing the rear access panel. Inspect both terminals, the wire ends, and the insulation where the leads enter the element. A blackened, loose, oxidized or melted spade connector has to be replaced with a proper high-temperature connector, and the mating terminal needs the same inspection for heat damage.
Owners describe this as the repair that saved them from replacing an entire smoker. It's also the reason to inspect the connection before testing resistance: if the connector is the fault, a healthy element reading tells you nothing about why the cabinet is cold.
Testing the Heating Element With a Multimeter
This is the one test that settles whether the element is actually dead. Unplug the smoker, let it cool fully, and disconnect the element leads before you test, so the meter sees the heater alone and not the rest of the circuit.
A resistive heating element follows R = V²/P, so its expected resistance is fixed by its rated wattage at 120 volts.
| Rated element | Nominal resistance at 120 V |
|---|---|
| 800 W | about 18 Ω |
| 1200 W | about 12 Ω |
| 1500 W | about 9.6 Ω |
| 1650 W | about 8.7 Ω |
An infinite or OL reading across a disconnected element means an open circuit inside the heater, and the element is done. A reading near zero points to an abnormal short. Readings shift slightly with the element's temperature, the meter's leads and the element's construction, so treat these as nominal targets rather than exact numbers.
What the test does not do is clear the rest of the smoker. An element that measures in range while the cabinet stays cold means the fault is somewhere the meter isn't looking.
When the Element Tests Fine: Go Upstream
Move to the high-limit safety thermostat, the wiring harness, the relay or power board, and the controller. Char-Broil's published troubleshooting splits this cleanly: a smoker whose timer, temperature display and element are all dead sends you to the outlet and GFCI first, then to the high-limit thermostat, which may only need reseating before replacement. A smoker whose display works while the element stays cold sends you to the element connection first, then to the element.
A lit display never proves the downstream circuit works. The controller can boot, run its logic and show a set temperature while the relay that actually switches mains power to the heater is dead. Owners who replaced a 1200 W element and its connectors and still had no heat found the remaining suspects were the safety limiter and the control circuit, not the heater.
Live 120 V measurements, insulation-resistance testing and control-board repair belong to a qualified technician. And whatever you find in a forum thread, do not jumper a relay, bypass the high-limit switch, defeat the GFCI or pull a ground to force heat out of the cabinet. Those shortcuts are how a no-heat problem becomes a fire or a shock.
If the component-level approach is familiar, the same logic drives our Traeger igniter and hot rod replacement guide, which walks a parallel fault path on the pellet side.
Masterbuilt Error Codes on the 710 WiFi Models
The current connected Masterbuilt electric models report faults as numbered codes, and the definitions are literal. Use the manual for your exact model rather than forum mappings, which are frequently wrong.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Err 1 | Temperature-probe connection error |
| Err 2 | Meat-probe malfunction |
| Err 3 | Smoker overheating |
| Err 4 | Smoker unable to reach temperature |
| Err 5 | Meat-probe temperature above 225°F |
| door | Door-switch malfunction when the door is closed |
For Err 1, Masterbuilt's procedure is to confirm the probe connector is fully seated, disconnect power for ten seconds, then reconnect. Err 3 calls for shutting down and investigating the cause of the overheat, including a possible grease fire inside the cabinet.
Err 4 is the code owners most often misread. It says unable to reach temperature, which is a symptom description and not a verdict on the heating element. That fault gets escalated to Masterbuilt support rather than answered with an element purchase. The same principle applies to pellet-side error codes, which we break down in our Traeger error code reference.
It Heats, But It Runs Cool
When the element is warming the cabinet but the smoker never reaches its set temperature or recovers slowly after the door opens, stop thinking about the heater and start thinking about heat loss and measurement.
Check the door first. A leaking gasket or a latch that no longer pulls the door tight lets heat escape and smoke show at the seams, and Char-Broil's silicone gasket on the DES models is adjustable through its three mounting screws. Look for visible smoke leaking around the door before assuming the element has weakened.
Then clean the chamber temperature sensor. Heavy creosote or smoke film on the probe causes premature cycling and an abnormally low apparent maximum temperature, and it's a free fix before any part purchase. It's the same maintenance discipline that keeps a pellet grill running clean, covered in our pellet grill cleaning guide.
Weather and power supply come next. Cold, wind and exposed positions extend preheat dramatically, and bullet-style electric smokers are especially sensitive to wind. A long undersized extension cord drops voltage and slows the element's recovery. An earlier repair that fitted a lower-wattage element than the cabinet was designed for will also run cool.
Finally, verify the cabinet temperature against an independent grate-level probe rather than the built-in display. The chamber sensor and a probe sitting at food level do not sample the same air, and a sustained offset shows up better on a separate thermometer than on a single glance at the controller.
Check the Recall Before You Repair a Char-Broil
Char-Broil recalled its Digital Electric Smokers in February 2024, covering roughly 211,700 units in the United States and 3,440 in Canada, because current can leak and create an electric-shock hazard. The recall followed 79 reports of minor electric shocks, including one blister injury. Affected model families include 17202002, 17202004, 19202101, 463246619 and 17202043, along with the 1000 XL family sold as 14202005, 17202005 and 17202005-A1.
Consumers are instructed to stop using those units and to obtain the free GFCI repair kit from Char-Broil. This is the one case in electric smoker repair where buying parts is the wrong answer. A new heating element, a new thermostat or a reseated connector does nothing about the leakage current that triggered the recall, and the recall remedy has to come first.
If you own one of those models, confirm your exact model and serial against the recall notice before you plug it in again.
Element Compatibility: Same Voltage Is Not Enough
Replacement elements look interchangeable and mostly are not. Wattage, current draw, thermostat rating, connector type, mounting dimensions and the control architecture all have to match the model, and matching only one of them is how owners end up with a smoker that still doesn't heat.
| Element | Rating | Confirmed or declared applications |
|---|---|---|
| 9907120011 aftermarket | 800 W / 120 V | Many Masterbuilt 30-inch digitals including MB20071117; sellers also list some Char-Broil 725 and Smoke Hollow units |
| 9907120027 aftermarket | 1200 W / 120 V | Many Masterbuilt 40-inch digitals; sellers also cross-list the recalled Char-Broil 1000 XL |
| 9907150018 OEM | 1500 W | MB20070210 and the analog Masterbuilt models listed on the OEM part page |
| Smoke Hollow D4015SS-22 OEM | Not published by the manufacturer | CAB4017, D4015B, D4015RS, D4015SS, D4015SSC, D4015SSS |
| 1650 W universal kits | 1650 W / 120 V | Marketed across Masterbuilt, Smoke Hollow, Char-Broil and others; no OEM approval |
Three rules come out of that table. Same voltage is not enough. Same mounting footprint is not enough. And a higher-wattage element is not an upgrade.
A 1650 W heater drawing roughly 13.75 amps replaces an 800 W heater drawing under 7, and the relay, connectors, thermostat and wiring in that cabinet were specified for the smaller load. "Universal" describes what the seller thinks will physically fit, not what the smoker's manufacturer approved for its control circuit. Swapping an 800 W element for a 1650 W one is an unsupported change, not a performance improvement.
The Smoke Hollow row is a reminder about model lookups. That manufacturer sold 30-inch 1500 W units and 40-inch configurations, and the OEM replacement page for the D4015SS-22 doesn't state its wattage at all. "Smoke Hollow element" is not a part number.
The Parts Worth Buying
Match the part number to your model plate before ordering. These are the pieces that come up most often.
- 800 W replacement element kit (cross-reference 9907120011) for many Masterbuilt 30-inch digitals: check the 800W replacement element on Amazon
- 1200 W replacement element (cross-reference 9907120027) for many Masterbuilt 40-inch digitals: check the 1200W replacement element on Amazon
- 1500 W analog element kit (cross-reference 9907150018) for MB20070210 and the other listed analog models: check the 1500W element kit on Amazon
- Digital control panel (cross-reference 9907160014) for selected Masterbuilt 30 and 40-inch electrics, controller and mounting screws included: check the 9907160014 controller on Amazon
- 1650 W universal element kit with an adjustable thermostat, for readers who have verified their cabinet's wiring, relay and connector ratings can carry it: check the 1650W universal kit on Amazon
- Smoke Hollow D4015SS-22 OEM element, sold directly by the manufacturer and not stocked through Amazon: search the D4015SS-22 on Amazon
- Masterbuilt 9007170394 analog control and six-foot power cord, OEM: search the 9007170394 control cord on Amazon
- High-temperature door gasket tape, only after measuring your door channel and confirming the temperature rating: search electric smoker door gasket on Amazon
A controller replacement deserves a caution here. It's the classic second repair after an element swap that didn't work, and a lit display can coexist with a failed relay on the power board underneath it. Replacing the top panel blindly is not a diagnosis.
Repair or Replace?
Repair is the right call when the fault is isolated to a plug, a model-specific cord or controller, an accessible element, a gasket, a latch or a single high-temperature connector, and when the cabinet is structurally sound and dry, an OEM-compatible part is still available, and there's no sign of widespread heat damage.
Step back and replace the unit, or hand it to a professional, when any of these are true:
- You've felt a shock or a tingle from the cabinet
- The breaker or GFCI trips repeatedly
- A relay, power board or more than one connector has melted
- Insulation is charred
- Water or grease has reached the electronics
- The electrical enclosure or chassis is badly corroded
- Someone has already bypassed a safety thermostat
- Diagnosis would require live mains-voltage testing
- You can't confirm the correct model or wattage
- The fix depends on jumping from an 800 W or 1200 W circuit to a 1500 W or 1650 W element
- Several modules plus door and body parts approach the cost of a new, supported smoker
Age alone doesn't decide this. Plenty of old cabinets are worth a connector, and plenty of newer ones with a corroded electrical enclosure are not.
If you're replacing rather than repairing, the current best electric smokers covers the field by price band, and our electric smoker buying guide explains which control architectures are the most serviceable down the road. For a direct comparison of the two paths, see Masterbuilt vs Traeger or the broader pellet grill vs electric smoker breakdown.
The Masterbuilt MB20070210 analog is the easiest electric cabinet to keep running, because its element and its six-foot analog control cord are sold separately by the manufacturer and there's no power board to fail: check the MB20070210 on Amazon. If you want the mainstream digital route with a large service-parts ecosystem behind it, the MB20071117 is the one most owners end up with: check the MB20071117 on Amazon. For a smoker you can leave set up outdoors with a window and factory legs, that's the MB20070421: check the MB20070421 on Amazon. The 40-inch MB20072918 is the capacity option when you're cooking for a crowd: check the MB20072918 on Amazon.
The one replacement on this list that carries a materially longer stated warranty than the Masterbuilt electrics is the EAST OAK 30-inch cabinet, at 725 square inches, four racks, an 800 W element and a built-in meat probe: check the EAST OAK 30-inch electric smoker on Amazon.
Conclusion
A cold electric smoker is a diagnosis problem long before it's a parts problem. Sort the symptom first: dead display, live display with a cold cabinet, heats-but-runs-cool, or trips the GFCI. That single step routes you to the right branch, and it stops most owners from buying an element that was never the fault.
From there it's a short list. Test the outlet and stop resetting a tripping GFCI. Set the cook timer on digital models that require it. Pull the rear panel and look at the element connector before anything else. Measure the element with it disconnected and compare the reading to its rated wattage. If it's healthy, the high-limit thermostat, the relay and the power board are the next suspects, and live-voltage work goes to a technician, not to a forum thread. And if you own a recalled Char-Broil DES, the recall remedy comes before any of it.
Most no-heat calls end in a connector, a cord or a gasket, which is why it's worth twenty minutes with a multimeter before spending anything. When the cabinet is sound and the parts are still available, these units are built to be repaired. When the wiring, the board or the enclosure has been compromised, replacing the smoker is the safer and often cheaper answer.
More on this site: Pellet Grill Not Heating Up? How to Fix It Fast, Pellet Grill Not Smoking? Why It Happens and How to Fix It, Electric Smoker Buying Guide and Best Electric Smokers.
