On Mon, 03 Oct 2011 06:17:40 -0700, you wrote:

>Here's what's confusing me... I tend to think of the wattage rating as =20
>the ability (or rate) of the device to dissipate heat (given it's =20
>package size, surface area, materials, etc), which is why I imagine =20
>higher wattage being no problem as long as the heat is being sucked =20
>away. =20

True as long as the thermal resistance from the element to the outside worl=
d is not high enough to
be an issue.
As mentioned elsewhere, welds may be a weak point.
If you want to look at in detail, you could measure the element temperature=
 via its change in
resistance.

I've seen a grossly overloaded metal-clad aluminium resistor violently fire=
 one of its ends off,
leaving a taser-like trail of (live) wire behind it...!

--=20
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