Ah! Well, running it with the higher wattage element will probably do more to shorten the timer than either running it on gas or a replacement electrical element. If microscopic damage has already occurred, there will already be a powdery buildup around the affected area, and should that be visible, immediate shut down, and then replacement of the cooling unit will be necessary.
Just a thought as to what the primary cause of the failure is. " An element that is too high in wattage" Me! well I'll be ordering my new element this week :B
Cheers
